Cumberland Falls known for moonbow phenomenon

CORBIN, Ky. – Moonbows are a big attraction in south-central Kentucky.

That is the term given to the unusual lunar rainbows that appear at night in the mist at the bottom of Cumberland Falls.

Moonbows may sound strange, but they occur regularly at only two places: at Kentucky's Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, and at Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River in Africa.

Moonbows were reportedly special to the Shawnees and Cherokees, and they recognized Cumberland Falls as a sacred place.

If you want to attempt to see Kentucky's moonbows, the upcoming full moons are Aug. 5, Sept. 4, Oct. 4, Nov. 2, Dec. 2 and Dec. 31.

Moonbows are possible on clear evenings with full moons. They may also appear, if conditions are right, on the 2 nights before the full moon and the 2 nights after the full moon.

The park gets big crowds on moonbow nights, with the lodge and the campground both booked solid.

The factors needed for moonbows are intense falling water, the volume of mist, the waterfall's placement and dark skies.

The lunar light must hit the falls at a 42-degree angle and be reflected back through the mist. It is visible because the viewer is standing between the moonlight and the falls.

At Cumberland Falls, that generally happens about 1 hour after dark, 2 nights before the full moon, when the east-rising moon clears surrounding ridges and hits the right angle above the north-facing falls.

It occurs 30 minutes later on subsequent nights because the moon rises later. The intensity of the moonbows changes by the second, depending on the ups and downs of the mist.

The moonbows tend to be faint, because of the smaller amount of light from the moon.

When they appear, they are generally visible for a couple of hours, said park naturalist Steve Gilbert.

Some describe moonbows as electric-looking white light with bands of blue and red.

It is difficult to perceive colors because the light is usually too faint to trigger the cone color receptors in the human eye. That's why they tend to appear whitish, although the color is more visible in long-exposure photographs.

Even without moonbows, Cumberland Falls is impressive, billed as the Niagara of the South. The falls on the Cumberland River are 125 feet wide, and the drop is 68 feet into a boulder-strewn gorge.

The seven-story-high falls are imposing, especially standing at the overlook at the base and looking up at the cascading water.

At high water, the falls are twice as wide.

The river's average flow is 3,200 cubic feet per second. It may be as low as 8 and as high as 30,000 cubic feet per second.

The falls are big and powerful, and you hear them before you get close enough to see them.

The falls are located about 15 miles west of Corbin, Ky., and Interstate 75.

They lie within the sprawling Daniel Boone National Forest, which has lots of attractions of its own.

The 688-mile-long river gets its start in Harlan County and flows through eastern Kentucky and into northern Tennessee before re-entering western Kentucky. It empties into the Ohio River at Smithland, Ky.

The 1,776-acre state park is centered, obviously, on the falls, the sandstone cliffs and the rock outcroppings.

There are overlooks above and below the falls and daytime rainbows are common below the falls.

Resort hotels – including the Moonbow from 1875 – once stood along the river to cater to tourists.

The falls were a favorite destination for T. Coleman duPont, a Kentucky native and a U.S. senator from Delaware. To block a proposed hydroelectric project at Cumberland Falls in 1930, he purchased 600 acres and donated the land to Kentucky for what became its third state park.

The federal Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration helped with park improvements.

The park in McCreary and Whitley counties offers more than 20 miles of trails, including the Sheltowee Trace. Sheltowee is the Shawnee name for Big Turtle, bestowed on Daniel Boone in 1778 when he was adopted by Chief Blackfish.

The Sheltowee Trace National Recreational Trail runs 269 miles from north of Moorehead in Rowan County to the southwest to Pickett State Rustic Park and Forest at Jamestown, Tenn.

In the Cumberland Falls park, the Sheltowee Trace is also known as the Moonbow Trail. It runs 10.8 miles and follows the Cumberland River from the falls to the mouth of the Laurel River. It is marked by white diamonds and turtles.

The rugged 1.5-mile loop Eagle Falls Trail follows the cliff line to 44-foot-high Eagle Falls and offers some of the best views of Cumberland Falls on the less-visited side of the river.

In all, the park offers 12 up-and-down trails that together cover 28.5 miles.

There is also a visitor center and gift shop near the falls.

The state park features a 52-room lodge and restaurant. The historic DuPont Lodge is made of hemlock beams and knotty pine paneling with massive stone fireplaces.

The original lodge was built atop a cliff overlooking the river in 1933, but burned in 1940. The current lodge was rebuilt in the original style in 1941.

There are also a swimming pool, cottages and a 50-site campground that is open from April 1 to late October. For campground reservations, call 888-459-7275 or visit www.reserveamerica.com.

The park also offers guided trail rides on horseback, which are available daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day and on weekends in October.

Guided raft trips are offered daily by an outfitter from May to October, depending on water levels. It also offers Cumberland River cruises and canoe trips. For information, check with Sheltowee Trace Outfitters at 800-541-7238 or http://www.ky-rafting.com.

The park also has a new astronomy center so visitors will be able to view the night skies year-round.