The natural beauty that exists in this country never ceases to amaze me, and Kentucky was no exception. There is so much untouched land with mountains and rivers, and the people are some of the friendliest that we’ve encountered. Here are the standouts from our few days in southeastern Kenucky.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

In the place where Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet is the passageway to the west. It’s a historically significant and beautiful place. We spent an afternoon exploring the visitor’s center and some of the surrounding areas of the park.

Highlights: Although the visitor’s center was great, the best spot in the park is Pinnacle Overlook. It’s a steep drive up followed by a short walk, but the views are more than worth it. We were able to see all the way to the Great Smoky Mountains, almost 150 miles away.

Travel Tip: Camping is available here, but they don’t take reservations so it’s walk-ins only. We opted to stay at nearby Cumberland Falls State Park.

For Kids: Here’s another place to earn a Junior Ranger badge, and because they don’t get as many visitors as the bigger national parks they gave the badge and certificate along with tattoos, stickers and other goodies. 

Cumberland Falls

When we found out that Cumberland Gap didn’t take camping reservations, we decided to stay at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park as a way to break up the drive to Mammoth Cave. This little state park turned out to be a great couple of days in Kentucky.

Highlights: Cumberland Falls is famous for having the only moonbow in North America. A moonbow is a rainbow over a waterfall that only happens in the light of a full moon. We just happened to be visiting during the full moon, and the weather just happened to clear on the nights that we were there. We were able to witness the moonbow, and it was a really neat experience. It’s almost impossible to photograph, so this picture was borrowed from a postcard.

Travel Tip: Check your dates if you hope to see the moonbow. It can only be seen 3-4 days each month, and conditions have to be ideal.

For Kids: Jack liked the moonbow, but he had more fun hiking around the trails during the day. There are lots oflittle paths that perfect for small hikers.

Horseback Riding

Cumberland Falls State Park also offered horseback riding, and for $18 for a 45 minute trail ride, Jack and I decided to give it a try. We had a great time exploring the countryside on horseback!

Highlights: The highlight for me was doing something one-on-one with Jack. The horses were gentle, the scenery was beautiful, and it was something that him and I got to experience together. 

Travel Tip: Speak up if you want some extra safety measures. They didn’t offer a helmet for Jack, but they provided one upon request. 

For Kids: Children have to be six years old in order to ride. They horses were very calm and gentle, but of course anything can happen. Our guides were looking out for bears the entire time, and I can only imagine how a horse would react during a bear encounter!

This was just the beginning of our fun in Kentucky. From here we headed to Mammoth Cave National Park, the subject of my next post. We accidentally took the long way, and the drive through the countryside was amazing!