Cumberland Falls

Cumberland Falls, a broad waterfall on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky, is famed for its scale, its moonbows, and the gorge it carved as erosion gradually moved the falls upstream. Indigenous peoples occupied the area for thousands of years, and many regarded the falls as sacred. Named in 1750 by Thomas Walker, the site saw permanent settlement begin in 1850 and later passed through private owners before hydroelectric proposals threatened to divert the river. A preservation campaign secured the land, and after a donation to Kentucky the park opened in 1931. The falls remain one of the state’s best-known natural landmarks.

Kentucky · United States