Dog Slaughter Falls - Hike and Swim near Williamsburg, Kentucky
Williamsburg,Kentucky
36.8582, -84.3112
11.5 miles NW of Williamsburg, Kentucky
GPS: 36°51'29.5"N 84°18'40.3"W
Maps | Directions
State: Kentucky
Trails/Routes: 0.7 mi

Rivers Waterfalls

Hike and Swim

Dog Slaughter Falls is a beautiful 15-foot waterfall in the Danial Boone National Forrest. Despite it's less than pleasant name this is the perfect place to play for a picturesque day. The waterfall falls over a beautiful overhang into a bright blue pool of water below. The rich colors of the rocks and plant life make this a stunning place to reconnect with nature. 

The hike to Dog Slaughter Falls starts on Forest Service Road 195, 2.7 miles from the KY 90 junction. After parking on the Forrest Service Road hikers should head toward Dog Slaughter Creek. The trail is recognizable by the footbridge crossing the creek, with the sign labeling the trail on the other side. After crossing the footbridge, the trail is about one mile to the waterfall, making the hike two miles out-and-back. 

The entire hike is shaded by the surrounding forest and hikers enjoy several views of the creek before reaching the falls. The trail has some rocks and roots, making it slightly more difficult than level paved trails, but still easy enough for most hikers.

Hikers who reach the falls can enjoy cooling off in the clear waters slightly downstream from the falls. Here there are sandy beaches to lie on and the water is shallow and slow moving. Swimmers should be cautious when selecting a swimming spot, watching to make sure the current is safe for swimmers. The water here is mountain water and is very cold year round.

 

4.2K Edited by tasiawhicker

Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.

Read More
  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
  2. Travel & camp on durable surfaces
  3. Dispose of waste properly
  4. Leave what you find
  5. Minimize campfire impacts
  6. Respect wildlife
  7. Be considerate of other visitors

Directions

From Williamsburg, Kentucky

  1. Head southeast on N 2nd St toward Main St (427 ft)
  2. Turn left at the 2nd cross street onto Cumberland Ave (0.2 mi)
  3. Turn left onto US-25W N (1.8 mi)
  4. Turn left to stay on US-25W N (8.3 mi)
  5. Turn left onto Devils Creek Rd (3.2 mi)
  6. Continue onto Daniel Boone Forest Rd 193 (1.1 mi)
  7. Turn left to stay on Daniel Boone Forest Rd 193 (1.2 mi)
  8. Continue straight onto Daniel Boone Forest Rd 88 (0.4 mi)
  9. Turn left (0.4 mi)
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Guest Review/Comments

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Dog Slaughter Falls, near Cumberland Falls State R by Kentucky State Parks
Dog Slaughter Falls, KY by John Wegner A beautiful waterfall with a horrifying name! Dog  by Backroads and Boondocks Adventures

Trails

Distance ?

0.7 miles

Elevation Gain ?

-29 feet

Real Ascent ?

142 feet

Real Descent ?

171 feet

Avg Grade (0°)

-1%

Grade (-15° to 10°)

-26% to 17%

Elevation differences are scaled for emphasis. While the numbers are accurate, the cut-away shown here is not to scale.

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