Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

Cumberland Falls is sometimes called the "Niagara of the South."

Cumberland Falls is the centerpiece of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

Cumberland Falls is reputed to be the only site in the Western Hemisphere where moonlight in the mist creates a "moonbow."

The waterfall that gives this park its name is a 60-foot high, 125-foot wide wall of water often called "the Niagara of the South."

On clear nights under a full moon, the mist from the falls creates a "moonbow," a phenomenon claimed to be unique in the Western Hemisphere. (In fact, you'd have to go to Africa to find the world's only other regularly occuring moonbow.)

The falls generate enough force to create Class IV whitewater under certain conditions. Canoeing is best above the falls.

Catfish, bass and other species are abundant in the Cumberland River, and fly fishers can find trout in the tributaries.

The birdwatching is good, the park is on the migration route for many neotropical songbirds. Other sights on the 25 miles of trails, open only to hikers, include big-leaf magnolias and gorgeous seasonal blooms of wildlfowers, mountain laurel and native rhododendron.

Wilderness camping and hunting are not permitted in the park. The network of trails do provide access to the adjacent Daniel Boone National Forest, however, where these activities are allowed.