Hey Guys!
We spent a weekend in November visiting Cumberland Falls State Park in Kentucky to see the famous Moonbow, one of the rarest natural phenomena in the world.
Cumberland Falls is famous for being one of the very few places in the world where you can reliably see a naturally occurring moonbow on a regular schedule.
Quick Overview
- Route: Cumberland Falls State Park -> Corbin, KY -> Historic Rugby -> Pall Mall -> Back to Cumberland Falls State Park for the Moonbow
- Drive time (without stops): 4 hours
- Best for: Waterfalls, Scenic driving, hiking, food stops, history lovers, photography
- Highlights: Folktale Coffee & Bakehouse, Original Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant and Museum, Historic Rugby, TN, R.M Brooks Historic General Store, Sgt. Alvin C. York Historic Park, Historic Forbus General Store, Cumberland Falls Moonbow
- Perfect for: Weekend getaways from Tennessee and Kentucky
We had been watching the weather forecast for weeks, hoping for clear skies since seeing the moonbow was the main reason for our trip.
The drive there was beautiful with all the fall colors still in the trees.
After driving for approximately 3 hours, we arrived to Cumberland Falls State Park in Corbin, KY.
After getting checked in, we headed to our cabin.
Our Cabin at Cumberland Falls State Park
Our cabin ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. It was much nicer than we expected and was the perfect place to relax after exploring the park.
We had a full kitchen, a bedroom with two queen beds, a living room, and a nice covered front porch overlooking the woods.
We had actually stayed at Cumberland Falls once before, but this cabin was by far our favorite. It was newer, more spacious, and the peaceful front porch overlooking the woods made it feel like a true getaway.
If you’re considering staying here, you can also read about our first visit to Cumberland Falls and compare the two experiences.
Tip: Pease be aware that the resort and restaurant are closed for renovations until at least summer of 2027. The cabins are still open as well as their pool. Find out more about this on the park’s website or their Facebook page
Read reviews for this property here
The next morning, we sat on the porch with a cup of coffee and enjoyed the peaceful views of the woods before heading to our first stop of the day.
After our coffee, we headed into nearby Corbin, Kentucky, for breakfast before spending the day exploring Cumberland Falls and the surrounding area.
Tip: The drive from the Cumberland Falls Resort to Corbin, KY takes approximately 30 mins. Cumberland Falls also has a restaurant if you don’t want to drive anywhere.
Breakfast at Folktale Coffee & Bakehouse in Corbin, Kentucky
Our first stop of the day was breakfast at Folktale Coffee and Bakehouse in nearby Corbin, KY.
Since it was only a short drive from Cumberland Falls State Park, it was the perfect place to grab coffee and breakfast before a day of exploring.
This is the top rated restaurant in Corbin for breakfast.
The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and everything looked freshly made.
Actually, the restaurant makes everything from scratch and sources their ingredients from local farms.
We had to order at the counter and then wait for them to bring it out to us.
I ended up ordering a blueberry muffin for later and the pancakes and bacon for breakfast and the hubby ordered the classic breakfast platter that came with a biscuit, bacon or sausage, and eggs. He also added a side of the homestyle potatoes.
We also ordered a specialty coffee. I ordered the brown sugar latte and my husband ordered the white chocolate mocha.
The food and coffee were amazing!
Read reviews here
After breakfast, we drove a short distance to our next stop of the day.
Visiting the Original Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant
This Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant is one of Kentucky’s most famous roadside attractions.
Even if you’re not a huge KFC fan, it’s a fun place to stop and learn a little about the history of Colonel Harland Sanders and how one small roadside restaurant grew into a worldwide brand.
Since we had a long day planned, we decided not to visit the museum so we just took a few pictures of the outside of the restaurant.
This is the restaurant where Colonel Harland Sanders developed and served the fried chicken recipe that would eventually become one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
Today, the building serves as both a working restaurant and a small museum, where visitors can see memorabilia, vintage signs, and even the restored kitchen where Sanders experimented with his famous recipe.
The Sanders Café was owned and operated by Colonel Sanders from 1940-1956 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
In 2007, JRN purchased the Colonel’s former home and property, which is adjacent to the restaurant.
We spent some time taking pictures and reading some of the outside exhibits before heading to our next stop of the day.
Read reviews here
Exploring Historic Rugby, Tennessee
Our next stop of the day was the tiny village of Historic Rugby, TN, located just a short drive from Cumberland Falls.
Tip: It takes approximately 1.5 hrs from Corbin, KY to Rugby, TN and from Cumberland Falls Resort, it will take 1 hr 15 mins.
Founded in 1880 as a British settlement, Rugby feels like stepping back in time, with its beautifully preserved Victorian buildings, quiet streets, and peaceful atmosphere.
Click here to see other nearby attractions
After getting parked, we headed to the nearby visitor center.
I definitely recommend starting your visit at the visitor center…this is where you can book tours, learn about the area and get a map of the village.
The visitor center is opened Thur. Fri. Sat. 9-5 EDT. Sundays Noon-5.
Inside the visitor center, you will find exhibits and photographs that tell the story of this unique British founded community, which was established in 1880 as an experiment in cooperative living.
The displays provide a great introduction to the village and help you appreciate the beautifully preserved Victorian buildings scattered throughout the property.
One of the neat features inside the visitor center is the small theatre and interpretive presentation area. 
Rather than being a traditional movie theater, it’s an intimate space where visitors can watch a short film introducing the fascinating history of Rugby and its founder, Thomas Hughes.
After getting a map, we spent a few minutes browsing the gift shop, which offers books, souvenirs, and locally made items.
The visitor center was very nice and was full of antiques and other interesting relics.
After checking out the visitor center, we set out to explore the historic homes and buildings.
Tip: Rugby is surrounded by incredible wilderness. The area features miles of trails stemming directly from the town into Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Whether you want a short walk to a historic swimming hole or a challenging, multi hour gorge hike, there are multiple options available.
The closest historic building to the visitor center is the Rugby Schoolhouse that was built in 1907.
You can’t enter any of these buildings unless you purchase a guided tour.
Tip: Tours: $10 adult, $8 seniors 60+, $5 K-12 students, pre-schoolers free.
Rugby was established by British author Thomas Hughes and the exhibits in these buildings tell about his life and the challenges the early settlers faced while building a new life in the mountains of Tennessee.
Next, we walked over to check out the nearby church.
One of the most beautiful buildings in Historic Rugby is the small Christ Church Episcopal Rugby.
Built in the late 1800’s, the simple Carpenter Gothic style church has been a part of the village since Rugby’s earliest days and is still an active place of worship today.
The church is surrounded by towering trees and well kept grounds, making it one of the most peaceful spots in the village.
We couldn’t go inside but I took pictures of the inside looking through the beautiful stained glass window.
Many of the original furnishings and architectural features have been carefully maintained, giving visitors a glimpse into Rugby’s Victorian past.
From here, we headed to the Thomas Hughes Free Public Library.
Built in 1882, it is considered the oldest intact nineteenth century public circulating library in the United States and still contains much of its original collection.
Since, you can only visit the inside by purchasing a tour, we took pictures through the front door.
The shelves are lined with thousands of old books, many of which have been there since the early days of the colony.
The library was named after Thomas Hughes, the English author of Tom Brown’s School Days and the founder of Rugby.
After the library, we continued our walk through the historic town.
We spotted several historical signs scattered throughout the town 
There are many historic homes that offer accommodations and we have considered visiting Rugby again and staying in one of the beautiful old homes.
Click here to book a stay in Rugby
Some of the historic homes we passed on our walk.
We noticed one of the historic buildings was a gift shop so we decided to check it out.
The shop was filled with locally made crafts, books about the area’s history, antiques, and unique souvenirs that reflect both the village’s British heritage and Appalachian roots.
We always enjoy finding small locally owned gift shops when we travel, and this one was no exception. It was a great place to pick up our usual souvenirs, a t-shirt and coffee cup, to remember our visit to this charming Victorian village.
Next to the gift shop was an art gallery. We decided not to go inside as there were so many other buildings to see.
Our next stop was the historic Printing Works building.
You can tour this building for free but donations are appreciated.
This was one of the more unique buildings we explored in Rugby.
One of the very first projects undertaken by the original settlers was the creation of a community newspaper called The Rugbeian.
At first, the paper was printed in Cincinnati and shipped to Rugby by train, but by 1881 it was being printed locally.
The short tour gives visitors a glimpse into how newspapers and other materials were produced during the village’s early years.
You will see an antique printing press and learn about the important role the newspaper played in keeping this small Victorian community connected with the outside world.
I found it fascinating to think that, even in this remote mountain settlement, the founders understood the importance of sharing news and ideas.
The gentleman that gave the tour was very friendly and well versed in how the printing equipment operated.
After leaving here, we drove to one of the nearby homes that you can rent just to see what it looked like in case we wanted to come back for a visit.
This was the historic Newbury House.
This house was Rugby’s first boarding house and has been welcoming guests since 1880.
The house features 4 bedrooms with private baths and 2 rooms with a shared half bathroom.
You can either rent the entire house or individual rooms.
Nearby, is the Keen Cottage that was built in 1996 but was built to look like the other historic Victorian homes…..this house is a private residence.
After leaving here, we headed to our next stop.
Read reviews for the historic town here
A few other houses we passed.
Tip: You could spend hours in Rugby checking out all of the houses…..we didn’t see them all!
On the way to our next stop which was literally less than 5 mins away, we passed the very popular Grey Gables Bed & Breakfast.
Read reviews here
Visiting the Historic R.M. Brooks General Store in Rugby, Tennessee
After leaving the Victorian village, we made one last stop in Rugby at the R.M. Brooks General Store.
The store originally opened in the late 1800’s to serve the residents of the British colony.
The store still operates today and offers visitors a chance to experience a little piece of Tennessee history.
After getting parked, we headed inside.
The inside has been carefully preserved and it made you feel like you were stepping back in time.
The old wooden floors, shelves lined with merchandise , and historic atmosphere made it easy to imagine settlers stopping by to pick up supplies more than a century ago.
The store still sells a variety of gifts, snacks, and locally made items, making it a fun place to browse before leaving Rugby.
We love visiting historic general stores when we travel because they seem to tell the story of a place better than almost anything else. This store was no exception and was the perfect way to wrap up our visit to Historic Rugby.
Tip: RM Brooks Store serves lunch until 5 pm daily except Sundays & Mondays. Breakfast is served on Saturdays.
After leaving here, we headed to our next stop.
On the way, we passed through Allardt, TN which is home to the giant pumpkins!
They hold a pumpkin festival every year that’s held on the first Saturday in October where they weigh their giant pumpkins for world records!
Visiting the Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park in Pall Mall, Tennessee
Our final stop of the day took us to the small town of Pall Mall, Tennessee, where we visited the Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park.
The park preserves the home, gristmill, and farm of one of America’s most celebrated World War 1 heroes and offers visitors a fascinating look at his life and legacy.
We have visited this park before but this time we added it to our itinerary because they were doing a reenactment of WWI.
This turned out to be one of the highlights of our visit….seeing the living history come to life.
The park hosts special events where reenactors dress in authentic World War I uniforms and demonstrate what life was life for American soldiers during the Great War.
Visitors can explore replica trenches, watch blacksmith demonstrations, and learn about military equipment and daily camp life from the knowledgable volunteers.
There were old historic vehicles too and my hubby really enjoyed those! 😉
The inside of the building, the rooms were divided into different sections, each one displaying what everyday life was like during that time period.
The exhibits helped visitors better understand how Sgt. Alvin C. York and other military personnel lived and worked in rural Tennessee.
It was really interesting and we spent several minutes here walking around checking out the exhibits.
The outside is where we found the recreation of how life would have been for the American soldiers back in the day.
How they cooked, what they cooked, how they slept, etc.
It was set up really well and we really enjoyed talking to some of the volunteers.
We even got to try one of the donuts that the cook would make for the soldiers.
It was not that good lol! 😉
One of the highlights of our visit was watching the WWI reenactment.
Seeing the soldiers dressed in authentic uniforms and watching the demonstrations brought history to life in a way that simply reading about it never could.
As the reenactors marched through the grounds and demonstrated military drills, it was easy to imagine what life was like for the men who served during the First World War.
The sounds of rifles and realistic camps made the experience feel surprisingly immersive.
The reenactment ended up being one of our favorite parts of the day. It gave us much greater appreciation for the sacrifices made by York and the countless other soldiers who served alongside him.
If you’re planning a visit, I highly recommend checking the park’s event schedule to see if a reenactment will be taking place during your trip.
Tip: The TV Show Tennessee Crossroads featured this area on their show….you can watch it here.
Located near the park is the home of Alvin C. York.
You can also tour this home……Click here to book a tour.
Tip: Ticket prices are $10 ages 13 & up, $5 ages 6-12, $8 for seniors 60+/Veterans
There is also the Alvin C York Grist Mill.
The Grist Mill was built in 1880. This historic, water-powered mill sits along the Wolf River and is a centerpiece of the 347-acre property.
Since we had explored the historic grist mill during our first visit to Pall Mall, we decided to skip it this time.
Other park attractions include a visitor center modeled after his general store, and the York Bible Institute. You can also visit the Wolf River Methodist Church where York and his family attended services and the Wolf River Cemetery where he, his wife and other family members are buried.
Click here to see a map of other nearby historic places & Click here to read reviews for this park
After leaving the park, we headed to our next stop which was only 5 mins from the park.
Dinner at the Historic Forbus General Store
Our final stop before heading back to Cumberland Falls would be the Forbus General Store to have dinner.
The historic general store was originally established in the late 1800’s.
The store has been serving the local community for generations and is one of the area’s most beloved landmarks.
Walking through the front door felt like stepping back in time.
The old wooden floors, shelves lined with jams, candies, local products, and country store favorites made it easy to imagine what life was like here many years ago.
We had eaten here during our last visit to this area and absolutely loved their burgers so we just had to come back for another one!
Once again, the food was fresh and delicious! It was a perfect way to end a day of exploring!
Tip: Don’t miss their delicious milkshakes! We had one during our last visit and it was so good! They are also known for their homemade pies.
Follow them on Facebook here
After our delicious burgers, we headed back to Cumberland Falls in hopes to catch the rare moonbow.
The drive would take approx. 1.5 hrs.
Watching the Famous Cumberland Falls Moonbow
After a full day of exploring southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, we returned to Cumberland Falls for the moment we had been looking forward to all weekend — seeing the famous moonbow!
Click here to see a calendar for the moonbow
As darkness settled over the park and the small crowd gathered along the overlook, the anticipation continued to build.
The sky was absolutely beautiful! We saw so many stars!
A moonbow (also known as a moon rainbow or lunar rainbow) is a rainbow produced by moonlight rather than direct sunlight.
Other than the difference in the light source, its formation is the same as for a solar rainbow: It is caused by the refraction of light in many water droplets, such as a rain shower or a waterfall, and is always positioned in the opposite part of the sky from the Moon relative to the observer.
Cumberland Falls moonbows are visible approximately 2-3 nights around each full moon, totaling about 60 nights per year.
Viewing the moonbow is highly weather dependent. A clear sky is essential because the light from the full moon must shine through the mist created by the falls to produce this rare phenomenon.
Before you visit, be sure to check the moonrise time, as it can vary significantly throughout the year. On some nights, the moon may not rise until around 2:00 am, so if you’re not much of a night owl, you may want to plan your trip accordingly.
This combination of requirements makes moonbows much rarer than rainbows produced by the daytime sunlight.
As the moon began to rise above the horizon, its light began to gradually illuminate the mountainside beside the waterfall.
It was a beautiful sight and a reminder that the conditions were coming together for the moonbow to appear!
After what felt like hours of waiting, the moment we had been hoping for finally arrived!
At around 10:30 pm, the moon slowly crested the ridge, casting its soft light across the landscape and it was at that moment, the moonbow finally appeared!
It was difficult to photograph so make sure you have your camera on the right settings.
It’s also not as vibrant as a rainbow that is created by the sun, but it’s still beautiful and exciting to see!
After watching the spectacular event for about 30 mins, we headed back to our cabin and called it a night!
Thanks for reading!
Stay tuned for Day 2 of our Cumberland Falls trip!
Click here to see a Travel Guide of all of our travels
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