©
2023
Appalachian Triangle. All right reserved.
Seeing the Appalachian Triangle at night is a magical experience. There are few wonders like a dark sky awash with stars, or sweeping valleys bathed in moonlight.
One reason in particular makes the Triangle a truly special place at night. In fact, Southeastern Kentucky is home to the only place in the Western Hemisphere where you can regularly see a rare and beautiful phenomenon: a moonbow.
Moonbows, also known as lunar rainbows, are an optical phenomenon formed in a similar way to rainbows, but with the moon as a light source instead of the sun. They are an elusive sight and occur only when conditions are just right. The moon has to be at or near its full phase, has to be low enough in the sky, and can’t be covered by clouds. And of course, there has to be water vapor opposite the moon.
Waterfalls like Niagara Falls or Yosemite Falls can occasionally produce moonbows, or you might see them every once in a while in wet, tropical places like Hawaii or Costa Rica. However, there are only two places on the entire planet where they appear regularly. One is Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. The other happens to be right in the heart of the Appalachian Triangle at Cumberland Falls.
Known as “the Niagara of the South” for its majestic beauty, Cumberland Falls is ideally formed to make moonbows more likely. The gorge is very wide, letting in a good amount of moonlight. The steep walls of the gorge also help keep the waterfall mist from dissipating.
As long as the weather and water level are cooperating, there are usually a few days every month when there’s a good chance of seeing a moonbow. The Kentucky State Parks website puts out a yearly moonbow schedule to help you plan ahead.
Generally, your best chance of seeing a moonbow will be on the night of a full moon, or the couple of nights before and after when the moon is nearly full. Times when the moon is at the correct angle in the sky can vary from early evening to well after midnight, so make sure to check the KY Parks Schedule.
The best place to view a moonbow is at the Falls Overlook, which is only a short walk from the Cumberland Falls State Park Visitors Center. The Visitor Center parking lot is located right off Highway 90/Cumberland Falls Rd. From there, follow the signs to the lower overlooks.
Since moonlight is so much fainter than sunlight, moonbows tend to look white to the naked eye. The colors are there, though, and long-exposure photography can capture the full spectrum while creating some truly amazing photos.
Seeing a moonbow is only one of many things you can do near Cumberland Falls. Get an up-close look with the Rainbow Mist ride at Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort. Take in the beauty of the falls and Luke Cumberland from the air with a scenic airplane tour. Or hike along the 17 miles of trails throughout the area, including the 11-mile Moonbow Trail. And don’t forget, Cumberland Falls is in the Daniel Boone National Forest, which offers many more wilderness trails and waterways to explore.
Cumberland Falls is just the beginning of what makes the Appalachian Triangle such a unique destination. Discover what else you can find when you wander yonder.
