Weekend Wanderings: the Moonbow and Cumberland Falls

"A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving." 

–Lao Tzu

We had few plans as we journeyed south. 

Three, specifically, and two I've already shared about on here:

1. To see the Pinnacle Knob Fire Tower.
2. To visit Williamsburg and see some old friends.
3. To try to see the Moonbow.

In my four years at the college, I had never ventured out to Cumberland Falls after dark and Jim wasn't even aware of the phenomenon. It was something I wished I had done (after-the-fact, of course) and when I told my husband, he was pretty excited about the idea.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we had been talking about this specific weekend for months, but with Jim's work, we weren't able to book a room until the last minute. [I heard from our hotel clerk that their place was all booked up for the weekend, so we must have gotten a room.] 

But, we had a room, we had a loose plan and all was well, until I got up that morning to cloudy, overcast skies. This is why I say "try," because sometimes nature doesn't cooperate with our grand plans!

It's hard to see -- I am no
expert photographer!

At that point, I was more than a little worried that we wouldn't get to see the Moonbow. The clouds began to clear, creating a beautiful afternoon and evening, but I was still a little apprehensive.

And apparently the moon was apprehensive that night, too. It was pretty late before Jim and I saw it.

But we finally did! It wasn't quite what I was expecting -- I honestly wasn't sure what to expect -- but it was still quite a peaceful night, even with all the people there.

So a few things about seeing the Moonbow: it only appears around a full moon. A complete schedule through the year 2023 can be found via the Cumberland Falls State Park. It is best seen on a clear night.

That's the other important thing to know: There will likely be a crowd! There's no seating at the top of the falls, one of the best places to see the Moonbow, sans a few picnic tables too far away from the base to see anything. I would recommend taking a few chairs, if you go, as you may experience a wait.

From various websites, I learned that it can sometimes be seen a few hours after dark, so we got there about 11 p.m. However it was well after 1 a.m. before we saw it. The moon was hiding for much of the night, waiting for the crowd to leave, I guess? It would peek in and out, revealing the Moonbow and then making it disappear again.

In my head, I expected it to be higher, so I admit I was looking in the wrong area for much of the night. It will be visible at the base of the falls, a little ways in front of it. You can see it looking down from above, but I also understand you can see it better at the lower viewing areas.

Light from the
Moonbow Mist Ride.

For our part, after having had a rather long day, we didn't want to try the stairs down to the lower platforms in the dark.

You can also pay about $30 to do the Moonbow Mist Ride, which will take you to the falls on a guide-paddled boat. They have a Rainbow Mist Ride for daytime visits at about $25.

Nonetheless, it was a beautiful sight. I tried to take a few photos using my old Canon Rebel, but (as you can see) I'm no expert! 

Without a tripod, you will probably end up with similarly blurry photos, so be sure to take one if you want a good picture. And camera phones -- you might as well forget it, unless it's a simply amazing camera phone.

Also plan ahead: nothing is open at the park that late, so take drinks, snacks, bug spray, whatever you need to sustain yourself while you wait.

A little background on the Cumberland Falls

Native Americans considered the Cumberland Falls and what is now known as Eagle Falls to be places of worship, according to The History of Cumberland Falls, a publication written by Jeannie McConnell and printed by the Kentucky State Parks. 

In this small book, which I picked up at the DuPont Lodge, she gives a lot of detailed information about those who developed the area around, built the roads, and made the Cumberland Falls accessible to the general public as it is today. It's been quite an attraction since the early 1800s, according to McConnell.

Also, like Niagara Falls in the north and most any water way, erosion is happening at the Falls, which continues to slowly moving upstream.

"Geologists tell us that Cumberland Falls probably originated nearly 40 miles downstream from its present location." The History of Cumberland Falls, by Jeannie McConnell.

Two kayakers at the 
base of the Falls.

Despite that, the Cumberland Falls is still quite beautiful. And it is still a popular destination to visit. There's a ton of hiking trails available. You can also go kayaking, canoeing, and more, and take a river cruise via the Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort, the company that hosts the Moonbow Mist Ride.

Things have changed there since I was a kid: I remember being able to actually stick my feet in the water at the top of the Falls and that's no longer allowed. I also remember being able to walk farther out at the actual overlook, which is also no longer allowed. These have changed for safety reasons, from my understanding. 

If you go now, there is a quaint little gift shop and a small museum with the history of the Falls. It tells a lot of similar information that is found in McConnell's book. I found the photos of what people did before they realized how dangerous it really could be to swim at the top to be of interest!

There's also bathrooms and a picnic area at the top of the Falls, with a decent amount of tree coverage overhead. When we were there, the little snack bar was closed, but there were vending machines.

And, rainbows are a common occurrence. Even double rainbows! We got to see some before we left.

DuPont Lodge 

Within the park, there's the DuPont Lodge. I highly recommend a stop there first. There's a ton of leaflets for free, plus the pamphlet on the history for purchase, and the building is filled with historical information. The staff is friendly and helpful and there are activities going on within the park that they can share with you. This is also how you find out about the open times at the Fire Tower.

You can also book rooms here, although it was full when we checked!

Jim highly recommends the
Kentucky Hot Brown!

The lodge also features a restaurant, which we found to be quite enjoyable. We stopped here after our hike to the outlook and had a nice, quiet meal. You can watch the wildlife and see the Cumberland River winding past in the distance.

It was the perfect way to wind down ourselves and get out of the heat!

Have you been to the Cumberland Falls State Park? What about witnessing the Moonbow? Tell me all about it! 

Anyone else see the heart?