Waterfalls in Kentucky

Overview of waterfalls in Kentucky

Yahoo Falls is the tallest of the three Kentucky falls on this site. The NPS puts it at 113 feet and calls it 'Kentucky's tallest waterfall.' A 1-mile loop passes behind it under a large rock shelter. The NPS says no entrance pass is needed at Big South Fork.

Kentucky Tourism writes of Cumberland Falls' 'hordes of visitors.' Cumberland Falls is about 68 feet high and 125 feet wide on the Cumberland River, per Wikipedia. Cumberland Falls is also the Kentucky falls with the moonbow, a rainbow made by moonlight in the mist on clear nights near a full moon.

Creation Falls sits on Rock Bridge Trail #207, a short loop in the Daniel Boone National Forest that also passes Rock Bridge Arch over Swift Camp Creek. We found no official height for Creation Falls. The Forest Service says no fees are required there. The Forest Service closed Rock Bridge Road to vehicles in winter 2025-26, and a winter closure may recur.

Yahoo Falls and Cumberland Falls are both in southern Kentucky and pair well on one trip. Creation Falls is in the Red River Gorge, farther north, so plan it as a separate day.

Fees and passes at waterfalls in Kentucky

None of the three Kentucky waterfalls on this site charges an entrance fee, though overnight parking in the Red River Gorge needs a pass, per Wolfe County tourism.

Yahoo Falls: the NPS fees page is dated March 3, 2026. It says 'An entrance pass is not required to access Big South Fork.' We found no permit for the trail.

Cumberland Falls: the Kentucky State Parks FAQ says there is no general admission fee. Lodging, camping, the pool and horseback rides cost extra.

Creation Falls: the Forest Service's Rock Bridge page is dated May 8, 2025. It says 'No fees are required for this site.' A 2024 Federal Register notice proposed a fee there, but the Forest Service page lists none.

Separately, Wolfe County tourism says parking in the Red River Gorge from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. needs an overnight pass. It costs $5 for one day, $7 for three days or $50 a year, per vehicle.

Waterfalls you can see without a long hike

Cumberland Falls needs the least walking of the three, with overlooks near the gift shop. Yahoo and Creation Falls are short loops.

• Cumberland Falls: the overlooks sit near the gift shop and visitor area, with lots by the falls. Kentucky State Parks charges no general admission fee.
• Yahoo Falls: a 1-mile loop that the NPS calls easy except for some very steep metal steps. Kentucky Tourism says the trailhead is 1.5 miles down a gravel road off KY 700.
• Creation Falls: the Forest Service calls Rock Bridge Trail #207 a 'short loop trail' and gives no length. Trail guides list it at about 1.25 to 1.5 miles.

We could not confirm an accessible route at Yahoo or Creation Falls.

Kentucky waterfall rules: national park, state park and national forest

Kentucky State Parks bans swimming at Cumberland Falls, and all three Kentucky waterfalls require dogs on a leash.

Yahoo Falls (NPS rules): pets must be on a leash 'no longer than 6 feet,' the NPS says. We found no NPS swimming rule for Yahoo Falls. On March 29, 2024, a 23-year-old was found dead in the water there after an apparent fall, according to an NPS release, so stay on the marked loop.

Cumberland Falls (Kentucky State Parks): swimming is not allowed at the falls. Kentucky regulation 304 KAR 1:020 bans swimming in state park waters outside designated areas, and at this park that means the pool. In September 2022, a woman went over the falls after entering the river upstream to get her phone, WAVE reported. Stay behind the gates and railings. Kentucky State Parks says dogs are welcome in most outdoor areas but must be leashed.

Creation Falls (Forest Service rules): federal rule 36 CFR 261.16(j) requires a leash of six feet or less, or other physical restrictive control, at developed Forest Service sites. Wolfe County tourism calls the Gorge dog-friendly. We found no Forest Service swimming rule.

Read our waterfall safety guide before any of these walks.

Hiking trails in Kentucky with waterfalls

Cumberland Falls needs no long hike for its main view. Yahoo Falls is a 1-mile loop, per the NPS, and Creation Falls is a short loop that trail guides put at about 1.25 to 1.5 miles.

Cumberland Falls: no long hike is needed for the main view. The overlooks are near the gift shop and visitor area.

Yahoo Falls: the NPS says "The loop is one mile in length." It calls the loop "easy with the exception of some very steep metal steps." It passes behind the falls under a large rock shelter. Kentucky Tourism says the out-and-back spur to Yahoo Arch, about 100 feet long per the NPS, adds 1.6 miles. For a full day, Kentucky Tourism lists the Yamacraw-Yahoo Falls Loop at 15.4 miles.

Creation Falls: the Forest Service calls Rock Bridge Trail #207 a 'short loop trail' and gives no length. Trail guides list it at about 1.25 to 1.5 miles. The loop leads past Creation Falls and Rock Bridge Arch. The Forest Service calls Rock Bridge Arch 'the only arch in the Red River Gorge that extends over water,' spanning Swift Camp Creek.

Cumberland Falls moonbow dates (2026)

Moonbows at Cumberland Falls appear on clear nights near a full moon. WTVF NewsChannel 5 reported the park's 2026 windows, including November 22-26 and December 21-25. Viewing times are mostly in the evening, Eastern Time, and shift later each night. Every date depends on clear skies. The Cumberland Falls page lists the time for each night.

Kentucky waterfall closures and conditions (as of Oct 2026)

As of late October 2026, Yahoo Falls and Creation Falls were open, and Cumberland Falls was open with its DuPont Lodge closed for renovation.

Yahoo Falls, open (checked October 25, 2026): the NPS alerts feed for Big South Fork listed four alerts, and none concerned Yahoo Falls. The park's conditions page, updated July 6, 2026, listed no closures.

Creation Falls, open (checked October 29, 2026): the Daniel Boone alerts page listed no alert for Creation Falls or its trail. The winter road-closure alert was already gone on October 26.

For winter 2025-26, the Forest Service listed an alert dated December 11, 2025 that closed FR 24 (Rock Bridge Road) and FR 10 to motorized use. The agency said 'closed roads are still open to foot and bicycle traffic.' A winter closure may recur, adding about 3 miles of road walking each way.

Cumberland Falls, partly open (checked October 27, 2026): the park and falls are open, but the lodge is closed. DuPont Lodge and the Riverview Restaurant closed on November 1, 2025 for renovation, and Kentucky State Parks says the lodge stays closed through spring or summer 2027. Cabins and cottages can still be booked.

Kentucky waterfalls FAQ