To get there from somerset, you go south on 27 to 90, turn left and follow 90 to Cumberland Falls State Park, and go on past it for a few miles until you see a gravel road on the left, 195. If you're not familiar with Forest Service roads, they have little brown signs with white numbers. The Forest Service editions of topographical (topo) maps show the roads with their numbers. Road 195 is not far from the Forest Service boundary in that area. If you go past the road, you will soon see a sign that says you are leaving the national forest. After turning on 195 (headed mostly north), go about three miles to the trailhead. It isn't easy to find. The trail head is on the left, and a wooden bridge crosses the creek, which is near the road. There is a little bit of parking room on the left of the road. If you pass the place, you will drive up hill and eventually come around to an intersection, a T.

Going to the falls is enjoyable even in winter, because of all the green rhodendron and evergreen trees, and the water runs good.

This creek must run all year. The picture above right shows it not far from the bridge, and that's pretty much the way it ususlly looks. Sometimes the flow is more or less, but everytime I've been there, it was flowing nicely. From the road, you can see the bridge, and after crossing it, you turn right to head downstream. I think it's a mile and a quarter to the river. The trail follows the creek, sometimes close, sometimes up away from it, but mostly nearby.

At left is a view of the trail going by a rock wall. From the bridge, you will walk along a cliff line for a while, and then it recedes, but the trail eventually goes back to it, and rises and descends. There are a couple of overhangs along the way.

Dog Slaughter Falls is around two thirds of the way back. The trail goes from creek level uphill again and then levels off and soon it comes around where you can see the falls on the right. You will hear it first. At right is a view of the falls, made one autumn. The water flow was less than what we found the winter before, as can be seen in other pictures here. Shortly beyond the point from which this overhead view was made, the trail makes a steep descent to creek level, going along the rock wall. The picture at left shows part of the cliff line, and the view from the trail once down there. This picture was made during winter, but because of the green plants, it looks like it could be summer.

At left is another view of the falls, made that Autumn. On the right is one made the previous winter. The water flow was much better then. There used to be a log across the top of the falls, but it is gone.

Fom the falls, you go back to the trail by the wall, where you came down, and go on downstream a short distance, then ascend a steep rise to get back on the upper level. If you don't want to go down to the falls, you can bypass it and stay on the upper level. After getting back up on higher ground, the trail comes near the upper cliff line again, and you will see more huge boulders along the creek, as well as many smaller one

At left is a shot of the creek downstream from the falls. The one on the right shows the trail going by the cliff. This is not far from the wooden footbridge over the creek. The bridge is for the trail alongside the Cumberland River. At the bridge, the creek is a boulder garden, with water gushing this way and that. We don't have pictures of that right now, but it is nice. A short distance downstream from the bridge, the creek empties into the Cumberland River. You can see the river from the bridge.

On the right is a view of the Cumberland River near the mouth of Dog Slaughter Creek, facing upriver. For a larger version, click here.

Cumberland River, near the mouth of D.S. Creek. Facing downstream.

| Home | Central KY Contents |