2026 Summer Adventure Series: Daniel Boone National Forest
Our final adventure brought us back to Kentucky. We stayed at the KOA in Corbin/Laural Lake to explore the Daniel Boone National Forest. We enjoyed the peaceful setting of the campground and the shade of the towering trees all around us. The following morning, we set out for Cumberland Falls; the largest waterfall in Kentucky, known as the “Niagara of the South.” It truly is a spectacular sight especially for those who love nature but not necessarily the hikes required to get to many of the natural wonders of the world. This beautiful waterfall is situated beside the visitor center which meant we could use our Trachie’s transport chair along the paved surface instead of carrying her. Although we did get her out of the chair and headed down a few flights of stairs to see the falls from a different vantage point.
After many photo ops, we moved on to our next adventure to seek out another vast arch. We took the 1.5-mile trail in the Natural Arch Scenic Area to behold the impressive arch that spans about 100 feet. We were the only hikers on the trail that day, so we lingered at the base of the massive rock feature for quite a while. As beautiful as the arch was, we were delighted to descend further into the gorge and discover the backside of the arch was just as impressive with a natural amphitheater carved into the surrounding rock. This gem of the Daniel Boone Forest is definitely worth the visit. Don’t let its remote location keep you from exploring, afterwards you can reward your efforts with a stop at the Dairy Bar in Whitley City. This retro diner will surely be a memorable stop that you won’t regret.
Another memorable stop in Corbin, Kentucky is the Harland Sandars museum where you can order a bucket of KFC and learn about the interesting roots of this national food chain. We aren’t big “fast food” eaters, so it was the first time our girls experienced the “original recipe” fried chicken. And that was the final stop of our amazing summer vacation. (The rain kept us from a beach day at Laurel River Lake)
We covered about 1700 miles on our loop around the Smokies. If you find yourself wanting to follow in Travels with Our Trachie’s footsteps, I would be happy to share our itinerary. Just send me a message. Until our next adventure, happy trails, my friends.
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