Lake Cumberland — Houseboats, Wolf Creek Dam & the Great Blue Lake of Southern Kentucky

Nearly three hours southeast of Louisville, Lake Cumberland unfurls across the hills of southern Kentucky in a maze of blue coves and forested shoreline — one of the largest reservoirs east of the Mississippi and the houseboat capital of the country. Day one settles into Lake Cumberland State Resort Park and the little town of Jamestown, easing into lake time. Day two is the centerpiece: a full day on the water by pontoon or houseboat, drifting the coves and cliffs, with a visit to the great earthen wall of Wolf Creek Dam that created the lake. Day three takes in the scenic overlooks along the lake's northern rim and the small town of Russell Springs before the long, pretty drive home. All three nights are spent lakeside at Lake Cumberland, at an unbroken, water-slowed pace.