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LakeQuality

Updated July 2026

Vanhook Falls

Laurel County, Kentucky — about 40 ft, mid-height.

A roughly 40-foot waterfall in the Daniel Boone National Forest near London, reached by a section of the Sheltowee Trace Trail through Cane Creek Valley. The falls spill into a sandstone amphitheater.

Height
40 ft
Type
Plunge
Access
Moderate Hike
Trail
5.4 mi out-and-back
Elevation gain
Not documented
Best season
winter-spring
Land manager
U.S. Forest Service / Daniel Boone National Forest
Watercourse
Van Hook Branch

Before you go

Waterfalls are hazardous by nature — wet rock, cold water, and unstable edges — and flow varies enormously with season and recent rain. Trail figures here describe the route as documented, not conditions today. Check U.S. Forest Service / Daniel Boone National Forest for closures and current conditions, and confirm land status before setting out.

Graded lakes within 25 miles

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Frequently Asked Questions

Vanhook Falls drops about 40 feet. That makes it the 476th-tallest documented waterfall in this inventory, taller than roughly 31% of the falls listed here. Height comes from published land-manager and survey records, not from our own measurement.

The Sheltowee Trace Trail (Van Hook Falls section) reaches it about 5.4 miles (out-and-back), rated moderate. The nearest town is London. That describes the route as documented, not conditions on the day — check with U.S. Forest Service / Daniel Boone National Forest for closures and current conditions.

winter-spring. Waterfall flow swings enormously with snowmelt and recent rain, so a fall that roars in spring can be a trickle by late summer.

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Sources

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