The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide - The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2026
Outdoors and State Parks
2026-02-06 05:29:49
From Black Mountain, the highest peak in the state, to the nethermost depths of Mammoth Cave. From the nation’s largest fleet of houseboats at Lake Cumberland to Big Bone Lick National Historic Landmark, where North America’s biggest land mammal grazes. And from the only alpine slide in the Bluegrass State to its only bridge for bungee jumping: When it comes to living your most fabulous vacation, the sky and the subterranean world beneath your feet are the limit.
THE WEEKEND WANDERER
LAKE CUMBERLAND, Jamestown
Lake Cumberland, the Houseboat Capital of the World, has all the ingredients for your family’s dream summer vacation: luxury houseboats with amenities like comfy beds, Wi-Fi, water slides, hot tubs and grills, plus pontoons, fishing boats and tubes available to rent as well.
BERNHEIM FOREST, Clermont
Hover 75 feet high in the sky on Bernheim Forest’s Canopy Tree Walk. Climb 961 steps to the top of the Historic Fire Tower. Besides amazing views, enjoy hikes, themed gardens, the resident Forest Giants sculptures and new 27-foot Tin Man sculpture, and a playscape in this natural wonderland.
TOYOTA BIODIVERSITY TRAIL, Georgetown
Morizukuri translates “to create a forest.” See this Japanese principle in practice along the tranquil 1.8-mile Toyota Biodiversity Trail, with five distinct paths leading to butterflies, great blue herons, Cattail Lake and a champion Chinquapin Oak tree.
LOST RIVER CAVE, Bowling Green
Board the Lost River Cave boat and glide into history to what was once a Native American hunting ground and a Civil War campground — the outlaw Jesse James’ former hideout, too. Also here: gem mining, walking trails and a butterfly house garden.
NATURAL BRIDGE SKYLIFT, Slade
Grab a seat on the Natural Bridge Skylift for the 2,640-plus-foot climb up forested slopes to reach Kentucky’s famed 30-footwide natural sandstone arch, a bridge that spans a whopping 78 feet and rises 65 feet from the forest floor.
MOUTARDIER RESORT AND MARINA, Leitchfield
Got fishing, boating and other water adventures on your mind? The lake life awaits at Moutardier Resort and Marina on Nolin River Lake, along with watercraft rentals and the Dockside Store and Grill.
SHELTOWEE TRACE ADVENTURE RESORT, Corbin
Dial up adventure on a Rainbow Mist raft ride with Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort and feel the mist of the spectacular Cumberland Falls. Or dial it down with a sightseeing and lunch cruise aboard the double-decker Cumberland Star riverboat.
BIG BONE LICK NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, Union
Follow the trail to the new covered viewing area to see the bison at Big Bone Lick National Historic Landmark, birthplace of vertebrate paleontology in North America and a stop along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Explore the museum, megafauna diorama pit and gift shop to pick up made-in-Kentucky items.
THE ADVENTURER
MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, Mammoth Cave
Mystery and history, above ground and below. Hiking, biking, horseback riding, camping, canoeing, stargazing and caving (including accessible cave tours) — it's all here, plus ranger-led programs at Mammoth Cave National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Region.
MOTHERLODE AT PENDERGRASS MURRAY RECREATIONAL PRESERVE, Beattyville
Hike the Motherlode at Pendergrass Murray Recreational Preserve in the Red River Gorge, a rock-climbing and outdoor-adventure paradise for hikers, mountain bikers and rock jocks. This 0.7-mile loop has breathtaking amphitheater-like cliff lines of 100 feet and higher.
DOG SLAUGHTER FALLS, Whitley County
Don’t let the name keep you from discovering one of Kentucky’s most beautiful waterfalls. Located on a 2.4-mile out-and-back trail, past thickets of rhododendron and hemlock, Dog Slaughter Falls tumbles down 15 feet at the confluence of the Cumberland River and Dog Slaughter Creek.
CUMBERLAND GAP NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, Middlesboro
See wildlife like beavers, bears and bobcats that frontier explorer Daniel Boone saw in 1775 when he blazed the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap. Pitch a tent amid spectacular scenery for a backcountry camping adventure in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
THE PINNACLES, Berea
From spring’s soft green palette to autumn’s blazing color saturation, each season brings its own rewards to The Pinnacles, a premier trail system that is part of 9,000 forested acres marked by rock shelters and cliff faces. Drink in sweeping views of the beautiful landscapes from several overlooks.
JESSE JAMES RIDING STABLES, Cave City
Experience Kentucky’s natural beauty the way early explorers did: on the back of a horse. Go on a 2-mile trail ride with Jesse James Riding Stables, just a stone’s throw from Mammoth Cave National Park. Follow it up with an Outlaw Cave tour.
DEVOU PARK’S BACKCOUNTRY TRAILS, Covington
Bye-bye hustle-bustle. Hello, hinterlands. Hike or mountain bike Devou Park’s Backcountry Trails, 16 miles of tracks hidden away in a tangle of trees amid a rolling landscape. Even nature lovers seeking a quiet retreat will enjoy strolling the park’s wild side.
PENNYROYAL SCUBA CENTER, Hopkinsville
Dive into the 22-acre rock quarry at Blue Springs Park and discover an underwater landscape dotted with a fire truck, a sailboat, a big forest and a pump hole, among other sunken treasures. The Pennyroyal Scuba Center is Kentucky’s only full-service, diver-exclusive facility.
THE THRILL SEEKER
VERTIGO BUNGEE, Lawrenceburg
Free fall with Vertigo Bungee from the 240-foot-high cantilevered Young’s High Bridge, a circa-1889 former railroad bridge that overlooks Wild Turkey Distillery, and find yourself dangling headfirst above the waters of the Kentucky River. Worth. Every. Second. (One weekend each month, May–October.)
EARTHJOY VILLAGE, Brooksville
Climb into the treetops. Swing from limb to limb. Hang upside down and balance on branches. Learn how to tie knots and rig a hammock. Ready to climb? Join EarthJoy Village for a tree climb at its 285-acre wooded wonderland.
OUT THE TOP ADVENTURES, Campton
Slingshot Nada Tunnel or bounce along unpaved roads and other natural terrain, through caves and creeks and up steep climbs, to the most remote corners of Red River Gorge Geological Area on guided SXS, UTV and Jeep tours with Out The Top Adventures.
MAMMOTH VALLEY PARK, Cave City
At Mammoth Valley Park, hang on tight as you zoom down Kentucky’s only alpine slide, banking curves and picking up speed along the way. Or hang tight, suspended 300 feet in the air, on the state’s longest twin zip line.
KENTUCKY KINGDOM AND HURRICANE BAY WATER PARK, Louisville
Calling all slide and coaster fans: Whether it’s the 10-story steel coaster, Lightning Run, or the Deep Water Dive with its tummy-tickling 12-story drop, Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay Water Park serve up endless thrills and chills among its 70 family-friendly attractions.
BLACK MOUNTAIN OFF-ROAD ADVENTURE AREA, Evarts
Whoosh through the treetops 400 feet above the forest floor on the 2-mile Thunder Zipline at Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Area or churn dirt on 150 miles of rugged mountain on an off-road adventure carved by old strip-mining and logging roads.
RUSSELL FORK RIVER, Elkhorn City
Even experienced whitewater paddlers are challenged by the mighty Class III, IV and V rapids — known as Walk the Plank and Triple Drop, among other fearsome nicknames — at Russell Fork River within Breaks Interstate Park, the Grand Canyon of the South.
RUSH OFF-ROAD, Rush
When adventure comes calling, Rush Off-Road has the answer: more than 100 miles of trails crisscrossing 7,000 forested acres. With trails for all skill levels, riders find varied terrain, including routes that are wide and smooth and steep and chunky rock climbs and descents.
YOU’VE GOTTA SEE THIS!
LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, Golden Pond
Safari through the 700-acre Elk & Bison Prairie. Hike 500-plus miles of trails. See live animals during a Woodland Nature Station guided naturalist program. Stargaze at the Golden Pond Planetarium. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area opens up 170,000 acres of nonstop adventure.
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