Seventy Six Falls

Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, USA

About Seventy Six Falls

For Subscribers Only. See Membership Options.

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Seventy Six Falls was kind of an ominous waterfall for us because we noticed three shrines or crosses that we believe commemorated loved ones who probably lost their lives here.

After our visit to this plunging waterfall (I don’t know how tall it is though I’d guess it’s around 90ft or so), it became apparent why people might have lost their lives at this spot.

Seventy_Six_Falls_046_20121023 - Seventy-Six Falls
Seventy-Six Falls

In general, waterfalls tend to be located in places with dropoffs and cliff exposure (because that’s how waterfalls get formed in the first place), but Seventy-Six Falls took the danger up another level.

Why was Seventy-Six Falls so dangerous?

It turned out that the inherent danger at this waterfall came from attempting to get a good view of it.

Without knowing any better, I just followed a trail that went down some steps from the small parking lot (see directions below).

Then, after crossing a bridge over the waterfall’s feeding creek, I ended up at the sheltered picnic area near the brink of Seventy-Six Falls.

Seventy_Six_Falls_010_20121023 - Looking towards an inlet from Lake Cumberland from the picnic area atop Seventy Six Falls (and a potential danger spot for improving the view of the waterfall)
Looking towards an inlet from Lake Cumberland from the picnic area atop Seventy Six Falls (and a potential danger spot for improving the view of the waterfall)

Unfortunately, the views from up here were not very satisfying so the next thing to do would be to try to improve upon the view.

That was where I noticed a cliff-hugging ledge right behind a fence urging visitors not to go onto this ledge with fatally high drop offs.

Further complicating matters was that there was a tree blocking the view of Seventy-Six Falls from here, which meant you’d have to go even further along the ledge in order to get beyond the tree obstacle.

And that’s where I think people have died, which is especially tragic when you consider that there’s a much easier way to experience this waterfall without risking your life.

Experiencing Seventy-Six Falls The Much Better Way

Seventy_Six_Falls_059_20121023 - The flat barricade at the overlook of the Seventy Six Falls that was way safer than the other side by the picnic area
The flat barricade at the overlook of the Seventy Six Falls that was way safer than the other side by the picnic area

From the small parking lot, instead of going straight to the sheltered picnic area at the top of Seventy-Six Falls, go on the trail to the right.

There are stairs that parallel the road a short distance before going up more steps towards a lookout with a flat concrete railing.

As you can see from the photo at the top of this page, the views of Seventy-Six Falls from this lookout were quite good.

The trail even kept going beyond the overlook, but unfortunately, we didn’t go further to see where it went so we can’t say anything more about it.

Seventy_Six_Falls_050_20121023 - Another look at the Seventy-Six Falls from the sanctioned overlook
Another look at the Seventy-Six Falls from the sanctioned overlook

Finally, I’d imagine that if there was enough water on Lake Cumberland, you could conceivably boat your way towards the side arm of the lake that led to this canyon.

I figured you’d get an unusual perspective of the Seventy-Six Falls from here, but I have yet to see in the literature anyone capturing such a view by foot or by boat so I’m not even sure how feasible that view would be.

Finally, I’ve read in the literature that this waterfall got its name from the numerical value given to the survey area that covered this region.

Authorities

Seventy Six Falls resides outside Lake Cumberland State Resort Park near Snow in Clinton County, Kentucky. Therefore, I don’t know who administers this waterfall. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, I think you can still try to visit the Lake Cumberland website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.

Related Top 10 Lists

No Posts Found

Tagged with: lake cumberland, clinton county, kentucky, waterfall, snow, williamsburg, albany, monticello



Visitor Comments:

Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...

Crosses February 11, 2017 5:23 am by H. - Actually, the crosses are for the people that have passed diving off of the falls... ...Read More

Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:

If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...

No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall


Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls

The Waterfaller Newsletter

The Waterfaller Newsletter is where we curate the wealth of information on the World of Waterfalls website and deliver it to you in bite-sized chunks in your email inbox. You'll also get exclusive content like...

  • Waterfall Wednesdays
  • Insider Tips
  • User-submitted Waterfall Write-up of the Month
  • and the latest news and updates both within the website as well as around the wonderful world of waterfalls


How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps

Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.