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Sheltowee Trace

 

Cumberland Falls State Park to Star Creek Shelter

 

Thursday, April 9, 2009

 

 

I did this hike last year in the spring and it’s become a favorite.  It starts at the Cumberland Falls State Park (website here) following along the eastern bank of the Cumberland River as it flows downstream (or to the northeast at this point).  As it proceeds it goes up, down, around and sometimes under large boulders while darting and dodging around wildflowers and rhododendron thickets - all this while it's "zigzagging" by and over several waterfalls and a couple of streamside beaches.  It’s a stunner!

 

Cumberland Falls State Park  is, by itself, pretty amazing.  The falls here are known as the “Niagra of the South” and you can certainly see why.  Almost as impressive is the backdrop.  The river has, over the eons, carved a beautiful valley through the rock here which towers over you on both sides.  It all had me feeling pretty small and humbled yet very appreciative!

 

Adding to all this last year were all the wildflowers I saw blooming all over the place (and there’s a trail out here specifically named the Wildflower Trail - #12).  I did notice a few wildflowers this year too but they weren’t nearly as plentiful.  Still, the water seemed to be higher.  In fact, by the time I got to the staircase which leads you down to the water about ½ mile in, I was dying to bring my kayak out again!   I did get a chance to paddle some of the Big South Fork of this river last year, and I imagine that the scenery from the water would look about the same in this section as it did in that one (I’ve got a few pictures from that trip up on my "Water" page, if interested). 

 

As soon as you park you’re likely to find out just how popular this spot is, with all the people checking things out.  In fact, there seemed to be more people out this year than last but I didn’t see too many more people once I got past all the overlooks.  The folks you do run into, however, are almost always super nice.  I’d run into about 5 little groups – most within the first mile.

 

Ahem… yeah…  I feel compelled to mention at this point that I overdid it a bit on this hike.  This is a 10 mile out and backer – 5 miles out to the Star Falls shelter and 5 back – although you can make it as long or short as you want by turning back at any time.  Me, I failed to work my way up to this one this year.  I’ll usually go on a 4 mile hike to start the season, then a 6, then an 8, and so on.  Well, I didn't this year and I was quite sore when I got back – joints more than muscles.  In fact, I immediately went out and bought a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM combination afterward.  Long story short:  If you plan to go the whole way please prepare your body for this trek by working up to it if you need to.

 

Another thing I feel I should mention is that I’ve had uncomfortable experiences with some arachnids in this area of the state over the last couple years, so I’m very wary when I come out at any time during the late spring, summer, or early fall.  These meddlesome pests seem to be a combination of a chigger and a tick because they display certain characteristics of both.  I actually call them chigger/ticks.  I thought about calling them tick-gers, but that sounds too much like the rabbit from Winnie the Pooh!  I then thought of calling them “chicks”, but that could conceivably get me in trouble!  Chigger/ticks will have to suffice.  Regardless, if you do decide to come out during the times mentioned above you’ll want to fairly douse yourself in D.E.E.T. and hope that they still don’t get through!

 

K... Getting back to my story...  The path you’ll want to take to do this hike starts on the Moonbow Trail which is part of the Sheltowee Trace, a 100+ mile trail which runs all the way through the state.  This particular section starts behind the gift shop and bathrooms for the park as it takes you in a northeast direction.  As it does so it will wind through a forested area for about the first ½ mile before zigzagging down the ravine.  The grand finale for this will be a steep staircase which takes you down to the waters’ edge.

 

 

 

One of the first signposts you’ll see in this section will be quite remarkable as it immediately gives you a feel for just how serious and lengthy the Sheltowee Trace is: 

 

Sheltowee Trace Trail No. 100

 

Star Creek Shelter                  5

Bark Camp Shelter                 7

 State Hwy 1277                    10

  Laurel Lake Dam                  13

 

NOTICE:  Bark Camp Trail Bridge Washed Out 7 Miles Ahead

 

Once you’ve descended the steps the next section will be right next to the water and you’ll get some great pictures of the river as it flows on into the distance.  You’ll also cross some beaches in this stretch which are quite nice, although the best of these (in my opinion) are yet to come.

 

 

At mile 1 you’ll come to an intersection for the Rock House Trail (#7) and if you follow it you'll be taken up some stone steps to a little waterfall.  I detoured up to see this (infinitely worth the few seconds to climb the steps!) and then headed back down.  I’ve not followed this trail in it's entirety yet but I’d like to sometime.  It’s actually a separate loop which will eventually catch back up to the Moonbow Trail you've been following in about ½ mile.  Meanwhile, the area between the 2 intersections will to take you along the rivers’ edge on a fairly level plane that offers some clearer photo’s of the area. 

 

Then, once past the second of the Rock House intersections, the terrain will get a bit more rugged as it undulates up, down and around what are sometimes HUGE boulders.  It will also take you near the rock face of the ravine where you’ll pass under some overhangs.  These help cool you off on hot days.  In fact, I often dip my head or cap under the dripping water to add to the effect.

 

 

 

When I come to rocky areas it often amazes me how the trees adapt to continue growing in adverse conditions.  Check this one out – the one coming down to the right in the picture.  It looks like it started to grow down but then changed its mind!

 

 

At about mile 2 the trail intersects with another path, the Cumberland River Trail, which will take you back to the road you might have come in on – KY90.  According to one of the books I have, written specifically about the Sheltowee Trace, there’s a lookout tower off this at the top of the ravine.  

 

Not to far from this intersection, you’ll cross directly over an incredibly sweet little beach which I refer to as a Robinson Crusoe like spot.  This beach is far enough down the trail that many people don’t quite make it this far.  Thus, it's still got a great feel to it.  I often imagine (have I ever mentioned that I never want to grow up?) that this beach is a kind of tropical paradise where one might be marooned!  Goofy?  Absolutely!  :)

 

 

More beautiful vistas will await you after you climb up the rocky steps from this beach, and as you continue toward Dog Slaughter Creek you’ll cross a wooden bridge for a different stream.  I didn’t see any beavers today but I knew they were there as they left some pretty incriminating evidence!

 

 

 

There’s another spot of interest right before you get to the turn off for Dog Slaughter Falls at mile 3.  Here you'll have to squeeze between 2 rocks as you descend to a great little picnic spot on the waters’ edge.  This was where I met my first true trekkers - a family of 3 with a daughter that looked to be about 8 or 9.  I was very impressed with this little girl!  We were about 3 miles out and she’d have to walk another 3 to get back.  6 miles!  Very impressive for a girl this age!  I talked with them for a while.

 

Passing the family, I ascended back up over some flotsam debris on the side of the beach and almost immediately encountered a sign which seemed to indicate that the section of trail I was heading toward was closed.  Bummed that my trip might end early, I went tentatively on to meet with the next trail junction.  This one branched off in 2 directions which I’ll refer to as “upstairs” and “downstairs”.  Going straight will take you upstairs to Dog Slaughter Falls while veering left will take you downstairs to a nice bridge which crosses over the same stream.  This latter section of the Sheltowee was the one I thought I might have to miss.

 

Anyway, I headed to the falls first.  The guy I’d met had indicated that he’d come this way but that he’d returned prematurely out of concern for his daughter - and I must say that as I hiked this section I could see why.  That’s because the trail, at times, runs perilously close to some pretty steep drops.  This, in addition to the moisture in this section, can make things a bit slippery.  I could understand his concern.

 

I trod very carefully along this trail (specially designated as trail #414 – Dog Slaughter Trail) which runs along the southern bank of it's namesake creek and fairly quickly reached the falls - an absolutely gorgeous spot!  Below is my first glimpse of it through the foliage...

 

Dog Slaughter Falls has been accurately described as a “curtain” of water which falls over the rocks, and through the years it has carved a masterpiece back here.

 

 

 

I ended up staying for quite a while.  Sights like this really touch something within me and they fill me with a feeling of thankfulness which is so intense that I cannot adequately put it into words.  Suffice it to say, that when I left I did so with a deeply peaceful feeling.  When I returned in 2017 it was not the same.  At the time I'd met a guy with 2 unleashed dogs, one of which was a little aggressive and I'd ended up leaving.

 

Returning to the aforementioned junction, I continued “downstairs” on the Sheltowee Trace.  You’ll quickly go over the bridge for Dog Slaughter Creek which offers yet more amazing views and then you’ll be on a fairly remote section of the Sheltowee which runs from here to Laurel Lake.  I planned to get to the first of 2 backwoods shelters (the one at Star Falls) and then head back.

 

There are 2 more wooden bridges which cross streams under the trail prior to reaching the shelter and I’ll likely oversimplify this by guesstimating that they enter the picture at about ¾ mile intervals after Dog Slaughter.  The area leading up to the first is generally more level, as it continues to follow the river as it now flows northwest.  Here I met with the simple beauty of little pine cones in the trees...

 

   

I also came across a vine which had grown in a circle…

 

 

What I also noticed in this section was that there had been a fire since last year.  The charred area was relatively well contained, however, such that it almost appeared to have been a controlled burn or maybe just one of very brief duration.  Further, the underbrush was charred but this didn’t reach very high into the trees.  In fact, I’d never experienced this kind of thing on my hikes before but I remember from ecology class that fires can be very beneficial to a forest.  I do hope that the benefits will outweigh the negatives here.

 

After the first of the 2 bridges the trail will take you through a forested area and then down to the waters’ edge.  It'll then run against the rock face of the ravine for a time.  Here you can cool off again as water will probably be trickling down upon you in certain sections.  (Keep this rock face in mind though, because once you get to the area around Star Falls it’ll have receded quite a way back and you may completely miss those falls if you don’t remember this.)

 

I met with some more trekkers in this stretch.  They had taken a moment to rest atop one of the huge boulders which had fallen and it offered some nice views below.  Their dog was the first to greet me.  I’m wary of dogs generally, but when they come up to you with their head down and their tail wagging it’s usually OK.  Theirs was a nice dog.  Turns out, these 2 had come out to do exactly what I was doing – make it to Star Falls and back – but they'd apparently given up for today.  They mentioned that they’d been to the spot about 25 years ago when it was really wide open and you could see all the way to the cliff face (though this is no longer the case).  I told them that if I made it I’d put up pictures of what it looks like now on the website.

 

Anyhow, after passing under the “building blocks” (first picture), you’ll emerge into a large, fairly wide-open area where you’ll be able to hear what sounds like a waterfall.  This will be Star Falls and there’s a pretty large beach area here with a shelter.  I actually almost missed the shelter today due to the foliage.  Isn’t it awesome looking though (second picture)?!?

      

 

 

Now the sound you heard you may mistake for a stream as I did and there is a stream a little further down the trail.  I reached this and stopped to get my bearings.  “Let’s see…  That HAD to have been the Star Falls Shelter I just passed!  The next one (Bark Camp Shelter) is 3 more miles down… So where the heck is Star Falls then?!?  It’s GOT to be…  Oh, for cryin’ out loud!!!”

 

Turns out, I was standing right alongside Star Creek!  In the process of turning to look back down the path I’d just taken Star Falls finally caught my eye.  It’s way back in the background at this point against the rock face so it can be camouflaged by foliage.  I very nearly mistook the sound of the falls for the stream and headed right back to the park!  Anyway, I walked around the area quite a bit once I’d come to this realization as I tried to get a better picture of the waterfall.  It proved to be difficult.  If I could get a kayak in the water I might be able to get a better one from the opposite bank.  Anyway…

 

 

 

At this point it was time for me to return and the trip back was fairly uneventful although I did get some better pictures of the area from this opposite direction.  The park was still filled with people once I made it back and I even ran into some of those I’d met on the trail.  It was like getting out of a movie and then comparing notes on your impressions.  :)

 

I’ll say that I’ve not yet hiked the bulk of the Sheltowee Trace, but that I can’t imagine any section being nicer than this one.  There may be some as nice, but I doubt there are any nicer!

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

I came in off I75 and took exit 25.  I usually look for the route number instead of the exit number, but this route is so confusing that I’ve changed for this one – get this – it’s US 25 West South!  Why don’t they just throw in a “sideways” and a “down” for good measure?!?  Sheesh!  Veer right at the “V” you’ll come to in about 7 miles, and this will put you onto KY90.  Follow this until you reach the park.  There will be quite a few signs for it, but look for the one for the gift shop and take a right.  That’ll be the entrance you’ll want, although you can take the next one too (the one right before the bridge on the right).