The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide - The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2026

Kentucky Appalachians

2026-05-04 07:26:05

Photo: Carter Caves State Resort Park, Olive HIll

A hallowed highway linking Kentucky’s musical greats, from Chris Stapleton to Loretta Lynn to Tom T. Hall. A designated Trail Town in Pikeville — most famous as the site of those feuding Hatfields and McCoys. An outdoor adventurer’s playground with seven state parks, including the home of the Grand Canyon of the South, plus the deep slopes and rolling valleys of the Appalachian Mountains as its backyard.

The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center, Ashland

Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, Prestonsburg

Aurora Borealis Bear (by artist Michelle Weston), Pikeville

BEST-KEPT LOCAL SECRETS

SILVER RUN RANCH ALPACAS, Catlettsburg

Tour Silver Run Ranch Alpacas, where shearing, spinning, dyeing, weaving — everything — is done by hand to produce serapes, scarves, ponchos, pashminas and showstopper Colonial Wedding Blankets woven in the old Appalachian tradition, from silky-soft alpaca fiber.

ELLIOTT COUNTY KAYAKING, Elliott County

Launch points near Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center take kayakers through gently flowing waters on the Little Sandy River and into Grayson Lake, scenic with rocky outcrops and cliffs and, at the latter, hidden coves and Grotto Falls. Excellent fishing, too.

MT. STERLING COURT DAYS, Mt. Sterling

Begun in the late 1700s, this is Kentucky's oldest outdoor festival. Enjoy arts and crafts, food and entertainment as you shop for antiques, one-of-a-kind goods and more.

BENNETT’S MILL COVERED BRIDGE, South Shore

Take a country drive over Bennett’s Mill Covered Bridge. Built in 1855, the wooden bridge is the oldest and longest single-span covered bridge in the world still open to traffic.

SHELTOWEE TRACE NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL, Morehead

Shop while hiking the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail right in downtown Morehead. That’s right: The trail named after Daniel Boone runs along Main Street before heading down the length of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

SAVAGE FARMS, Louisa

Love sweet fruit wines? Savage Farms, located at the end of a leisurely country drive, crafts apple, blueberry, raspberry, peach and more delicious fruit wines. Come for a tour and tasting, to browse the country store or for an event featuring local crafts and food vendors.

Photo: Loretta Lynn's Homeplace, Van Lear

GATEWAY REGIONAL ARTS CENTER, Mt. Sterling

More than just an arts center, this regional arts hub presents an array of creative and cultural programming: exhibits featuring internationally renowned artists, Broadway-caliber live performances and arts opportunities in dance, music, theater, visual arts, foodways, literary arts and digital arts.

THE EAST KENTUCKY SCIENCE CENTER AND VARIA PLANETARIUM, Prestonsburg

Get immersed in a starry, starry sky via a 40-foot dome with state-of-the-art projectors at this planetarium located on Big Sandy Community and Technical College’s campus. Guests will discover exhibit halls with hands-on activities and laser-light music shows, too.

HILLBILLY TRAILS, Pike County

Calling all adrenaline junkies: Bring your ATVs, UTVs, Jeeps, dirt bikes and bicycles to the Hillbilly Trails for rugged rides ranging from easy to extreme and offering sweeping views of the Pine and Appalachian Mountains.

YATESVILLE LAKE STATE PARK, Louisa

There’s a whole lot to write home about at Yatesville Lake State Park: scenic boat-in and hike-in lakeside camping; boat rentals; an accessible fishing jetty and lagoon at Yatesville Marina; an 18-hole golf course with mountain views; hiking, including an accessible nature trail; birding; and eagle viewing.

Photo: Prestonsburg Passage Rail Trail, Prestonsburg

FOUR MUSTS

Grab a Bite:
The Mill AKY, Ashland

Stop & Shop:
Treasures on Main, Paintsville

Magical Moments:
Elliott County Fiddler’s Convention, July, Sandy Hook

Local Heritage & Culture:
School Bus Bridge on Prestonsburg Passage Rail Trail, Prestonsburg

Photo: Dawkins Line Rail Trail, Swamp Branch

“IN THE MOUNTAINS, STORYTELLING IS TRULY AN ART FORM.” Maxine Cheshire, American Journalist & Kentuckian

REGIONAL ROAD TRIPS

1 Mt. Sterling: Catch first-run flicks at Judy Drive-In, Kentucky’s only twin drive-in. The perfect snack for a retro evening? Try Blue Monday candy bars, invented by Ruth Hunt nearly a century ago. Head to the Ruth Hunt Candy Factory for this sweet treat with a pulled cream candy center.

2 Morehead: The next morning, pack sunscreen for boating, swimming, tubing and fishing on Cave Run Lake. The Musky Capital of the South is picturesque, with a shoreline as far as the eye can see. Pack binoculars for the Minor E. Clark Fish Hatchery, one of the country’s largest warm-water fish hatcheries and a birder’s paradise. Then, choose the perfect campsite at Twin Knobs Campground and Recreation Area, which features a campground store, a sandy swimming beach, scenic trails and more.

3 Sandy Hook: Next, explore exhibits on Native American artifacts, birds of Kentucky and country and bluegrass singer/songwriter Keith Whitley at the Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center. The center is home base for crafts workshops, like quilting, and for outdoor fun, like picnicking, hiking nature trails and kayaking Grayson Lake.

4 Staffordsville: That afternoon, learn how early farm life was lived at the Mountain HomePlace. See historical structures, including the old Fish Trap United Baptist Church and the McKenzie double-pen family cabin. Watch interpreters in period dress bustling about and completing chores. Plus, you’ll find demonstrations, live concerts, a video about early Appalachian settlers and a gift shop with Appalachian-crafted items.

5 Prestonsburg: Overnight at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, where scrapbook-worthy vacations happen: boating and fishing, mountain biking, elk-viewing tours, exploring the nature center, and swapping memories over fried catfish and bourbon.

6 Pikeville/Pike County: The following morning, swing by the Pikeville/Pike County Welcome Center to pick up an audio CD or USB with music/narration for the self-guided Hatfields & McCoys Feud Historic Driving Tour. Visit Randolph McCoy’s Homeplace and Well. Pay your respects at the feudists’ gravesites. Dine in the historical building at Chirico’s Ristorante, where Randolph and Sarah McCoy once slept.

TRAVEL RESOURCES

Ashland
606-329-1007, visitaky.com

Boyd County
606-585-4770
visitboydcounty.com

Carter County
606-474-5366
facebook.com/cartercountytourism

Elliott County
visitelliottcounty.com

Frenchburg/Menifee County
606-768-9000, frenchburgky.com

Grayson
606-474-8740
exploregraysonky.com

Greenup County
606-473-6440 discovergreenup.com

Louisa/Lawrence County
606-638-0078, visitlcky.com

Martin County Tourism
606-477-5703, visitmartincountyky.com

Morehead/Rowan County
606-780-4342, visitmorehead.com

Mt. Sterling/Montgomery County
859-498-8732
mtsterlingtourism.com