Cumberland Falls
Cumberland Plateau, Kentucky · 807 ft
A 68-foot curtain roughly 125 feet wide, backed by hardwood slopes on both banks of the Cumberland River. Flat overcast light holds detail in the whitewater and keeps the maples across the river from blowing out.
Typical peak
Oct 21 – Oct 29
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Park at the Cumberland Falls lot off KY 90 west of Corbin, where paved walkways reach the railed overlooks in 100 to 400 yards.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- tulip poplar
- red maple
- hickory
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 25Typical color progression for Cumberland Falls. No change from Sep 17 to Oct 4. First color from Oct 4 to Oct 13. Approaching peak from Oct 13 to Oct 21. Peak from Oct 21 to Oct 29. Past peak from Oct 29 to Nov 8. Bare from Nov 8 to Nov 22.
Color starts around Oct 4.
Light at peak
Cumberland Falls on October 25, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:27 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 104° | 7:54 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light | 8:30 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:21 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset | 6:13 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 255° | 6:48 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:15 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 10h 55m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.