Cumberland Falls State Park, Kentucky

I don't know how this happened, but when we came back from our fall trip in the Smokies somehow I neglected to mention our daytrip to Cumberland Falls State Park in Kentucky on the way home.  Weird, because it was perhaps one of my favorite stops and the place I'm hoping to go back to for a solo camping trip this spring.  When we got there fall color was starting to wind down but it was still beautiful.

Of course we headed right out to the water, looking for the falls.  It was a little low and we walked right out onto the riverbed.

Eventually we made our way around to the lookout spots. There were a couple of different ones along the path.

All the stone was fun to look at, and the stairways around the falls area well designed for visitors.

We wanted to get down to the water, even though the wind was starting to pick up and showers were in the forecast.

When it started to sprinkle we made our way back to the parking lot.  At the end of the lot is a great view of the roadway bridge.  Of course I went down and got it from a bunch of different angles, but I ended up liking the first one best.

While driving through the park we looked into the camping area.  Nice, but no room for guys as big as us.  Best for campers under 25 feet or those with tents.  Last week of March or first week of April I'm planning to head down for a few days hiking and solo camping.  Getting a new fancy tent and everything!  I love my tent cot, but it does have a few disadvantages.  Because of the small confines there is usually a lot of condensation on the inside in the morning.  Seems like I always camp when rain or overnight cold is in the forecast so I'm usually zipped up tight.  It's also a bit heavy to get in and out of the car for a little gal like me, though I've developed a few strategies to make that easier. Plus, if I ever wanted to bring a friend I've got no room! What I like about it is that it sits off the ground, it's easy to move once I set up so I can drag it wherever I want, and it's usually very warm and toasty inside with just enough room to wiggle around as I read and snack before bed.  I'm planning on having my first overnight hike on the Ice Age trail this year so I'll also need some lightweight sleeping gear and a new backpack to carry it in.  Anybody have suggestions?