Known as the "Niagara of the South," Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is named after the largest waterfall south of the Niagara. 125 ft wide wall of water drops into a boulder-strewn gorge. With a full moon and clear night sky you can see the "moonbow," a (lunar rainbow) that appears in the base of the waterfall. A phenomenon not found anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere! The area is also a natural choice for water-sports enthusiasts, offering \*white-water rafting, \*canoeing, \*swimming, and fishing. Landlubbers will enjoy hiking and \*horseback riding in this lovely area. (\* for Seasonal)

The Clifty Campground bathhouse is not open at this time due to renovations. Clifty campers can use the Ridgeline bathhouse for showering, etc. We apologize for the inconvenience.  
  
Horseback riding runs from Memorial Day weekend to 10/31 each year. Swimming pool season is MD-LD.  
  
There is a $5 fee for campers to use the swimming pool.

**Please note:**

- The maximum reservation window is 12 months in advance to the date.
- New Inventory is made available when the call center opens.

**Please note the following:**

- Longer minimum night stays are required at most campgrounds during holiday periods. 
- Parks prohibits the importation of firewood by campers from any state outside of Kentucky. This is in an effort to help prevent the introduction of the Emerald Ash Borer into the state. Firewood is available for sale in the state park campgrounds. [https://parks.ky.gov/firewood-policy](https://parks.ky.gov/firewood-policy)
- Golf carts are allowed in the campground by purchasing a permit at check-in. Permits are $25 for the week or $100 for the calendar year. Annual permits can be used at all Kentucky State Park campgrounds and the Kentucky Horse Park. Disabled guests are not required to purchase a permit if they display their disability hanging tag.
  
No camping equipment or vehicle over 30 foot will be allowed in the Camping Area.

**For campground information please contact campground at 800-325-0063.**

**Campers need to be 21 to book at this park.**

Ridgeline Campground — Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

Parkers Lake is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Parkers Lake is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Parkers Lake, KY. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.

Parkers Lake

The Best Camping Near Parkers Lake, Kentucky

Cumberland

Good campgrounds with access to the most beautiful waterfall. "Southern Niagarra"

Cumberland park

was nice visit love hiking and camping and the water falls.

water falls

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this park! The campsites were on the smaller side, but the park and it's awesome hikes and the waterfall made up for the simple campground.  The bathrooms leave something to be desired too... 

great park, ok campground

Main attraction is the large waterfall, but the park (and nearby National Forests) has a lot more to offer in terms of hiking, water activities, wildlife. Lots of trails, some are quite long and moderately challenging (up to 10 miles). View of the falls is accessible. Honestly I like this better than Niagara since that feels almost like Las Vegas sometimes. Everything is so beautiful and green. Visit in the fall for leaf peeping! Good wildlife, especially birding. Neat geology everywhere. I saw lots of families on horse tours. Nice visitor center though kind of touristy.  

Campground itself has lots of amenities including a playground. Lovely wooded camp sites, relatively private. Nice and clean, standard amenities of a state park. There are also lodge accommodations on site. This is a bigger attraction in the area so if you're seeking solitude you might seek it elsewhere, though my campsite neighbors were courteous. 



Classic waterfall beauty! 

Great state park with cool waterfalls. What makes this place special and a must see event is the ability to see a Moonbow from the waterfall. The only other places I'm aware this happens is Victoria Falls in Zambia, Africa and Niagara Falls. A Moonbow is a rainbow at night formed from a full Moon's glow. So to see this event you have to go on a full Moon clear night. The campground is very nice with easy access to all the waterfalls and hiking trails. Can be quiet busy when a Moonbow time is approaching so be prepared for a lot of people during those times. Great place to spend a weekend though regardless of whether you get to see the Moonbow or not.

Must visit to see the Moonbow

The falls were beautiful and they have great hiking trails. It was really accessible off of I-75 and they were good places to eat.

Oh Yeah

It was my first time camping. We have camped at many other places since and nothing compares. We love the falls so that we return yearly. Very clean and well cared for.

Best campground 

We traveled here just to see the Moonbow and were not disappointed (be sure to make reservations if you’re going during that time). We were happy to find good trails in addition plus many modern and resort facilities and activities, great visitor center. Campground and camp sites are on the small side but feel private, are shaded. 


Once in a lifetime: the Moonbow 

This is a pretty popular park since it’s so beautiful and there are a lot of trails to explore, plus some nice campground resort extras like sports fields and a pool. That all means you need to make reservations in the summer. The campground is simple and clean with fairly basic facilities, though they have showers and a playground. They also have cabins and a lodge to stay in, so everyone in the family can find a place comfortable for them. Campsite wasn’t extremely memorable, but the park itself is great. They have some neat seasonal events like a haunted hike, spring birding hikes, tours of a historic fire tower, etc. Great park for a day visit or a weekend of camping! 


Cumberland Falls State Park 

If you can plan your visit around the full-moon and a clear night you will be able to see the infamous moon bow!!!

MOONBOW

Maybe it was the time of the year but, this is a busy area! Lots to see in the immediate area and guided horse tours as well. Nice, tight camp. You will probably get to know your neighbors quite well. Bathhouse on site, small campground.

Crowded!

We stayed here on a whim when we weren't able to paddle the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park due to high water levels. We did a little research and found ourselves here for a few nights. The campground is a bit older than some but the sites are well maintained for the most part. Unfortunately, there had been a great deal of rain so things were quite muddy but our site seemed to drain well.

We weren't able to see the famous "moonbow" but the falls were quite beautiful. Sadly, there is a massive amount of trash at the bottom (as you can see in the pictures posted here) which takes away from the natural appearance of the falls. The falls area does get quite crowded so be prepared to bob and weave around the crowd.

There is easy access near by to paddle the relatively calm water (mostly class I and a bit of class II) above the falls. You can contact a local outfitter to arrange a shuttle if needed.

The park has a few nearby natural attractions that offered good views. The facility is pet friendly and has a nice little camp store. I would stay here again if I was in the area.

Good spot for paddling the Cumberland River

I hadn't been here before and unfortunately our campsite was kind of the worst. It was gravel and full sun the entire day. Cumberland falls is ok, it is super crowded, and as another reviewer mentioned there is tonssss of trash. Personally I highly recommend visiting eagle Falls, another waterfall at the park. It's a tough trail to get there but way worth it. Plus you can swim there. All in all the trails are great, the campground not so much.

Also one of the workers tried to tell us we could walk our kayaks to the bottom of Cumberland Falls and head out from there, and no, no you cannot.

Cumberland falls state park

What a nice surprise! We aren’t the type that typically makes reservations; and we were simply looking for a place to stay the night when we saw this state park on our trusty Nat Geo road atlas. Well, we found it…and stayed for nearly a week. Filled with waterfalls (the main falls are the largest south of Niagara Falls), numerous hiking trails, and the home of the only regular moonbow (lunar rainbow) in the northern hemisphere, we just couldn’t get enough of this place. The lunar rainbow appears every month during the full moon – 2 days before and 2 days after, when the night skies are clear. Check the calendar at the park for details about dates and times.

The best viewing spot for the moonbow is down the first set of stairs, which winds you down and around the rock outcropping that forms the waterfall. Bring some headlamps, as the stairs are wet and dark. What you will see with the naked eye may not be as impressive as what you can see with a tripod and DSLR camera with a wide aperture and slow shutter speed, but it’s still worth seeing. Don’t expect to get anything with a cell phone camera or point and shoot camera, though many people try. Since I have a DSLR and am an environmental educator, I was thrilled to show kids of all ages what I could see with my camera. I even had people taking pictures of my images so that they could show their friends and family! Also, be patient…as the night progresses and the moon rises higher, the rainbow gets higher and brighter, making for better viewing and photography.

With all this said, when we landed at this state park in early December, the weather was absolutely amazing, there were no bugs, and it was practically empty. The campground is tiny and the sites compact, with almost no room in between, but it is perched on top of a rock outcropping, so you are surrounded by views of trees. Admittingly, had it been busy, we may have only stayed a night or two as it would have been cramped. Each site has a picnic table, fire pit, and lantern pole. Don’t expect to bring your 30’ RV here, I can’t imagine something bigger than 20’ would fit. We squeezed our 15-footer into a spot though. Plenty of tent spots, though, and the campground was clean and well-kept.

In addition to a campground, there is a lodge, cabins, visitor’s center, pool, and a whole host of affordable/free programs for families during the main season. A night camping at the fire tower with astronomical interpretation (complete with dinner)…wow, sign me up!

The winter rates were $20 per night, which provided us with a campsite and a clean pit toilet, and surprisingly strong wifi. Normally, there are additional amenities such as drinking water, showers, and flush toilets, but those we are closed for the season. We did, however find that the drinking water in the picnic area near the falls was running, so we just filled up water and took it back to our campsite.

Waterfalls and Moonbows!

Seeing Cumberland falls was a first for us and we were in awe! Would have loved to seen the legendary moonbow but we had to make our way on the trail for our backpacking trip. Follwed unlong the river almost our entire trip and found some wonderful spots to camp and relax. Only spotted one snake along the trail. Was well marked until we got a few miles in then it got a little tricky but only adds a little more to the fun!

Beautiful and Magical!

We had our family reunion here and we all had a wonderful time. Waterfall was beautiful and it turned out the last night we got to see the moon bow

beautiful

The campground itself was pretty well maintained, the facilities (bathrooms and showers) were clean and well stocked, but the campsites are ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. We could hear the lady in the camper next to us telling her granddaughter a bedtime story... there was an inch clearance between our truck and the tree on the site. The campground seemed to have some nice activities and was conveniently located a short and scenic drive to the falls. Would be nice if they hadn’t tried to crowd 50 campers into such a small space. 

Nice but cramped

The campground is a little small and sites are oddly placed, but a great little hike to the falls makes a great day!!

Rustic

Camp ground was small, very close to camp grounds, can’t swim in the river, great for fishing, lots of activities for families. Has small store for ice and the basic essentials, there’s not a big store around if u forget something.

Beautiful area

Sara’s ? birthday 

We were not very impressed with the campground. The water and electric hookups on some sites are very from from the pads. We had to park our trailer close to the hookups which means we are just barely off the road. The sites are very small and some of them are very unlevel. Unfortunately not sure we would come back. 

Not sure we’ll come back

The falls here are great ! The hiking is good, the only thing is the markers are a little confusing . When we went some of the trails where closed and it was unclear on the trail markers where to go. The facilities where good except the bathrooms where closed . The rest was clean and the staff was very knowledgeable.

Beautiful place 

I went to see the Moonbow at Cumberland Falls SP, unfortunately it was overcast but still very cool.
The campground was on a little bit of a hill.  The sites were good size. I set up my trailer tent and had lots of room. The facilities were well maintained and the campground was shaded and quiet.
There were trails to hike and smaller falls to enjoy. The main falls are near the trailhead for several trails. There is a visitors center and education center by the falls and a picnic area across the road. 


Moonbow!

This small campground is good only for small campers(20ft or smaller). The spots are uneven and many backup to a large hill. Some spots have decks. Be sure to bring an extension cord if you want to use power. The hookups are too far away. It was quiet and wooded. The best part is the proximity to Cumberland falls. ( .8 miles)

campground near falls

We stayed in tent site 19. I think it is definitely the best site in the campground. Sites 19 and 20 are a couple of the only sites with any privacy. Site 19 is a walk in (down) but the site itself is huge and the tent platform is built out on a rock outcrop. Overall the campground is nice but the other sites are very close together. The rangers/camp hosts came by while we were gone to warn us about bear activity in the campground, you do need to be careful with food. We went to see the moonbow so it was fairly busy while we were there. We also took a hike to Eagles Falls where it seems to be clothing optional swimming...lol It didn’t bother us but just an FYI. We had a very relaxing 3 days at Cumberland Falls, would definitely recommend it. 

Very Nice Campground

Stayed in Site 19 - by far the most private site.  19 is actually a double site - two tent pads, two tables.  Site is surrounded by forest on three sides.  Site 19 is a tent only site.  Site 20 didn't look bad, but there wasn't much shade during the heat of the day.  The rest of the sites are packed extremely close together - this campground does sit right on a ridge, which does not provide much space.  Bathrooms were above average - large family rest rooms with private showers made this a plus for families with small kids.  

  

Staff was great - lots of activities for the kids to do through the State Park - Archery (free), Swimming Pool (free), and more free activities, horseback riding ($20pp).  Camp host led scavenger hunts, lazer tag, capture the flag, etc in the campground in the evenings.

  

Would not stay here if we could not get site 19 - we like our privacy - but the staff makes up for the shortcomings of the campground facilities.

Small Family Campground

So thrilled to see the falls since 27 years of my resident in KY!! My 80 years old parents joined to look. Awesome!!!  Campground is very clean. We love the Camper’s trail just next to campground. We want to hike at Eagle Falls. But, not ready for it. We enjoyed hiking down to the beach and climb on big rocks.  We like our site #22. Not big but perfect for our 18 ft TT. We would want to try site 19. Bigger and privacy. Pool is huge and clean. Towels available for campers and resort!  Cool!  Want to come back and see Moonbow if possible.  Also, hike more around. 

Amazing time at Niagara of the South!

We stayed at site RV33. We have a 25ft travel trailer and it was perfect. There were two tent sites very close to us, but we had more than enough room. If we were to go again, we would pull straight into the site (this would have put our slide towards the road). The tent sites looked to be the best tent sites I’ve seen. The bath house was very clean. The staff was very helpful.  There were trails from the campground to Cumberland Falls. We hiked to see Cumberland Falls (from the lodge) and Eagle Falls. After a short drive, we hiked Natural Arch and Yahoo Falls. 

Amazing time 

This place is not for you if you are looking for solitude or silence. It might be your scene if you’re into parties. Tent sites were not all accessible by drive up - some you had to park at the top of the hill and walk down. Bathrooms were clean though, and the staff was friendly. Can’t beat the proximity to the falls either. 

Crowded and noisy

I love that there was a pool to cool off on a hot day at this campground. I love exploring the area, and hiking trails.

We stayed two nights in the Ridgeline Campground, site R22.  This is a beautiful area, but there is nothing beautiful about the campground.  Seemed run down and the spots are right next to each other.  Make sure to watch the “max vehicle length” - we have a 21’ van and we barely fit into our site that had a longer max length.  Also, the water and electric hookup for this site is very far away from the actual site - we had to use a regular 110 extension cord to get the hookup to our van and we couldn’t use the water at all because we only had a standard length hose.  There is also a drop off on the back of the site, so getting in and out of the back of our van was tricky - especially after it rained and that area was muddy.  The trail from the campground to the falls viewing area seems like it has zero trail maintenance.  Sites 19 and 20 are nice - they are listed as tent only sites, but people had RVs.  Both sites have good privacy and nice deck areas secluded in the woods.

Sad campground for such a beautiful area

Stayed here in October 2021.  Campground was a little tight but we liked it. Close to the falls.  Bathhouses dated but clean.  Some sites did require long power cords and water hoses.  Would not recommend a trailer much over 25’.  Leaves were turning and very pretty.  Lots of hiking and things to do.  

Nice Little Campground

Great info, except Cumberland Falls State Resort Park isn't "15 miles southwest of Corbin",  as stated herein. It's actually in Corbin, KY and has a Corbin address.

It's in Corbin, KY

The campground is small and the sites are small. Not for bigger campers. Our is 23 feet and barely made it in our site. They are close together as well. It’s such a beautiful setting we didn’t mind. Love the falls and lots of hiking to do as well. 

We love this area 

Be aware, that the campsites are exactly the length as indicated. Not an inch more! Some people were able to fit their rigs in diagonally. The park itself is beautiful, the campground good enough to spend the night. Sites are very close together.

Tight campsites - beautiful park

Other reviewers will do this place more justice than I can. It’s already been said. I’ll just say that a 45 minute horse ride for $25 is an absolute steal. Seeing the falls is free. There is a small on-site store and a playground for the kids.

Good spot and ammenities for the price

Easy to find, well marked. It’s has many (12) trails and many falls. Would definitely recommend shopping before camping, it’s several miles, and mountains, to get to stores. There are several lodging options…cottages, The Lodge, (which is beautiful) tent and RV camping. There are 2 small campgrounds ~ 1) Ridgeline which accommodates RVs up to 26”, water and 10/30/50 amp hook ups. Sites have a fire ring and picnic table. WiFi is available, and there is a dump station. A small playground, office/campstore, and a bathhouse and laundry next to it. 3 sites are walk-in. Big rigs would have to stay elsewhere. 2) Clifty Campground is tent camping only 7 sites offer electric and water. WiFi is also offered. There is a bathhouse and a playground, and these CG’s are pet friendly. (Falls Creek is a few miles up the road…they have pull through and back ins. For bigger Rvs. They also have tents, wagons, cabin rentals, and primitive sites) We had no T-Mobile service, or satellite service in our vehicle. The trails and Cumberland falls were awesome. The horse rides looked amazing, and the Pool was big, with a diving board, and a small fee for campers to use it. 

Photos of Ridgeline Campground — Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

Real photos from real campers