The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide - The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2023
Daniel Boone Country
2022-12-22 12:32:12
Heed the call of the wild on rugged adventures that climb into canyons and over rocky outcroppings in the Red River Gorge Geological Area and Daniel Boone National Forest.
See a majestic natural wonder at 60-foot Cumberland Falls in Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Corbin. Soak up more surroundings as you soar among treetops at Black Mountain Off Road Adventure Area/Black Mountain Thunder Zip Line in Evarts.
Laurel River Lake, an enclave of enchantment hidden away in London, seems the result of a magician’s wand – or perhaps it’s simply Mother Nature showing off. Craggy splendor is both backdrop and backbone, an adrenaline junkie’s happy place for hiking, climbing, mountain biking, camping, canoeing and wildlife viewing. Nearby Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park adds more fun, thanks to a treetop adventure area featuring 60 different elements.
Twin pioneering traditions of spunkiness and neighborliness inspired the creation of Mount Vernon’s Renfro Valley Entertainment Center – “Kentucky’s Country Music Capital” – and home to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Take a railcar into the Portal 31 Coal Mine in Lynch. Hike up the Chained Rock Trail in Pine Mountain State Resort Park. Your eyes don’t deceive you – a chain is holding that massive boulder hovering above town in place.
What did bison, Native Americans, longhunters and pioneers see as they crossed into a wilderness frontier? Follow their footsteps into colliding mountains and the past at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Middlesboro. Later, Confederate soldiers would enter Kentucky through the Gap, only to be sent back to Tennessee by determined Union forces. Their story is told at Camp Wildcat Civil War Battlefield.
REGIONAL ART HIGHLIGHTS
Feel the love? The murals and metal art of the Barbourville Square Arts District are all warm and fuzzy, hearts and flowers – plus a slice of pizza guaranteed to inspire the hungries.
Award-winning artist Lacy Hale, creator of the “No Hate in My Holler” arts campaign, has left her imprint all over Daniel Boone Country, with murals in Corbin, Hindman, Hazard and Harlan, including the beloved Possum and Pokeweed Mural in downtown Harlan.
Celebrating Williamsburg’s Appalachian heritage is Old-Fashioned Trading Days, held every September the weekend after Labor Day on the lawn of Courthouse Square. There are arts and crafts exhibitors, car shows, gospel singing, bluegrass and country music – and great food.
REGIONAL ITINERARY
DAY 1
1 Wildcat Off-Road Park, East Bernstadt
Neither novice nor experienced rider can resist this family-friendly off-road park with 100 miles of trails. Get your rugged on, then swap keys for paddles and take a kayak out for a float on Rockcastle River.
2 Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park, London
Early adventurers used the Wilderness Road to reach Kentucky from Virginia. Today’s daredevils take treetop treks with ziplines, sky-high rope bridges and suspended obstacles at this full-on family-fun destination with camping, swimming pool, mini golf and hiking, too.
3 Harland Sanders Café and Museum, Corbin
Bring your appetite for nostalgia to the place where the world’s most famous 11 secret herbs and spices blended their way into history. Sit beside a sculpture of the KFC king and snap a selfie. And if there’s a moonbow (a rare lunar rainbow) happening while you’re in town, make a beeline to Cumberland Falls!
DAY 2
4 Appalachian Artisan Center, Hindman
Have a playdate with the arts through revolving exhibitions, a dulcimer museum honoring famous luthiers, workshops on jewelry making and forging knives, and a store showing off the works of juried artists from Appalachia’s 52 counties – sculptures, quilts, handcrafted rocking chairs and more.
5 Mother Goose House, Hazard
From a life-size Colonel Sanders to a behemoth-sized goose perched atop a house shaped like a nest and with eyes made from headlights. Yep, just another roadside photo-op!
6 Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, Buckhorn
Paradise is calling: swimming pool, sandy beach, 1,200- acre lake, miniature golf, hiking, horseshoes, fishing, pontoon boats, museum, gift shop, picnicking and playgrounds. Exhausted? Fuel up on Kentucky ProudTM dishes at Bowlingtown Country Kitchen.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Barbourville/Knox County 606-545-9674 barbourvilletourism.com
Beattyville/Lee County 606-464-5038, visitleecountyky.com
Breathitt County 606-666-4159
Corbin 606-528-8860, corbinkytourism.com
Cumberland/Benham/Lynch 606-573-4156 harlancountytrails.com/explore/tri-cities
Evarts 606-837-0609, evartskentucky.com
Harlan 606-573-4156 harlancountytourism.com
Hazard/Perry County 606-487-1580, hazardperrytourism.com
Irvine/Estill County 606-723-2450, exploreestill.com
London/Laurel County 606-878-6900, visitlondonky.com
Middlesboro/Pineville/Bell County 606-248-2482, bellcountytourism.com
Mount Vernon/Rockcastle County 606-256-9814, rockcastletourism.com
Slade/Red River Gorge/ Powell County 606-663-1161, gopoco.org
Whitesburg/Letcher County 606-634-1814 discoverletcher.com
Whitley County 606-549-6000, whitleycountytourism.com
Williamsburg 606-549-0530, williamsburgky.com
Wolfe County 606-359-2353, visitwolfecounty.com
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