Cumberland Falls

Where the Cumberland crosses the hard Lower Pennsylvanian Rockcastle conglomerate, softer rock below erodes faster and keeps a ~68-foot, 125-foot-wide drop—the “Niagara of the South.” The falls likely began near the Pottsville Escarpment by Burnside and retreated about 45 miles upstream, cutting the gorge.

On clear full-moon nights the mist throws a moonbow, the only place in the Western Hemisphere where moonbows are known to appear with regularity. T. Coleman du Pont offered to buy the falls and surrounding land for a state park but died first; his widow completed the purchase in 1930, the family gave it to Kentucky, and the park was dedicated on August 21, 1931.

Cite this story

Published September 17, 2026. Last revised October 11, 2026.

Chicago

Snowden, Shannon. "Cumberland Falls." Kentucky History Drive. Published September 17, 2026. Last revised October 11, 2026. https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/cumberland-falls/.

MLA

Snowden, Shannon. "Cumberland Falls." Kentucky History Drive, published 17 Sept. 2026, last revised 11 Oct. 2026, https://kyhistorydrive.com/stories/cumberland-falls/.