Cumberland Falls, Kentucky: Moonbow Magic
Cumberland Falls had been known by Native Americans in the area for many years before its discovery by Zachary Green in 1770. He gave the 68 foot tall and 125 foot wide plunge waterfall its current name. By 1780 the area around Cumberland Falls was being actively explored and settled by European settlers from back east and by 1875 a popular hotel called the Moonbow Inn was built overlooking the falls.
The falls rest on a bed of sandstone rock. This sandstone along with layers of limestone, shale, and coal was formed over 296 million years ago when the entire area was covered by a shallow sea. The Cumberland river resting on this layer of limestone and sandstone has barely been around long enough, geologically, to make significant effects on the geography of the area. Although the land surrounding Cumberland Falls is full of interesting features such as arches, chimneys and gorges, created from much earlier erosion of the rocks.
The water flows over Cumberland Falls at a rate of 3,600 cubic feet per second. This water fills the air with a mist of water droplets as all waterfalls do, but the falls is one of only two falls in the world where the mist regularly catches moonbeams. The effect called a lunar rainbow is fairly normal scientifically. The light of the full moon shines down on the darkened water and the mist works as a prism to split the light into its respective components creating a rainbow over the falls. This magical moonbow can occur at any waterfall, but requires absolutely ideal conditions, which Cumberland Falls has. The light of the full moon shines down unimpeded by trees or cliffs and there is little light pollution from surrounding cities. The other waterfall that can create moonbows is Victoria Falls.
Cumberland Falls is a popular destination for travelers. It sits in one of the few remaining wilderness areas in the east and there are many other geological formations to keep visitors interested after seeing the falls. The falls are in the middle of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and much as its nickname, The Niagara of the South, implies honeymooners sometimes visit the romantic waterfall.
There is a local haunting legend that states one such newlywed couple visited the falls only to meet disaster. In the 1950’s the couple was on their honeymoon and spent it admiring the falls. They hiked up to the overlook of the falls to get some good pictures towards evening. The bride wanting to get an unusual pose stood on a pillar near the cliff. She slipped and fell 70 plus feet to her death. Its said that she cried her husband’s name as she fell. Every now and then a woman is reported to be seen floating in the air over the falls area, beckoning to those who see her.
Urban legends being what they are one should let the story deter them from seeing the waterfall’s moonbow if the chance ever comes up.