at Cumberland Falls, home of the Moonbow
in Corbin, Kentucky
October 7, 2009
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at Cumberland Falls, home of the Moonbow |
| Surrounded by the natural, unspoiled beauty of the Daniel Boone National Forest, Cumberland Falls is a wilderness retreat with bountiful outdoor recreation opportunities including the thrilling power of a thundering waterfall plunging into a boulder-strewn gorge. | |
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The Cumberland River flows nearly 700 miles. In recognition of the exceptional natural quality and aesthetic character, a 16-mile segment from summer Shoats to Lake Cumberland, including the Cumberland Falls area, is designated as a Kentucky Wild River. |
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| Below: The Cumberland Falls Visitor Center includes exhibits about the park's geology, history, and natural wonders. The Staff is available to answer questions. There is also a gift shop, seasonal snack bar, picnic tables, restrooms, and several hiking trails ranging from 1.5 miles to 10.8 miles in length each way. There is always the possibility of poisonous snakes on the trails. | |
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beautiful daytime Rainbow |
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| Below: Cumberland Falls is known as the "Niagara of the South". The waterfall forms a 125-foot wide curtain that plunges seven stories into a boulder-strewn gorge below. The mist of Cumberland Falls creates the magic of the moonbow, only visible on a clear night during a full moon. This unique phenomenon appears nowhere else in the Western Hemisphere. | |
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Below: A tall tree with
a weird shaped hole at the bottom |
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Below: Cumberland Falls
as seen by the two RV Gypsies from the lower overlook. |
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Below: Cumberland Falls
as seen by the two RV Gypsies from the upper overlook |
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Below: The trail from the
lower overlook to the beach area |
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Below: Looking up at the
tall rock formation above the trail to the beach |
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| Below: Broken columns laying on the trail - They used to form a platform in the river that was used for a swimming area used by many people | |
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Below: The beach area -
no longer used as a swimming area |
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Below: From this lower
beach area, all that can seen of the falls is the mist |
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Below: A close-up of the
colorful sand on the beach - what a great texture photograph by Karen
Duquette. She likes to take still-life and texture photos. |
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Below: Lee Duquette was
ready to return to the top of the falls. "Let's go Karen"
he said. |
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| Below: There
were a lot of raccoons at Cumberland Falls |
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 Because
the daytime and evening conditions said to be just right on this date, the
two RV Gypsies returned in the evening to see the moonbow, and after a 2-1/2
hour wait, they aborted the mission because fog rolled in. Bummer! The two
RV Gypsies returned her again in 2011 with their grandson, and once again,
they did NOT get to see the Moonbow. But a link to the 2011 experience is
linked below because the experience was very different and including rafting
up close to the falls. |
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There are several navigational choices below: |
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Notice
Karen Duquette's reflection and her orange shirt in these signs that
she photographed.
