riverboat cruise corbin ky

Cumberland River

Your guide to the river

Cumberland River Cruises

A great relaxing way to view the river is to go on a boat cruise. There are a few different tour operators offering a variety of experiences with departure points in both Tennessee and Kentucky.

General Jackson Showboat

Leaving from Nashville, this is an old-style paddle boat that you think of when you picture rivers in the deep south. Most paddle boats these days are floating casinos, but the General Jackson is one of the few non-gaming paddle boats in the world. Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturday they have two shows, one midday and one in the evening, and the rest of the week they just do an evening cruise, except for Sundays when they do a Brunch Jubilee. Sometimes there can be changes in the schedule due to private events or holidays, so please check their calendar before going. You are treated to a meal (please note that alcoholic beverages are not included in the ticket price) and a live country music show, on the Sunday brunch cruise the show changes to gospel music. The cruises are 3 hours long and the show starts after the meal has been served. There is also plenty of deck space and a bar up top for you to enjoy the river scenery. It gets mixed reviews on Trip Advisor , most people agree that the show is excellent and the food is just okay, so if you are not really interested in country music and are just looking to go out for dinner there are plenty of restaurants in downtown Nashville that would probably suit you better.

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This pontoon boat tour is based out of Lebanon, TN which is less than an hour from Nashville by car. You’ll be touring the Cumberland River and Old Hickory Lake with your guide Captain Jesse who has quite the sense of humour and a great knowledge of the area. You can choose to focus on the nature and history of the area during your cruise, or he can show you the homes of celebrities who call or called the area home. Captain Jesse’s prices are quite reasonable, no meals are included but water and soft drinks will be available. There is also a bathroom on board the boat. As Captain Jesse says, travel by boat is much safer than going by cars, which always sink when you take them out on the water! The tour is described as relaxing and fun and is very well reviewed .

Blue Heron Cruises

Similar to the above Cumberland River Cruise, this tour leaves from Ashland, TN approximately 30 minutes from downtown Nashville. Also a pontoon boat (equipped with restroom) you can enjoy an informative 3 hour tour of the river. You are welcome to bring a cooler of your own food and drink provided that it can fit under the seats (aisles must be kept clear for safety), and bottled water is provided free of charge. It’s a great activity for people of all ages and a really fun way to enjoy a day on the river with your family or travelling group!

Cumberland Star Riverboat Cruises

This tour leaves from near Corbin, Kentucky, in the Daniel Boone National Forest, meeting up at the Laurel Boat Ramp which is located where the Laurel River meets the Cumberland River. They offer lunch cruises which serve a buffet style lunch, you can sit up top on the sun deck or in the shaded area down below. The cruise heads uprive, and picks up rafters from one of the tour grops other excursions. There is no charge for children 5 and under, and there is 10% discount for adults aged 65 and up on weekdays. The boat is also available for breakfast, lunch and dinner chartered cruises.

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riverboat cruise on the Laurel River - Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort - Day Tours

• United States    
• Kentucky (KY)    
• Corbin    
• Corbin - Places to Visit    
• Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort - Day Tours

The process was easy, bus driver was informative and the river was beautiful! We'll be back for the... read more

Really nice place and peaceful. If you looking for a place to feel comfortable and relaxed and... read more

riverboat cruise on the Laurel River

My husband and I, granddaughter and family took this "cruise" recently. It was very relaxing. We picked up the rafters and then had a very good lunch (make-it-yourself sub sandwiches with all the fixings), potato salad, etc. Kayla, our hostess, was so nice. She answered questions our great grandchildren had (ages 9 and 8), was very efficient in setting up lunch and cleaning up afterward. It was a nice 3 hours spent on a beautiful day.

This trip was wonderful and is one our family will cherish! The location is GORGEOUS & the duration and pace of the trip allows you time to "take it all in"! It is a great level for beginners and "more tenured" members in the family. Our guide, Amy, was FABULOUS! She is very experienced, skilled, knowledgeable and entertaining. "Papa Smurf" has done this a time or two (thousand) and he and his Crew provide an experience on the Cumberland that we would HIGHLY recommend. I encourage you to bring a waterproof camera, as they do not provide an "action/group photo". We are looking forward to booking other trips with this outfitter on some higher class rivers in the future.

We had a great time on this trip. We had 4 children with us, ages 8 to 17. While the class II and III rapids may have seemed a little mild for the older kids, the younger kids were enthralled and excited. Amy was our guide, and did a fabulous job. She got to know all of us, which made the experience even more fun. During one of the swimming stops, she taught the kids how to balance on the raft while spinning in circles. Even she stepped up on the raft to try to balance, and was in great spirits when the kids pushed her into the water. She came up with a nickname for our group - the Butter Lumps - and that became our battle cry while trying to out-paddle the other rafts. Amy even took time to sign my 8 year old's arm cast after the ride. The second half of the day is spent on a two-level boat, eating lunch, looking at the scenery and relaxing in the sunshine. While it may seem at first that this is a down-side of the trip, we quickly realized that our muscles were quite sore after paddling, and the rest on the boat was greatly appreciated. Papa Smurf kept us laughing hysterically with his dry humor. We would definitely recommend this adventure, and would go again in a heartbeat. We hope to try to higher level of rapids the next time.

I had never done rafting before, and this was a great experience. What made this experience even better was our raft guide Red! He was fanastic. First and foremost he kept us all safe. Red also made sure we had a lot of fun on the river. I could not have imagined the experience being better without Red. He is truly exceptional!

The staff was pleasant and the experience was fun. We were hoping for a longer ride, but all in all the river was very beautiful. Thanks for a nice addition to our vacation.

My husband and I went on this trip a week ago. This was my 3rd time white water rafting and his 5th but the 1st time on this trip for both of us. This trip was adventurous and fun without being scary. Our guide (Zac) was super friendly and very safety conscious. He kept us entertained with stories about the river and lots of really bad jokes. I liked that he described each rapid well before we got to it, explained the path we would take and told us what to watch out for. All of the guides and the staff were friendly and helpful. I like that Smurf personally checks every single person's pfd to make sure it is fitted properly. The staff made sure everyone was safe and following the rules without being bossy about it. I would definitely recommend this trip. It's a great day adventure for the whole family.

Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort

Review Highlights

“ Once in the water you start your trip by paddling as close as you can to the bottoms of Cumberland Falls which is a 60 foot water fall. ” in 2 reviews

“ They also offer zip lining , canoe trips, white water rafting, and tons more available on this property with transport. ” in 2 reviews

“ . (FYI: We saw a family lose their cell phone during one of the swimmin g times and after they had taken several pics) ” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

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2001 Hwy 90

Corbin, KY 40701

Amenities and More

About the business.

Business owner information

Business Owner

Guided whitewater rafting on the Big South Fork, Cumberland and Russell Fork rivers; canoeing and kayaking river trips that range from half-day to multiple day trips; an outdoor climbing wall; wagon rides; geocaching adventures; on-site snack bar and retail store; and lodging that will range from seasonal primitive tent-sites through full-service RV sites to our year-round resort style cabin with the completion of our new campground this summer. …

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Overall rating

We spent several days here midsummer, in a Couples Cabin. It was fairly new, semi-secluded and well-appointed. It didn't have a fireplace, but there was a grill and a bonfire area right off the front porch. The staff were pleasant and helpful and the "general store" had just about anything you forgot to pack or ran out of. On the downside, like many places, they seemed understaffed. The restaurant had reduced hours and the breakfast we tried was inedible. Cabin cleaning was just OK. The top of the frig was dirty, the glass top stove had never met Cerama Bryte, and broom sweeping revealed lots of little dog hairs. At $169-$189 a night, we expected better. These items are an easy fix. Yes, we'd consider a return visit.

Funny, I am another Beth H, here to post a review for Sheltowee Trace. We pulled in for a 4-night stay on a Thursday and enjoyed spacious full hookups in a pull through site. Our friends invited us on this excursion to Cumberland Falls for a weekend of outdoor adventure, and we couldn't have picked a better campground. Great location to the trailheads, close enough to services but far enough away to feel like you are really getting away. We kayaked, hiked, swam, camped, ziplined and relaxed - all in one weekend. Our friends stayed in three cabins on the other side of the park. It wasn't too far away but wasn't close either. Preferred bikes if going between but when the trek was for coffee, on foot was just fine too. They have shower houses, laundry facilities and many different options to make your stay comfortable. I didn't book any excursions, we navigated the area one our own, and we weren't missing out on anything. Great experience. Highly recommend Sheltowee Trace.

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This is a scam do NOT book with them. Tried to go on a Cumberland River Boat Cruise. Directions given were in accurate, no address was given to use GPS. Google Link given inaccurate Directions. Called several times and even talked to the manager asking for help none was given. River Boat was Gone When we Finally Found the Boat Ramp. Drove to the Office to request a voucher or refund. Would NOT give either one. People were not helpful at all DO NOT waste your money. We lost $120 to them due to the businesses own fault. They did NOT offer options for people with disabilities, We even asked for a 1/2 of a refund and they would NOT even do that as they said we made lunch for you. How much can a sandwich and chips cost. If they were kind people and did what Jesus would do they would have gladly refunded even 1/2 of the money paid Do NOT support a company that doesn't support people with disabilities nor are they Christian at all. What happened to having manners. If they would refund our money we would delete this entire post.

My Friend and I did the Whitewater Rafting, Cumberland Below the Falls on 08/26/2023 and our trip was amazing. Our guide was Amy and she was the bomb as she made us feel comfortable and totally safe at the same time. After the river trip, my friend and I were shopping at the gift shop and a nice man from the trip was helping a women who had car problems when her dog actually bit him really bad. The owner, Dania quickly tended to the man and his injury. The women was very distraught and the whole Sheltowee Trace staff helped this woman and her son get the dog in a kennel (on the property) and food and water for them. The women was very emotional and clearly needed help and Dania graciously helped her out and made sure to reach out to additional resources. Also, because we stayed to help out if necessary, Dania called me that night to give me an update on the mother, her son and the dog. Dania is truly a saint. We will most definitely be back to visit Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort. The only thing I could see improvement was the timing of lunch. We didn't eat until after 2:00pm and they served the riverboat guests before us even though we had just been on the river working for hours. However, having said that, the lunch was amazing. Thank you, Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort for an unforgettable day. Rae W.

I loved this secluded location. So much to do between zip lining, horseback riding and water sports. Only 5 miles away from the state park and the waterfalls. Take a hike from the lodge in the park to see them. About 1 1/2 down and up. The only restaurant around is in that lodge. I would come back here again in a heartbeat.

The rafting was great. Stephen our boat guide was awesome. The booking staff were friendly. Their equipment was old and needs replacing. The wetsuits, helmets and life jackets were disgustingly dirty, and worn. The tour started 1.5 hours late because the bus broke down.

Best tour ever with the best tour guy my son was super afraid of it and Rj made it super comfortable for him and allowed us to have a great time making us feel super comfortable Rj is the best I highly recommend asking for him sadly he only works weekends but he was the best tour guy I highly recommend Rj kept in touch with everything even with my diabetic type one self he constantly remind me to eat snacks and he would ask me if I was feeling OK

So my wife and I were passing through the area and stopped in here because the local state parks were booked solid and we just needed a site for the night and this place happened to have one left. The people were super friendly and we were so happy they were able to get us in. My wife and I typically do not do RV Parks because one we like more privacy, and two we are not traveling in an RV. And the problem with not being in an RV is that the sites are so small that they rely on the RVs to create the privacy between sites. Well my wife and I were in our Teardrop Camper which means we had no buffer between us and the people next to us. Luckily they were super friendly and even brought us some blueberry cobbler they made in a dutch oven, AMAZING! Bottom line is when I am camping I want to be in the woods, and this place is surrounded by woods but there are very few in the camping area. I will say, they had a great shower facility!

This place was just...ok. A group of friends and I planned to come down here for the white water rafting. After booking the reservation, someone from the resort contacted me to notify me that they could not do white water rafting trips without six people. (We had only 4). Cool, no worries. We were planning on going to the Kentucky Derby, and we're set on that weekend, so she offered a "ten hour kayak trip" down the river instead. Now, we're kind of...city slickers, so I asked what the trio included. She informed me we'd be provided with kayaks and a guide. I am certain she mentioned the guide, because we specifically asked. We did not stay on the actual resort campus. We instead decided to stay offsite at a hotel and head there the morning of. We got up early the next morning and headed to the meeting spot. There were two men with our kayaks, who had us sign waivers and then loaded us into a bus and we headed out. When we arrived at the next location, they gave us some basic instruction on how to paddle and use the life jackets. They then stated "have a safe trip!" There was no guide. It ended up being ok, and a scenic route, but it was a bit disconcerting to have four women in a remote canyon, especially when it was not advertised. Additionally, we made the trip in four hours and not the advertised ten, and believe me, we weren't paddling fast and there was barely a current.

Great trip! Staff could not have been more careful when it came to social distancing. Cody was our guide....fun guy! Lunch and boat ride back was really well planned. Everyone worked well together to make sure we had a great time on both boats. Definitely a must do trip!

1 other review that is not currently recommended

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RiverBoat Cruise - Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort - Day Tours

• United States    
• Kentucky (KY)    
• Corbin    
• Corbin - Attractions    
• Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort - Day Tours

The process was easy, bus driver was informative and the river was beautiful! We'll be back for the... read more

Really nice place and peaceful. If you looking for a place to feel comfortable and relaxed and... read more

RiverBoat Cruise

The ride on the Riverboat was an experience much enjoyed by our Deaf mission team, particularly those who live with mobility limitations, as this cruise was an outdoor offering that allowed access to the river and to nature.

We're so glad your group enjoyed the Cumberland Star Riverboat trip and hope that you'll consider us for future excursions.

I had been rafting before in high school, but this was my wife's first trip. Overall, it was a great trip down the Cumberland River. From the introduction at the Sheltowee Resort to the return trip, everything was top notch and very well organized. The river doesn't contain the most intense rapids, but for my wife it was a fun introduction to rafting on a river. The guide was professional and easy going and overall it was just a fun relaxing trip.

We're glad you had a good experience on our Cumberland Below the Falls Raft Trip. We hope your wife had a good time and that we helped spark her interest for further whitewater rafting adventures. Hopefully we'll see you again in the future!

Myself and 3 friends spent the day/night on the Blue Heron, and had a great experience. With the water being so low there was a lot of paddling involved, but regardless, we enjoyed it thoroughly. We ran a few minutes late arriving to the pick up location, but our driver BJ was very patient and kept great conversation with us while we waited for the others. I still have two kayaks paid for this season, and will be returning for sure. The only suggestion I have is to offer kayaks with more luiggage space on the front or back for overnight trips. Hindsight, I would have rented the entire group XL kayaks for the space. The Sheltowee team was great answering questions and very responsive.

Thanks for choosing our company and allowing us to be part of your overnight paddling trip. We will definitely keep your suggestion in mind when we book future customers so that we can recommend boats that are sufficient for their needs. We can't wait to see you again!

Nice mix of rapids and float time to swim or relax. Even with the heat we stayed cool and comfortable all day. Our guide, Steve-O was understanding of the concerns of two in our boat (one who had never been on a river before, another who had broken her leg months ago and wanted to make sure she made it down in one piece). He pushed us at times but didn't go crazy. Was nice to be met by the RiverBoat, have a nice breeze going down the river and enjoying lunch along the way, even provided gluten free bread for my wife. Everyone in the company was so friendly and understanding, just a great day on the river!

We're glad you had a great day on the Cumberland River and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review of the Cumberland Below the Falls Raft Trip. We hope you'll come visit us again soon!

Fun stuff! This is a trip for the adventurous for sure! The river is beautiful, and the rapids are fun. Careful on that last one...it’s a doozy! 😆

We're delighted that you chose our Bear Creek Duckie Trip as your summer adventure. Thank you for taking the time to let us know how much you enjoyed it and we're so glad you had such a good time. We hope to see you again next summer!

This whitewater trip was perfect for our entire group. We brought along a lot of first-timers, who had a blast! Highly recommend Sheltowee for families and beginning rafters, but there is plenty for the experienced paddler to enjoy too!

Thank you for participating in our Cumberland Below the Falls Raft Trip. It's always a pleasure to get to share our river with our wonderful customers. We're glad you had an amazing time and hope to see your group back for future trips!

The Boat Tour That Gets You Impossibly Close To Kentucky's Largest Waterfall

Andrea Limke

A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.

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Most residents of Kentucky can (hopefully) name the best natural features of our state, and one that should top the list is Cumberland Falls. Known as the “Niagara of the South,” it is Kentucky’s largest waterfall and a popular place for photos, hiking, and just standing in awe of our state’s beauty. But there are other ways to experience the falls and perhaps the easiest option is with Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort. They offer a few rafting trips that get you impossibly close to Kentucky’s largest waterfall and show you Cumberland Falls like you’ll never experience from the trails.

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Have you taken this ride to the base of the falls? Is it on your bucket list? Let us know in the comments!

For more information on all the activities offered by Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort, visit their website here .

Address: 7351 Hwy 90, Corbin, KY 40701

And for another unique way to view the falls, this time at night and perhaps get a glimpse of the Moonbow, check out our previous article here . Also, don’t forget to hike around the area to the best views and try this trail, featured here .

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort

• Star Falls Resort Cabin
• Couples Cabins
• Cozy Cabins
• Super Cozy Cabins
• Covered Wagons
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• Back-in RV Sites
• Water and Electric Tent Camping
• Backwoods Tent Camping
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• Spring - Big South Fork
• Summer and Fall- Cumberland Below the Falls
• Unguided Duckie Trips
• Half-day trips
• All-day trips
• Multiple Day trips
• Rainbow Mist Ride to Cumberland Falls
• SUP Rainbow Mist
• River Shuttles
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Cumberland Valley Cruise-In

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Cumberland valley cruise-in 2022 dates.

SATURDAY JULY 9TH 2022 10AM-2PM

DEPOT STREET IN DOWNTOWN CORBIN

THURSDAY AUGUST 4TH 2022 6PM

AT THE CORBIN ARENA

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH 2022 10AM-2PM

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