Magical moonbow
It is a scientific phenomenon that occurs regularly in only two places in the world and in only one place in the Western Hemisphere: the moonbow. This ghostly white spectacle, also known as a lunar rainbow, puts in a regular appearance at Cumberland Falls, arcing through the mist of the “Niagara of the South” in Corbin’s Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.
“Seeing the moonbow is a most magical experience,” says Park Manager Maggy Monhollen. “When you feel the mist of the falls on your face and see the glow of the moonbow, it almost seems surreal.”
For its scheduled appearances, the moonbow may be seen from a designated viewing area in the park, which is served by Cumberland Valley Electric, approximately 1,000 feet from the Visitors Center and gift shop in the falls area.
All the paths leading to the viewing area and the platform itself are ADA-accessible. Monhollen notes there are hiking trails to other viewing areas for the falls, but these trails are not accessible and not recommended for hiking at night due to the steps on the trails and the lack of lighting.
To best enjoy the moonbow, check the viewing times on the moonbow schedule provided by the park. Pack a flashlight to navigate from the parking lot to the viewing platform. And most importantly, arrive early.
“The viewing platform could be very congested,” says Monhollen. “We sometimes have upward of 300 people on the viewing rock at one time.”
But what a sight! A full moon. The 125-foot-wide curtain of water crashing down into the river below. An enormous arc glowing against the spray of the falls.
See the moonbow at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park at 7351 State Route 90 in Corbin.
