Things to Do in Corbin, Kentucky
The best things to do in Corbin, Kentucky, are eating at the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum, where Kentucky Fried Chicken began, seeing Cumberland Falls and getting out on Laurel River Lake. Corbin is a city of 7,856 people on I-75, spread across Whitley, Knox and Laurel counties.
It was a Louisville and Nashville Railroad town, incorporated in 1905 and named for a local minister, Rev. James Corbin Floyd. Harland Sanders started feeding travelers from his service station in North Corbin around 1930, and the business he built became KFC.
Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum
Sanders served his first meals at his own dining table in a service station, then built a 142-seat cafe in 1937. After a 1939 fire, he opened a new restaurant and motel here on July 4, 1940. He worked out his secret recipe in its kitchen during the 1940s. You can see his office, the original kitchen and a restored model motel room, then order lunch from the working KFC next door.
★ Good to know It’s open daily, and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places, so it’s more than a novelty stop.
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
About 20 miles southwest of town, the Cumberland River drops about 68 feet over a 125-foot-wide ledge. It’s often called the second-largest waterfall east of the Rockies. The park opened in 1931 on land the du Pont family donated. It has about 20 miles of trails, the DuPont Lodge and whitewater rafting on the Cumberland River.
★ Good to know Swimming near the falls is not allowed because of the dangerous currents.
The Cumberland Falls moonbow
On clear nights around a full moon, the spray at Cumberland Falls can throw a moonbow, a rainbow made by moonlight. It’s the only place in the Western Hemisphere where moonbows show up with regularity. The steep gorge and wide valley are what make it work.
★ Good to know Check the park’s site and the forecast before you go, since clouds cancel the show.
Eagle Falls
Cumberland Falls has a smaller neighbor in the same park. Eagle Falls drops 44 feet and is reached on foot.
★ Good to know Save it for a day when the main overlooks are crowded.
Laurel River Lake
This Daniel Boone National Forest reservoir, west of Corbin, has about 5,600 acres of clear, deep water. Its nearly 200 miles of shoreline include cliffs and quiet coves. The dam was built between 1964 and 1974, and the Forest Service and Army Corps of Engineers share the lake. It’s a boating and fishing lake.
★ Good to know The Forest Service posts water-level alerts for the lake, so check conditions before you haul a boat.
Sheltowee Trace
This 343-mile trail runs through the Daniel Boone National Forest from Tennessee’s Big South Fork to northern Rowan County. It passes through Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and along Laurel River Lake, so you can hike sections of it close to Corbin.
★ Good to know The stretch in Cumberland Falls park makes an easy sample for a day hike.
Did KFC really start in Corbin, Kentucky?
Yes. Harland Sanders began serving meals at his North Corbin service station around 1930 and developed his recipe at this cafe in the 1940s. He sold the cafe in 1956 and turned to franchising.
How far is Cumberland Falls from Corbin?
About 20 miles southwest of town. The falls sit in Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, on the McCreary and Whitley county line.
When can you see the moonbow at Cumberland Falls?
On clear nights around the full moon. Check the state park’s site before you plan a trip around it.
What other Kentucky mountain towns are worth a trip?
Berea, north on I-75, is known for its crafts, and Pikeville is farther east. See Berea, Pikeville and our small towns in Kentucky.
Where to find them
- Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum 688 U.S. 25W, North Corbin, KY Website Directions
- Cumberland Falls State Resort Park southwest of Corbin, KY Website Directions
- Laurel River Lake west of Corbin, KY Directions
Plan your trip: for events and current visitor info in Corbin, see the official visitor site →
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Where to stay in Corbin
Keep exploring
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