City to the West, Country to the East Connecting downtown Lexington to Kentucky Horse Country, from the Isaac Murphy Memorial Garden to the Kentucky Horse Park, the 12-mile Legacy Trail , a shared-use greenway trail, offers up scenic sights around every curve on the paved path: grazing horses, old barns, open fields, rolling green hills — even sculptures. Subterranean Swing Underground nightclub. Civil War campground. Hideout for train-robbing bandit Jesse James. Glide into history on Bowling Green’s Lost River Cave boat tour and learn about its checkered past and the role the river played as an ancient native hunting ground. The cave is part of an urban park with a butterfly habitat, hiking trails and gem mining. The Sweet Spot Play a round on one of Kentucky’s top-ranked championship disc golf courses amidst wetlands, fishing ponds, a kayaking and pedal boat lake, nature trails and a pollinator garden at Madisonville’s 265-acre Mahr Park Arboretum . The 18-hole course offers a challenging and scenic setting with trees, hills, bridges, water and other natural features. Short on time? Play the 9-hole recreational disc golf course. Kentucky Trail Towns So. Much. More. Than. Trails. Yes, Kentucky Trail Towns have miles and miles of trails — rugged and rural, by land and lake and winding through quiet woods — each a unique setting, all with stunning scenery. But there are also authentic Kentucky experiences: Berea’s Artisan Village, Stearns’ Big South Fork Scenic Railway, Jamestown’s Creelsboro Historic Country Store & Restaurant — among others. At Dawson Springs , paddle the tranquil waters of Lake Beshear or the lazy, meandering Tradewater River in Kentucky’s First Certified Trail Town. Gear up at Tradewater Canoes & Kayaks or bring your own. Tuck into country fried steak, white beans, turnip greens and mashed potatoes at Ms. Becky’s Place. Photo op alert! The picturesque stone ruins at Bell’s Tavern in Park City recall a popular stagecoach stop built in the late 1820s that was gutted by fire before the Civil War. Explore the labyrinthine Mammoth Cave and showy Diamond Caverns. Near London , hike the Hoosier Knob Trail at Camp Wildcat Civil War Battlefield, located on the Wilderness Road, to explore original trenches, artillery emplacements and self-guided tour signs to learn about the historic battle. Find natural beauty, frontier history and scenic views at Estill Twin Cities . Paddle the Kentucky River. Hike Lily Mountain Nature Preserve. See Historic Steam Engine C&O 2716 at Rail Heritage Center and munch a Kentucky Hot Brown specialty pizza at Steam Engine Pizza Pub. SCAN THE QR CODE TO EXPLORE KENTUCKY TRAIL TOWNS. Clockwise from top left: Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Slade; Legacy Trail, Lexington; Hazard Trail Town; Adventures of Mammoth Cave, Cave City kentuckytourism.com 19
The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2024: Page 19
