Tioga Falls is a 90-foot series of three plunges on Tioga Creek in Hardin County, Kentucky, on Fort Knox military land about a mile south of West Point. The falls sit just below Tioga Spring at the end of a rough, steep two-mile round-trip trail, which is currently closed after storm damage.
The falls
Lidar measurements identify three distinct tiered plunges totaling about 90 feet, with the largest drop measuring about 45 feet. Older surveys and historical references cited 130 feet. Tioga Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River.
Getting there
The hiking trail is closed due to storm damage, with no reopening date set. When open, access starts from a parking area on the Louisville Nashville Turnpike off Highway 31W, about 1 mile south of West Point or 8 miles north of the Fort Knox Main Gate. The trail runs 1 mile each way; the route crosses a footbridge near the trailhead, runs beside the railroad and climbs the hollow to the falls. The trail is rough and steep. Access is free and limited to daylight hours, and the corridor can also close for military training and during some hunting seasons, with signs posted at those times.
When to go
Seasonal flow patterns are not formally documented. Closures for storm repairs, military training and hunting occur periodically, so check current status before visiting.
On site
The site is federal property, and violations can be prosecuted under the U.S. Code. Numerous injuries have occurred from hikers leaving the trail and climbing on the falls, resulting in repeated rescues; stay on the marked path and off the falls. Trains use the nearby tracks often and without a set schedule, making walking on them prohibited. Children under 16 must be accompanied by someone 21 or older. Camping, fires, alcohol, firearms and glass containers are banned, and bikes and horses must stay at the parking lot.
Nearby
The Big Falls is about 5 miles away and Buttermilk Falls about 9.9 miles. The Falls of the Ohio is about 24.3 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.