Cumberland Falls
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Cumberland Falls is a waterfall in Kentucky, at a modelled elevation of 243 m. Ryans Creek Mountain stands 660 m to the south, 13 miles off. The nearest named place is Six Gun City, a historic site 0.2 miles away. Wilderness Road Heritage Highway passes 23 miles off.
The story
Cumberland Falls, sometimes called the Little Niagara, the Niagara of the South, or the Great Falls, is a waterfall on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky. Spanning the river at the border of McCreary and Whitley counties, the waterfall is the central feature of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and is part of the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves designated Wild River System. It is believed the current falls formed as the result of erosion from its original starting place at an escarpment far downstream. The site of the falls was occupied in pre-modern times by a variety of indigenous peoples, and more recently has passed through multiple private owners until eventually being donated, along with surrounding land to Kentucky in 1933. A moonbow is regularly visible at this site.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q38488, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
How to reach it
- 22.8 mi off the Wilderness Road Heritage Highway, National
- 18.4 mi off the Cumberland Cultural Heritage Highway
- 29.4 mi off the Cumberland Historic Byway, National
Named places within 25 miles
- Cumberland Falls State Park: 0.6 mi
- Beaver Creek Wildlife Management Area: 6.8 mi
- Natural Arch Scenic Area: 9.2 mi
- McCreary County Park: 9.4 mi
- Panoramic Trail: 10.3 mi
- Chestnut Flats: 4.9 mi
- Indian Knob: 8.8 mi
- Jones Peak: 9.7 mi
- Hanging Rock: 9.8 mi
- Grassy Mountain: 10.3 mi
- Moonshiner’s Arch: 2.8 mi
- Triangle Rock False Arch: 3.4 mi
- Schoolhouse Arch: 4.0 mi
- Bark Camp Creek False Arch: 5.5 mi
- Curd Garden Arch: 5.5 mi
- Hens Nest Cliff: 12.6 mi
- Pound Cliff: 12.8 mi
- Golden Eagle Cliff: 13.4 mi
- Yellow Cliff: 13.6 mi
- Wildcat Cliff: 14.0 mi
- Eagle Creek Falls: 0.3 mi
- Dog Slaughter Falls: 2.3 mi
- Star Creek Falls: 3.7 mi
- Devil Creek Watefall: 4.6 mi
- Bark Camp Creek Cascades: 5.2 mi
- Beast Mode: 7.8 mi
- Freedom Church Swinging Bridge: 14.2 mi
- The Ritner Swinging Bridge: 15.9 mi
- Short Creek: 22.0 mi
- Short Creek Cave: 22.0 mi
- Six Gun City: 0.2 mi
- Corbin Historic Train Restoration: 15.7 mi
- First Boy Scout Troop: 17.5 mi
- Burnside: 17.9 mi
- Civil War: 20.9 mi
- Truck scales and rest area - I75 NB: 19.6 mi
- Truck scales and rest area - I75 SB: 19.8 mi
- Whitley County Welcome Center Northbound: 20.3 mi
- Tennessee Welcome Center: 21.7 mi
- Whitley County Historical Society and Museum: 12.2 mi
- Sander's Cafe and Museum: 16.2 mi
- McHargue's Mill: 23.3 mi
- Colonel Sanders: 15.7 mi
- Lake Cumberland Slaves Memorial: 21.4 mi
- Senator John Sherman Cooper: 22.6 mi
- CPL Reading Garden: 15.8 mi
- CPL Reading Garden: 15.8 mi
- Children's Botanical Garden of South Central Kentucky: 22.4 mi
- Koger Spring: 13.3 mi
- Mill Spring: 24.8 mi
- Buck Creek Wildlife Management Area: 19.0 mi
- Ping-Sinking Valley Wildlife Management Area: 24.7 mi
- Bald Rock Picnic Area: 15.0 mi
- Minnow Beach: 16.0 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 18.7 miles of Cumberland Falls. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryans Creek Mountain | S 170° | 660 m | 12.9 mi |
| Anderson Mountain | S 177° | 653 m | 17.1 mi |
| Jellico Mountain | SE 143° | 648 m | 12.6 mi |
| Wolf Knob | SSE 154° | 644 m | 17.3 mi |
| Corner Tree Knob | S 181° | 639 m | 16.8 mi |
| Stephens Knob | S 178° | 627 m | 15.3 mi |
| Fate Lee Mountain | SSE 159° | 623 m | 15.2 mi |
| Bon Jellico Mountain | SE 141° | 597 m | 11.0 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:42 | 19:15 | 19:49 |
| June solstice | 06:19 | 20:22 | 21:01 |
| September equinox | 07:26 | 19:02 | 19:36 |
| December solstice | 07:47 | 16:45 | 17:25 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 35 | 38 | 46 | 55 | 64 | 73 | 75 | 74 | 67 | 57 | 46 | 38 |
| Precip in | 4.2 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 5.2 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Williamsburg, 13 mi away.
Months at or above the year’s average flow: Dec–May — fullest in Mar, leanest in Sep.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean cfs | 5,704 | 7,123 | 7,454 | 5,544 | 3,529 | 1,783 | 1,456 | 990 | 676 | 723 | 1,904 | 4,081 |
USGS monthly mean discharge at gauge Cumberland River AT Cumberland Falls, KY, under a mile away — the nearest gauge, which can sit on a different stream.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/4480645875
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