Waterfall Hikes in Kentucky

Waterfall Hikes in Kentucky at a Glance

This page lists 4 waterfall hikes in Kentucky from the Summit Seeker trail database. Summit elevations run from 630 ft (Tioga Falls) to 1,000 ft (Vanhook Falls).

4 of the 4 routes have a distance we can quote from a published source. The shortest is Yahoo Falls at 1.1 mi; the longest is Vanhook Falls at 5 mi. Together the quoted routes add up to 11.1 miles of hiking. By their own ratings they break down as 1 easy.

3 of the 4 guides name a specific trailhead or parking area; the others give the summit location and route line only.

Figures are as recorded in each trail's own data and are planning estimates (≈ marks a figure estimated from the mapped track); confirm conditions and route length with the land manager before you go.

Every waterfall hike in Kentucky, with route facts

Trail	Summit	Route	Distance	Gain	Time	Difficulty	Trailhead
Vanhook Falls	1,000 ft	Sheltowee Trace	5 mi round trip	—	—	—	Parking lot at the junction of KY 192 and KY 1193
Yahoo Falls	940 ft	Yahoo Falls Loop	1.1 mi loop	176 ft	—	Easy	Yahoo Falls Scenic Area parking lot
Lick Falls	790 ft	Lick Falls Overlook Trail	3 mi loop	—	—	—	—
Tioga Falls	630 ft	Tioga Falls Historical Nature Trail	2 mi round trip	—	—	—	Tioga Falls trailhead near 2112 Railroad Trestle Road, West Point

Route notes

Vanhook Falls — 5 mi round trip via the Sheltowee Trace from Parking lot at the junction of KY 192 and KY 1193.
Yahoo Falls — a 1.1-mile loop via the Yahoo Falls Loop from Yahoo Falls Scenic Area parking lot, 176 ft of elevation gain, rated Easy.
Lick Falls — a 3-mile loop via the Lick Falls Overlook Trail.
Tioga Falls — 2 mi round trip via the Tioga Falls Historical Nature Trail from Tioga Falls trailhead near 2112 Railroad Trestle Road, West Point.

790 ft