Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

State park · Kentucky

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Kentucky
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Blinutne assumed / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Known as the 'Niagara of the South,' this 68-foot, 125-foot-wide waterfall on the Cumberland River is one of the few places in the Western Hemisphere with a regularly visible moonbow, ringed by an oak-and-hemlock gorge that colors up through October.

Best for: Waterfall and moonbow

Don’t miss

  • Moonbow on clear full-moon nights
  • 68-foot waterfall
  • Gorge overlook trails
2026 Forecast

Peak: October 28–November 1

Color builds from October 19 · mostly bare by November 22

Color starts: October 19Peak: October 30Bare: November 22AugustDecember

Sampled at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park’s own coordinates and elevation (331 m) rather than a regional average.

Kentucky is sampled at 20 weather points, then moved 3 days earlier so the model agrees with 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. This year's weather has the peak running 4 days earlier than a normal year. How the forecast works

When to go to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

You get about 20 days of color here, from the first turn through to roughly November 8. That is about 4 days later than Kentucky as a whole. The elevation is 1,086 ft, which pulls the turn earlier.

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park on the map

Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Kentucky, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.

More things to do in Kentucky

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Frequently asked

When does Cumberland Falls State Resort Park peak in 2026?
Peak color is predicted for October 28–November 1 (best estimate October 30). Color starts around October 19 and is mostly bare by November 22.

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