Kentucky’s tallest waterfall drops 113 feet and you can walk right behind it: Officials say

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Yahoo Falls hides a lot more than you’d expect

McCreary County sits in a quiet corner of southern Kentucky, tucked inside the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area and wrapped in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Yahoo Falls drops 113 feet in a single plunge off the edge of the Cumberland Plateau, making it the tallest waterfall in the state. Most people have never heard of it. That’s part of what makes a day here so good. The gorge has arches, overlooks, a rainforest-thick forest, and even a ghost town along the river. Shutterstock

Yahoo Creek takes a 113-foot plunge off the plateau

Yahoo Creek gathers on the Cumberland Plateau before it runs out of land and drops off the edge. All 113 feet of it fall into a wide sandstone alcove below the rim, and the water spreads out as it hits the base of the cliff. That makes Yahoo Falls the tallest waterfall in Kentucky, not by a little. The drop is clean and direct, not a cascade, and when the water is running full, the sound fills the whole gorge before you even see it. Wikimedia Commons/Department of Agriculture

The Forest Service built this place back in the 1960s

The U.S. Forest Service first developed Yahoo Falls Scenic Area in the mid-1960s, when this stretch of land was still called the Cumberland National Forest. It was renamed the Daniel Boone National Forest in 1966. Workers cut the trails, built a road to the gorge rim, added a picnic area, and installed a long flight of steel stairs down into the gorge. Most of what they put in place is still in use today, and the trails have held up well through decades of foot traffic and Kentucky weather. Shutterstock

Step behind the curtain of falling water

Here’s what sets Yahoo Falls apart from most waterfalls: the trail takes you behind it. A maintained path leads under the falls and through the alcove carved into the sandstone cliff, one of the largest rock shelters in the area. You don’t need to scramble over boulders or get wet to do it. The rock walls around you run in streaks of red, orange, tan and black where water and time have stained the stone. Walking behind a 113-foot waterfall is not something most trails let you do. Shutterstock

One mile down the stairs and back up again

The main loop from the parking area runs about one mile round trip. Most of it is easy going, but the gorge doesn’t let you in gently. A steep set of metal stairs drops you down into the canyon, and most people count more than 150 steps on the way down. Your knees will feel the climb back up. The route takes you to the falls, behind them, past towering cliffs and wildflowers, then back to the trailhead. Give yourself an hour, maybe more if you stop to look around.

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The gorge views open up right at the trailhead

Before you head down the stairs, the overlooks near the trailhead are worth a few minutes of your time. One sits just past the parking area and frames a wide view into the Big South Fork river gorge, with deep sandstone bluffs and forested ridges stacked out to the horizon. Another spot lets you look across to Yahoo Falls through the trees. Benches and picnic tables sit near the rim, so you can take your time. Most people rush past these on the way down and miss them on the way back up. Shutterstock

The gorge grows thick and green like nowhere else in Kentucky

Step down into the gorge and the air changes. It’s cooler, damper, and darker under the canopy of hemlock, white pine and big-leaf magnolia. The slopes are thick with mountain laurel and rhododendron. Heavy rainfall keeps a lush understory of ferns running along the trail floor. In spring, wildflowers push up through the leaf litter across the forest. The dripping cliffs and dense green give the whole place a feel that’s closer to the Pacific Northwest than central Appalachia. Shutterstock

A sandstone arch waits 0.8 miles past the falls

If the waterfall and the gorge aren’t enough, a spur trail leads from the falls to Yahoo Arch, a spiraling sandstone rock feature tucked among the cliffs about 0.8 miles away. The out-and-back adds roughly 1.6 miles to your day. Along the way, the path passes more rock shelters at the base of the bluffs. Most hikers who do the falls end up doing the arch too. It’s that kind of place, one where you keep finding another reason to stay a little longer. Shutterstock

Come in spring, or the day after a good rain

The falls run strongest in spring, fed by snowmelt and steady rainfall. Come in a dry stretch of summer and you might find them reduced to a trickle. If you can plan your visit for a day or two after heavy rain, the falls run at full force and the gorge drips from every surface. Fall color wraps the rock shelter and alcove in October. Even in the off-season, the shaded gorge stays green and worth the walk. Timing matters more here than at most places. Shutterstock

Deer, turkey and forest birds share the gorge with you

The Big South Fork protects about 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, and the wildlife that comes with that kind of unbroken forest shows up regularly along these trails. White-tailed deer move through the woods in early morning and at dusk. Wild turkey work the forest floor.

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The post Kentucky’s tallest waterfall drops 113 feet and you can walk right behind it appeared first on When In Your State.

In spring, butterflies and pollinators work the wildflowers along the trail edges. Many kinds of forest birds fill the canopy with sound through most of the year. The quiet here makes sightings easy, because not many people come. Shutterstock

Natural Arch Scenic Area is a short drive away

A short drive from Yahoo Falls, Natural Arch Scenic Area holds another sandstone arch worth stopping for. This one spans about 100 feet across and rises 45 to 50 feet high. A mostly paved trail leads to an overlook and then down to the base of the arch, and the site has picnic shelters and an amphitheater. It was set aside as a scenic area back in 1961. Add it to your day trip and you’ll cover two of the better natural rock features in southern Kentucky without much extra driving. Shutterstock

A coal town that vanished and came back as a ghost

Down along the Big South Fork River, Blue Heron tells the story of a coal mining community that ran from 1937 until December 1962. The National Park Service rebuilt the site in the 1980s as an open-air museum, using steel ghost structures to mark where homes, the school and the coal tipple once stood. Audio stations play recorded memories from people who actually lived there. It’s an odd and affecting place, a town you can walk through but not quite touch. Shutterstock

Few people know this place exists, and that works in your favor

Yahoo Falls draws a fraction of the crowds that head to nearby Cumberland Falls. The parking lot, restrooms and picnic tables at the trailhead are set up for a comfortable visit, but you won’t be fighting for a spot. The gorge, the arches, the overlooks and the mining site at Blue Heron pack a full day of exploring into a small area. It moves at its own pace, rewards slow walking and doesn’t rush you anywhere. That’s a rarer thing in Kentucky than a 113-foot waterfall. Shutterstock

Visit Yahoo Falls Scenic Area in McCreary County

You can reach Yahoo Falls Scenic Area off Kentucky Highway 700 near Whitley City in McCreary County, inside the Daniel Boone National Forest and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. There’s no entrance fee. The parking lot has restrooms and picnic facilities. The main loop runs about one mile with a steep set of stairs into the gorge. Spring or the day or two after a heavy rain gives you the falls at their best. Check the official website for current trail conditions before you go. This article was created with AI assistance and human editing. Read more from this brand:

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The post Kentucky’s tallest waterfall drops 113 feet and you can walk right behind it appeared first on When In Your State.