Hiking Cumberland State Park

How to Spend One Day Hiking in Cumberland State Park

You can find Cumberland State Park  (one of the many state parks in Kentucky) in the southeast part of the state. The park has no entrance fee and provides the opportunity for numerous hikes, horseback riding, swimming, and whitewater rafting depending on the time of year. If you want to stay in the park, you have the choice between an onsite resort or there are campsites available. Read on to discover how to spend one day hiking Cumberland State Park to ensure you get a taste of what the park has to offer and cover the best trails.

Camping in Cumberland State Park

There are about 50 campsites available in the park off two different roads. All are dog friendly and some of the sites have electricity. There are showers and bathrooms available for use. Some of the sites are also able to host RVs. When you book online, there is an opportunity to pre-register which will shorten the time needed when you officially check-in with the “house campers”.  Be aware that this is part of bear country so do not leave any food in or around your tent. Make sure all food packages and trash are either locked up in your car or placed in the bear safe receptacles. You will also want to check your shoes in the morning and sleeping bags at night for snakes. Campsites are $25-27/night.

If a hotel is more your style, use our link below to help you find a room.

Hiking Cumberland Falls

Cumberland Falls trail is a ½ mile loop. The trail is mostly paved and does involve stairs. This trail is dog-friendly and offers some wonderful views of the falls from several different platforms.  The trail is a loop and starts from a large, paved parking lot. Near the lot is the visitor center where you can get brochures about the park and other nearby attractions. There is also a coffee shop, bathrooms, and a gift shop in this area.

The parking lot also leads to several other trails like the Cumberland River Trail (5 mi), Civilian Conservations Corps Memorial Trail (1 mi), and the Moonbow Trail (10.8 mi). Cumberland Falls is a very popular trail, so I would recommend this being one of your first stops in the day. Make sure to keep an eye out for caterpillars and other small creatures on the pathway in the fall. We spent quite a bit of time ‘saving’ them from getting stepped on by moving them off the path.

Fun things to try: The trail leads down to a river where we found several ideal skipping stones. Take some time and enjoy your surroundings. Relax and improve your stone skipping capabilities.

If you are looking for something extra special; time your visit with a Moonbow. A moonbow (or a white or lunar rainbow) appears in the waterfall for a few days if the sky is clear at the time of a full moon. Cumberland Falls is one of the few places in the world that regularly produces one of these which is cool! You can find the expected dates here.

Hiking Eagle Falls

Eagle Falls is a 1.5 mile out and back trail. This trail does not allow dogs. The first part of the trail is narrow because it follows a cliff line. The last stretch of the trail can be rough, but the view of the falls is worth it. This is a popular trail and the small pool at the falls is used as a swimming hole in the summer. The parking lot is a small dirt pull off next to the trailhead and can only hold about 5 cars. There is a similar lot across the street at the Blue Bend Loop (4.5 mi) trail head. Due to the popularity and limited parking, I would suggest hiking this trail early in the day and be prepared for traffic jams on the trail itself where it is too narrow for more than one person at a time. Make sure you wear sturdy shoes. The trail can be slippery, and we saw many broken flip flops and discarded heels on the path. We also encountered several people that had to turn back.

Once at the falls depending on how limber and strong you are, you might be able to access the area behind the falls. If you are lucky, you may be able to spot a snake sunning itself on a branch or rock near the trail.

Hiking Pinnacle Knob 1937 Fire Tower

Pinnacle Knob Fire Tower is a 1.2-mile trail that you must hike in and out on through the forest. This trail is dog friendly as long as your dog stays on leash. You will start out on a dirt path and you will eventually encounter stairs. The trail dead ends at the fire tower which is listed on the National Historic Lookout Register and was in use until the 1960’s.  Occasionally there are tours of the fire tower available during summer months. If there is no tour, you are still able to climb the stairs but be aware that you will not be able to access the top platform of the tower as it will be locked for safety reasons. You will still be able to admire the view of the surrounding forest but be mindful that the staircase is narrow and does not easily allow for people to pass each other going up or down. The parking area for this trail is a tiny dirt pull-off lot.

Fun things to try: A man that we passed on the trail showed us how to whistle using the top of an acorn. On the way back, Danny and I kept an eye out for a whole acorn so we could split it and attempt this new trick. Neither of us were able to make it work but it was fun trying!

Hiking Trail #12

Our tent site was at the end of the road with the community pool and there was a trailhead nearby for the #12 trail.   This trail is 1.25 miles and weaves through the forest down to river. Beware the cobwebs if you are one of the first people on the trail.  The river has numerous large boulders in it that are accessible and make great spots to relax and enjoy nature or even a sunrise.  This trail was not as heavily trafficked as Cumberland or Eagle Falls.

Why You Should Visit:

Kentucky has many wonderful areas to vacation. Hiking in Cumberland State Park provides some wonderful landscapes and scenery as well as a nice variety of activities to keep you entertained for days. The campgrounds are dog friendly as are several trails so your fur family can come along too. It is near the Daniel Boone National Forest so make sure to explore trails outside the park as well like Yahoo Falls. If you only have a few hours make sure you make time for the Cumberland Falls trail and Eagle Falls trail.

If you are looking for a park that is even more dog friendly, take a look at our guide for the nearby Red River Gorge.

If you are looking for some fun stops for your road trip check out the guide for Quick Roadside Attractions in Kentucky or our guide for Unique Places in Kentucky

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