The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The 688-mile-long river drains almost 18,000 square miles of southern Kentucky and north-central Tennessee. The river flows generally west from a source in the Appalachian Mountains to its confluence with the Ohio River near Paducah, Kentucky, and the mouth of the Tennessee River.
Important first as a passage for hunters and settlers, the Cumberland River also supported later riverboat trade, which traveled to the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Villages, towns, and cities were located at landing points along its banks. Through the middle of the 19th century, settlers depended on rivers as the primary transportation routes for trading and travel.
As with my many other photo projects following rivers, lakes and other waterways around the US, I’m most interested in the landscapes, culture, commerce, recreation, architecture and life in the mostly small towns as close to the water as possible. This can be seen in the geotracks below mirroring the actual course of the river.


Long Hollow KY

Sardis KY

Sardis KY

Fishing Creek Recreation Area, KY

Fishing Creek Recreation Area, KY

Jamestown KY

Bakerton KY

Freedom KY

Freedom KY

Cookeville TN


Burkesville KY

Burkesville KY

Burkesville KY

Burkesville KY

Carthage TN

Carthage TN

Carthage TN

Defeated TN

Hartsville TN

Hendersonville TN

Hendersonville TN

Hendersonville TN

Nashville

Nashville

Nashville

Nashville

Cheatham Dam TN

Clarksville TN

Clarksville TN

Clarksville TN

Clarksville TN

Clarksville TN

Clarksville TN

Palmyra TN

Palmyra TN

Indian Mound TN

Cumberland City TN

Cumberland City TN

Canton KY

Kentucky Dam Village

Smithland KY

Tilne KY

Kentucky Dam Village

Kentucky Dam Village

Kentucky Dam Village

Cadiz KY

Indian Mound TN

Clarksville TN

Clarksville TN

Clarksville TN

Ashland City TN

Nashville

Nashville

Mt Juliet TN

Galatin TN

Galatin TN

Madison TN

Lebanon TN

Lebanon TN

Lebanon TN

Hartsville TN

Hartsville TN

Dixon Springs TN

Dixon Springs TN

Dixon Springs TN

Carthage TN

Granville TN

Granville TN

Celina TN

Celina TN

Byrdstown TN

Steubenville KY

Touristville KY

Touristville KY

Touristville KY

Touristville KY

Bronston KY

Bronston KY

Burnside KY

Somerset KY

Keavy KY

Cumberland Falls KY

Cumberland Falls KY

Barbourville KY

Barbourville KY

Flat Lick KY

Coldiron KY

Coldiron KY

Harlan KY
