Cumberland Fall Run -- Help an out of towner
 

I've been to Cumberland twice, both times Somerset area and got led in on some bad roads. I'm coming to fall Cumberland and staying at State Dock on a houseboat. Is it best to trailer down to Jamestown end, or put in somewhere near Somerset and boat down? Is there a better route to take coming from VA? When I go to Somerset it takes me to Knoxville and then we head north. When I look at routes to Jamestown it looks like it wants us to run through WV. Open to any suggestions. Boat is overwidth so I don't wanna end up on any screwed up donkey paths.

Depends on where you are starting from in Virginia but it is generally very similar in distance to take 64 to Lexington KY then 75 South to Mt Vernon exit, 641 to Somerset, Cumberland Parkway to Russell Springs Exit. Easier drive and pull this way.
My Son lives in Richmond,VA and we travel both routes often, this is your best way.

It would be easier to use the boat ramp at wolf creek dam instead of the ramp at the State Dock. The ramp at the dam is just a couple miles past the entrance to the Park. The entrance to the park is narrow and windy but very beautiful. People do launch big cats there but most prefer the Dam ramp which is wide open with a lot of easy parking. Welcome!

I used Jamestown this spring and it was terrible. Road was so twisty and steep I was skidding down it. Caught a big orange sign cause I couldn’t swing long enough. And the ramp was so steep I my air break on my sport chassis’s wasn’t enough I had to use a wheel chalk. Never again at that ramp. Trying to figure out which ramp I’ll use for fall.

315duramax This ramp on the North side of the Dam is very nice and wide not steep. It os as close to the action as anywhere. It is accessed off of 127 and I think is called Halcombs Landing.
Most people with large rigs launch at the Dam then park their rigs in one of the Lake Cumberland State Parks lots. It is safe there. Park Rangers keep a pretty good eye on things.

X2 on what SkiDoc said ... the ramp at the state park is pretty nice ... it's wide, not too steep and there's decent parking. Though there's just a small floating dock there to tie off while parking.
That said the road from the state park entrance to the ramp is a bit narrow in the curves so you'll be sharing the road in a few spots.
Have never used the ramp at Dam but it sounds like it may be the least white-knuckle option.
Corey

I used State Park last time and Ive never been at a steeper launch.
It wasn`t sure the strap was going to hold, 4W low and white knuckles all the way . I didn`t like it , Wife doesnt wanna go back for that reason, can`t say I blame her.
I was hoping there would be other launches not so steep but it doesnt seem like it .

The Dam launch is not steep. It’s where the offshore powerboat races were held years ago. Plenty of room for the pits launching and spectators. It’s just a couple miles from the entrance of the park.

The actual ramp at the State Park is one of the least steep ramps on the lake. I launched the DCB on a much steeper ramp all the time. It does freak out the flat landers. Look at all the 100+ foot houseboats on the lake. They get in and out.

Dan,

So steep you can pull a boat out without even hooking the strap. :ernaehrung004:

I typically put in on Burnside Island, but I've put in at Conley, Alligator and State Park. By far, the worst was Alligator, but that was mostly the logistics. Burnside ramp is corrugated and, if memory serves, so is State Park. You can pull a boat out with slicks. Conley... Not so much. Smooth concrete that transitions to (usually) wet asphalt way too soon, but we still pull out without any issue. Granted, I'm only pulling 7K lbs, but I'm also only using a half-ton, so.... If someone is having problems pulling a boat out on any of the major ramps on Cumberland, it ain't the ramps. I don't think you'll have a problem at all. I saw a PQ280 being pulled out at Burnside by a TrailBlazer. You'll be fine.

Thanks. Brad.

State Park is the one with the little boat that takes you from the floating dock to the slips right?