This is very rare on our site: a guest post. Our friend Mike Lynch offered to tell us about moonbows. We don’t have a definite plan for getting back to Kentucky. Still, we wanted people to know about this phenomenon. Therefore, Mike wrote this for us - and for all of you!

Discover the Enchanting Moonbow at Cumberland Falls State Park: A Nighttime Marvel Unveiled!

By Michael Lynch

Moonbows, also known as lunar rainbows, are super rare. My home state of Kentucky is one of two places in the world that have consistently visible Moonbows.

Yup, these are that rare! With something this rare and special you might think seeing a nightime rainbow is really difficult.

As a lifelong resident of the Bluegrass state, Kentucky, I’m going to share more about moonbows and how you can plan a perfect visit to southern Kentucky!

The other moonbow is located half a world away from America in Victorial Falls in South Afracia. If you want to see this amazing natural phenomena, Kentucky is your best opportunity!

What the Heck is a Moonbow?

Your eyes are not playing tricks on you! The picture above is a nighttime rainbow or a moonbow. Moonbows form around the time of a full moon.

When the moon is full and the sky is clear (very few or NO clouds) and very dark, the tiny droplets of water from the powerful Cumberland Falls hang in the air long enough to refract (bend) the moonlight to highlight the moonbow.

To the human eye, a moonbow will be very faint and appear as a white light arch across the Cumberland Falls tidal pool. Because the moon is not as bright as the sun, the human eye can’t detect the other colors. (Source - The Weather Channel)

Don’t worry because your camera can detect the colors and if things set up right, you can get really cool pictures. Even an amateur like me can take a picture of the moonbow…from time to time!

Pro Tip: For the best opportunity to catch a lunar rainbow plan to visit in the couple of days before or immediately after the full moon. Checkout the 2024 Moonbow schedule.

Where to See a Moonbow in the United States

There are only two places in the WORLD where moonbows are consistently visible. Visitors might get lucky and spot a moonbow in a few other places like these.

Locations Moonbow are Possible

Niagra Falls – New York
Yosemite Falls – California
Hawaii – numerous falls / check with locals when you visit!

A few words of caution before booking the perfect trip to any of these awesome locations…You might not see a moonbow.

At Niagra Falls all the light pollution would certainly drown out the moonbow. If you’ve visited Niagra Falls, there are lights everywhere…on the shore, behind the falls, shining on the falls, and more.

Lunar rainbows are limited to April through June in Yosemite because of the moon’s position in the sky and the alignment to falls.

Hawaii has so much rain and so many waterfalls it’s possible to see a moonbow, but predicting when and where is tricky.

Moonbows can be visible nearly anywhere if the conditions are right, but they’re super rare!

Can’t-miss locations for a Moonbow

Cumberland Falls – Kentucky
Victory Falls – Border of Zambia and Zimbabwe

Cumberland Falls - the Quick Story

Why does Cumberland Falls State Park have consistent moonbows? The simplest reason is because the waterfall is so large and powerful that tiny drops of water remain suspended in the air for a long period of time. This allows the moonlight to get refracted.

Cumberland Falls is situated in southern Kentucky. It is practically next to the Daniel Boone National Forest and the Big South Fork National River and Recreational Area. Being in the middle of no-where means the sky is DARK!

Niagra of the South

Often referred to as the Niagra of the South, Cumberland Falls is huge! According to the state park’s information the falls are 125 feet wide and about 70 feet tall with over 3,500 cubic feet of water flowing over the water every SECOND!!! That is crazy.

We took a river raft tour and got close enough to the falls to feel some of the cubic feet spilling over. WOW! The water is powerful!

All this water sets up perfect opportunities for moonbows on a monthly basis. Luck is still required because as Mark Twain once remarked, if you don’t like the weather wait 15 minutes…well the weather changes fast in Kentucky. So, you will need a clear night for best viewing!

How to Access Cumberland Falls

Accessing Cumberland Falls and the Moonbow is very easy.

Visitors have the choice to hike down to the falls from the state park lodge on the Cumberland Falls Trail. This trail combines trails #4 and #6 to form a 1.3 mile loop. Starting at the Dupont Lodge visitors will descend down toward the Cumberland River on a well marked trail. We’ve hiked this with kids so it’s not super difficult.

After the sun sets, we recommend visitors arriving to see the moonbow use the Cumberland Falls parking lot. From this parking lot to the upper overlook of the falls is about a quarter of a mile walk on pavement. Visitors can follow the Lover’s Leap Trail to the lower lookout as well.

ProTip: Bring a flashlight if you plan to hike beyond the upper falls overlook. There are stairs on this portion and it’s very dark.

There is no charge to visit Cumberland Falls or the Moonbow!

2024 Cumberland Falls Moonbow Schedule

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates January 2024

January 23, 2024 through January 27, 2024
Full Moon is January 25, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates February 2024

February 22, 2024 through February 26, 2024
Full Moon is February 24, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates March 2024

March 23, 2024 through March 27, 2024
Full Moon is March 25, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates April 2024

April 21, 2024 through April 25, 2024
Full Moon is April 23, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates May 2024

May 21, 2024 through May 25, 2024
Full Moon is May 23, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates June 2024

June 19, 2024 through June 23, 2024
Full Moon is June 21, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates July 2024

July 19, 2024 through July 23, 2024
Full Moon is July 21, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates August 2024

August 17, 2024 through August 21, 2024
Full Moon is August 19, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates September 2024

September 16, 2024 through September 20, 2024
Full Moon is September 18, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates October 2024

October 15, 2024 through October 19, 2024
Full Moon is October 17, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates November 2024

November 13, 2024 through November 17, 2024
Full Moon is November 15, 2024

Cumberland Falls Moonbow Dates December 2024

December 13, 2024 through December 17, 2024
Full Moon is December 15, 2024

Source: Time and Date

Photography Tips and Tricks

Time and patience are your friend when trying to capture the perfect moonbow photo! You need a long and steady exposure to shoot the lunar rainbow. A tripod is a must! Here are a few more tips.

DSLR Camera

Here are some camera settings to start with:

ISO - 400
F Stop - 8
Shutter - 30 to 45 seconds
Use self timer or wireless remote
No flash (it will ruin your picture)
Large file size / Don’t compress the image
Tripod

Source: Frank The Magazine

iPhone Camera

Use Nighttime mode (iPhone 11 or newer)
iPhone will auto shoot the expsure
Use self timer (avoid bumping the camera when it’s shooting the image)
Manually adjust the exposure to a longer period using the selectors on the screen
No Flash (it will ruin your picture)
Tripod

On my visits I have tried taking photos with and without a tripod, with my phone, with DSLR, and with and without a wireless remote. My results are mixed.

On our last trip, I scored my best pictures using my iPhone, a selfie-stick with tripod, wireless remote, and nighttime mode on my iPhone. I used a 30 second exposure. My photos turned out pretty good.

Next time we go, I’ll try to take pictures from the upper view point. So far, I’ve only tried the lower falls over look.

What to Do When Visiting Kentucky

Filling your day with fun activities is easy in this outdoor paradise! When visiting the moonbow take a day to explore Corbin, Kentucky, Cumberland Falls State Park, and Big South Fork National River Recreational Area.

Corbin, Kentucky: Visit the Sander’s Cafe home to the original Kentucky Fried Chicken. Enjoy chicken the way it was supposed to be!
Cumberland Falls State Park: With miles of hiking trails ranging from easy to hard this state park is a crown jewel in Kentucky’s park system. We love the Dog Slaughter Falls and Eagle Falls Trails. Both are beautiful and fairly easy hikes. Checkout our Cumberland Falls hiking guide.
Big South Fork National River Recreational Area: A quick day trip to Natural Arch (Kentucky’s largest arch) or Blue Heron Mining Community are wonderful ways to spend a day exploring this wilderness.

The Final Word: Cumberland Falls Majestic Moonbows

Moonbows are rare, mystical, and awesome. Cumberland Falls State Park is the go-to spot for catching this night-time wonder of the world! Come visit Kentucky and feel the mystic power of witnessing a moonbow in person!

A night under the moonbow at Cumberland Falls is a memory that lasts a lifetime!

About Mike and Sara

Mike and Sara write and publish Our Campfire Unplugged are lifelong Kentucky residents who travel our beautiful state looking for amazing adventures and destinations! We travel with our Keystone fifth wheel and love to immerse ourselves into the natural world of Kentucky. We enjoy exploring beyond the boundaries of Kentucky and have traveled to several National Parks and plan to explore Acadia NP in the summer of 2024.