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. T he MOTHERLODE AT PENDERGRASS MURRAY RECREATIONAL PRESERVE , Beattyville DOG SLAUGHTER FALLS , Whitley County Hike the Motherlode at Pendergrass Murray Recreational Preserve in the Red River Gorge, a rock-climbing and outdoor-ad-venture paradise for hikers, mountain bikers and rock jocks. This 0.7-mile loop has breathtak-ing amphitheater-like cliff lines of 100 feet and higher. 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 camp-ing adventure in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. THE PINNACLES , Berea From spring’s soft green palette to autumn’s blazing color sat-uration, 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 PENNYROYAL SCUBA CENTER , Hopkinsville Bye-bye hustle-bustle. Hello, hin-terlands. 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. 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. Photos from top: Cumberland Gap Pinnacle Overlook, Middlesboro; Pennyroyal Scuba Center, Hopkinsville KentuckyTourism.com/outdoors 11 11
The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide The Official Kentucky Visitor's Guide 2026: Page 11
