Things to Do on Lake Cumberland: A Local Guide from Somerset, KY

Lake Cumberland is one of the biggest lakes in the eastern United States, with more shoreline than the whole coast of Florida. Most of it sits in and around Somerset, Kentucky. We host a lake house here, and this is the guide we wish every first-time visitor had: the marinas worth your time, the waterfall people drive hours for, and the small-town spots we send our own guests to.

Get on the water first

The lake is the whole point, so start there. Two marinas anchor the Somerset side, and you can be on the water within minutes of arriving.

Lee's Ford Marina

The closest launch to most rentals on this side of the lake, about five minutes from our place. You can rent pontoons, ski boats, and jet skis, fuel up, grab supplies at the ship store, and eat waterfront at the Harbor Restaurant and Tavern when you come off the water. If you have never driven a pontoon, this is the easy place to start.

Burnside Marina and General Burnside Island State Park

About fifteen minutes south, Burnside opens onto the wider southern end of the lake and the Cumberland River. Right next to it is General Burnside Island State Park, the only island state park in Kentucky, with an eighteen-hole golf course ringed by water. Bring the clubs if that is your thing.

Cumberland Falls and the moonbow

About forty-five minutes from Somerset is Cumberland Falls, a sixty-eight-foot curtain of water people call the Niagara of the South. What makes it rare: on clear nights around a full moon, the mist throws a moonbow, a nighttime rainbow you can only reliably see in a couple of places on earth. Check the full-moon dates before your trip and plan a night around it. The park also has daytime hiking and river trips if the timing does not line up.

Hiking and the national forest

Somerset sits on the edge of the Daniel Boone National Forest, more than seven hundred thousand acres of sandstone arches, cliff lines, and hidden waterfalls. You do not have to go far for a good trail. Pack water, wear real shoes, and you can turn a lazy lake trip into a real hike whenever you feel like it.

In town: downtown Somerset

Somerset has quietly become a good little food and coffee town. Walk the Somerset Mural Trail, browse the shops, and catch a show at The Virginia, a restored 1920s theater downtown. It is about ten minutes from the lake, and it is where we send guests on a rainy afternoon.

Bring the kids

• SomerSplash Waterpark is a twenty-acre seasonal water park with a wave pool, a lazy river, a splash zone for little ones, and a lineup of slides. It is a reliable family day, about fifteen minutes from the lake.
• Haney's Appledale Farm in nearby Nancy is a family orchard well over a century old. Pick your own apples and peaches in season, then load up on baked goods, jams, and cider at the market.

Where to eat

For dinner after a day on the water, the Harbor Restaurant and Tavern at Lee's Ford is the easy call, right on the marina. In and around town you will find steak, seafood, and lake views at local spots, plus the breweries and coffee shops downtown. It is small-town Kentucky, so check hours before you drive out, especially early and late season.

When to come

Summer is peak: warm water, busy marinas, long evenings. Late spring and early fall are the sweet spot if you want the lake a little quieter and the rates a little lower, and the fall color through the forest is worth the trip on its own. Winter is calm and cheap, good for a fireplace-and-hot-tub kind of weekend rather than a swimming one.