Vanhook Falls is a waterfall on Vanhook Branch in Laurel County, Kentucky, in the Southwestern Appalachians region, with a total height of about 40 feet. It lies about 11.3 miles northwest of North Corbin and roughly 67.5 miles south of Lexington as the crow flies.
At 40 feet it is taller than the typical Kentucky waterfall of about 40 feet, ranking 13th of 25 with a recorded height. The water comes down as a plunge, where the water drops vertically and loses contact with the rock face.
The Southwestern Appalachians are the Cumberland Plateau and its escarpments, a sandstone tableland covered in oak and mixed mesophytic forest and cut by deep gorges. Creeks pour off the plateau rim over sandstone caprock into gorges, creating many tall, dramatic falls.
There are 4 recorded waterfalls in Laurel County. Pounder Falls, a 70-foot plunge waterfall, is under a mile away. Craig Creek Falls, is about 5 miles away. Dutch Branch Falls, a plunge waterfall, is about 5.7 miles away.
Vanhook Falls is located at 37.0245° N, 84.2808° W. The listing is based on the World Waterfall Database, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The exact position has not yet been verified on aerial imagery, so treat the map pin as approximate. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.