Hiking to Dog Slaughter Falls: Cumberland Falls State Park

Kentucky is such an underrated state for waterfalls.  With several hundred waterfalls throughout the state, it’s incredible that this state gets skipped by waterfall chasers.  And one of those beautiful waterfalls is Dog Slaughter Falls in Cumberland Falls State Park.

Now, Cumberland Falls State Park is home to, you guessed it, Cumberland Falls.  This is arguably one of the best waterfalls in all of Kentucky.  And with an easily accessible platform to view the falls from, it’s no wonder that this is a very popular waterfall.  

But with just a short hike, or a longer hike if you start from the visitor center, you will come upon the picturesque waterfall known as Dog Slaughter Falls.  This waterfall is only 15 feet tall, but with the tranquil pool that this waterfall flows into, you will find this waterfall is absolutely worth the hike!  

Important Links 

Cumberland Falls State Park website

Cumberland Falls State Park Campground – Book Sites Here

Trail Map

Natural Bridge State Park – Another Awesome Kentucky State Park

Location

Dog Slaughter Falls is located deep in the woods of Cumberland Falls State Park in central Kentucky.  There are several trails that lead to the falls, some shorter than others, but we’ll get to that in a minute!  

Hiking to Dog Slaughter Falls is the perfect day trip for many people as the park is only 1.5 hours north of Knoxville, TN, 2 hours south of Lexington, KY, and about 3.5 hours northeast of Nashville, TN.  So if you are anywhere near those cities, you can take a day trip to do this hike.  Or you can stay in the campground, one of the cabins, or even the lodge if you want to take a weekend to hike multiple trails.  

Trails to Get to Dog Slaughter Falls

There are 2 main trails (the third option is closed) that will take you to Dog Slaughter Falls.  Essentially, there is a short trail and a long trail.  

-Dog Slaughter Falls Trail 

– 2.4 Miles Out and Back / Moderate / 223 feet of Elevation Gain

-Sheltowee Trace Trail from Visitor Center 

– 7.5 Miles Out and Back / Strenuous / 1200 feet of Elevation Gain 

-Extended Dog Slaughter Falls Trail (Closed as of 4/2024)

So for all you experienced hikers, the Sheltowee Trace Trail will lead you from the visitor center along the Cumberland River for several miles until you turn up the Dog Slaughter Falls trail.  Then you will hike back the way you came to head home.

For those who prefer a shorter hike, you will park above the falls, and hike down the Dog Slaughter Falls trail for a little over a mile.  Then you will hike up and back to your car.  Before we get into parking, here are 2 quick things to note about Dog Slaughter Falls.  

How the Falls Got Its (Almost) Disturbing Name

No one is entirely sure how Dog Slaughter Falls got its name.  One rumor is that hunting dogs were slain here in the 1700’s by a bear, wolf or even some say BigFoot.  The other unfortunate rumor about this name is that unwanted pets were once killed at the site of this creek.  

While nothing has ever been confirmed, you can choose to believe either tall tale about Dog Slaughter Falls.   

Word of Caution**

There is very little phone reception in the area.  I highly recommend downloading an offline map on Google Maps, or picking up a paper map from the visitor center.  The roads are windy and can be confusing, so don’t go in unprepared!

Parking 

With two trails that lead you to this beautiful waterfall, there will be two places to park.  

For the Longer Trail (Sheltowee Trace Trail to Dog Slaughter Falls) you will want to park right at the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park Visitor Center/Gift Shop.  There is a large parking lot here, however, this will fill up throughout the day.  So I suggest either getting there early, or going in the afternoon after many people have finished their hike/visit.  

For the Shorter Trail (Dog Slaughter Falls Trail) you will want to park here.  There is no parking lot at the trailhead, however, there is plenty of room to park along the road.  Again, this is a popular hiking trail, so you will want to go in the morning or in the afternoon to avoid too much crowding. 

So now that you know where to park and which trail you want to take, how much time should you alot for your hike?  

Time to Spend Here 

Depending on your trail of choice, you will want to give yourself the proper amount of time to complete your hike.  

If you choose to do the shorter trail, you will want to give yourself 2 hours or so to complete it.  While you might not think this short of a trail will take you this long, the way back to your car is pretty steep and might take longer than expected.  

If you choose the longer trail that starts at the visitor center, you will want to give yourself approximately 4 hours to complete this trail.  Yes, the out and back trail was only 7.5 miles long, but there are some steep sections that might slow you down.  

Remember, make sure you alot for time to sit and enjoy the falls and take as many pictures as you want.  This pool of water is also a great place to swim in if you are hiking in the warmer months, just watch out for snakes!

+Our Itinerary

My husband and I chose to hike the longer trail from the visitor center, along the river and to the falls.  Here are our time stamps so you have an idea of what you are getting yourself into!

• 3pm: Arrive at Visitor Center.  Use the bathroom, grab a trail map, look at Cumberland Falls from the upper viewing deck
• 3:45pm: Begin our hike from the parking lot
• 5:20pm: Arrive at Dog Slaughter Falls and take dozens of photos
• 5:50pm: Start hiking back to the Visitor Center
• 7:30pm: Arrive back at the Visitor Center and head back to our campsite

So while it didn’t take us 4 hours to complete this hike, you will want to give yourself approximately 4 hours should you choose to hike the longer trail.  

Camping 

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park has several ways for you to stay within the park.  You can tent camp or reserve a partial hook-up site in either the Clifty or Ridgeline Campgrounds.  There is also the DuPont Lodge, which has 51 rooms for you to book a stay at.  Or you can book one of their 25 cabins if you are looking for a woodsy getaway.  

If you aren’t able to secure a site or room here, there is also the Indian Mountain State Park campground. This Tennessee state park is only about 40 minutes south, right in Jellico, Tennessee.  This park has both full hook-up campsites and tent-only primitive sites to fit any budget.    

Our Hike

My husband and I hiked to Dog Slaughter Falls in October of 2024.  The trail was about 7.5 miles round trip and fairly well marked.  I was glad to have the downloaded map on AllTrails because a few of the tree markers were broken/missing.  

We started at the Visitor Center and as the concrete comes to an end, you’ll see a wooden sign that will tell you the distance of several different attractions on this trail, including Dog Slaughter Falls.

Once you start on this trail, you will continue hiking up and nearly parallel to the Cumberland River.  This hike is gorgeous!  You’ll walk along and under rock cliffs that stretch hundreds of feet above you. Then you’ll descend on a steep set of stairs to the river’s banks and continue to follow the river.

As the river curves, you’ll pass a couple other trails, but you will want to stay on the Sheltowee Trace Trail. This trail is marked with a white trail marker with a turtle on it. 

This trail has several up and down sections.  So while you aren’t climbing a mountain, there is a decent amount of elevation gained on this hike.  As you keep following the river, you’ll eventually come to a split. Here you’ll turn right and begin following Dog Slaughter Creek.

Within 0.2 miles, you will reach the beautiful Dog Slaughter Falls and be able to bask in the peacefulness of the waterfall.   

Once you’ve had your fill of photos and relaxing on the creek bank, you’ll begin going back the way you came.  

All in all, this hike took us about 4 hours and we gained about 1200 feet of elevation across 7.5 miles.  

Conclusion

Dog Slaughter Falls may have a gruesome name, but it’s truly a beautiful waterfall that is worth every second on the trail.  There are two trails you can take to get here, and you can’t go wrong with either trail.

Kentucky has hundreds of waterfalls that are perfect for hiking to, but Dog Slaughter Falls is a gorgeous waterfall to go chase!

As always, feel free to email me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions you might still have about this trail.

-Happy Hiking!