Hiram Rogers - 50 Hikes in Kentucky

OTHER BOOKS IN THE 50 HIKES SERIES

50 Hikes Around Anchorage

50 Hikes in Washington

50 Hikes in Oregon

50 Hikes in the Sierra Nevada

50 Hikes in Northern New Mexico

50 Hikes in Utah

50 Hikes in Orange County

50 Hikes in the Ozarks

50 Hikes in Michigan

50 Hikes in Michigans Upper Peninsula

50 Hikes on Michigan & Wisconsins North Country Trail

50 Hikes in Ohio

50 Hikes in West Virginia

50 Hikes in the North Georgia Mountains

50 Hikes in South Carolina

50 Hikes in Northern Virginia

50 Hikes in Eastern Pennsylvania

50 Hikes in New Jersey

50 Hikes in the Lower Hudson Valley

50 Hikes in the Berkshire Hills

50 Hikes in the White Mountains

50 Hikes in Vermont

50 Hikes in Coastal & Inland Maine

To Jack and Rose
for letting me loose in the woods,
and to Jean for joining me there.

Over time trails can be rerouted and signs and landmarks altered. If you find that changes have occurred on
the routes described in this book, please let us know so that corrections may be made in future editions.
The author and publisher also welcome other comments and suggestions. Address all correspondence to:

50 Hikes Editor

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Copyright 2002 by Hiram Rogers

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Series cover design by Steve Attardo

Cover photograph Derek Dammann/Getty Images

Back cover photograph Hiram Rogers

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978-1-58157-373-2 (pbk.)

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CONTENTS

F rom the natural arches of Eastern Kentucky, across the magnificent caves that underlie the heartland, to the shimmering lakes and rivers of Western Kentucky, the Bluegrass State offers a rich and varied landscape for those willing to explore it on foot. Each region of the state has its own characteristic landscape, and each holds unique surprises, just waiting to delight those who venture around the next bend.

In every season, the trails of Kentucky beckon. In winter, when the leaves have fallen and the underbrush has subsided, evidence of earlier visitors often emerges from the forest. Low walls of stone mark the boundaries of fields, and clusters of rusted artifacts mark long-abandoned homesites. Spring signals the rebirth of the landscape. An explosion of wildflowers carpets the floor of forest and glade, while birds brighten the air with song. In summer, its time to head for the cool, clear waters of streams and lakes, or climb to windswept mountaintops. Fall signals a break from summers heat. Autumns patchwork of colors demands appreciation from overlooks high in the mountains.

Eastern Kentucky is known for coal mines and rugged, hard-to-reach mountains. But here at the western edge of the Appalachians are the long, high ridges of the Pine and Cumberland Mountains. Tucked along these scenic mountaintops are the Pine Mountain Trail, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Breaks Interstate Park, Blanton Forest, and Bad Branch State Nature Preserve.

The Daniel Boone National Forest protects a million-acre strip across the eastern part of the state, stretching from the Tennessee border nearly to the Ohio River. This is a land of delicate waterfalls, quiet forests, and massive sandstone arches. This rocky wonderland contains the Red River Gorge Geologic Area, two designated Wilderness Areas, Cave Run Lake, the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, and state parks at Cumberland Falls, Natural Bridge, Carter Caves, and Greenbo Lake. Here are trails suitable for anything from a short stroll to a weeklong wilderness adventure.

Kentuckys fertile Bluegrass Heartland lacks large expanses of public spaces. But a fine assortment of well-located state, county, city, and private parks contain trails ideal for an escape into the woods. Areas such as Fort Knox, Otter Creek, Jefferson County Memorial Forest, the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, and Raven Run Sanctuary have extensive trail systems. Here the urban landscape quickly fades away and quiet, peaceful nature reigns.

Mammoth Cave is the Mecca of Kentuckys Cave Country. The tours of its seemingly endless underground passages are among the wonders of the National Park system. But some people still overlook the parks surface features. Aboveground, and across the Green River, is a spacious backcountry area and natural sanctuary ignored by most park visitors.

In Western Kentucky, it is access to lakes and rivers that makes hiking special. Theres perhaps nowhere better suited to this landscape than the Land Between the Lakes, a long narrow peninsula between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. Here are a variety of trails designed for anything from casual strolls to long-distance excitement.

THE HIKES

Choosing 50 hikes from all the trails across Kentucky remains a daunting task. Rather than choose only my personal favorites, I tried to select a variety of trails spread throughout the state. There are trails from the Land Between the Lakes, from along the Ohio River and the borders of Tennessee and Virginia. Theres a variety in hike difficulty too: the shortest hike in the guide is less than two miles long, and the longest is nearly 14 miles.

All the hikes in this guide have a few things in common. I was looking for great trails and great destinations: trails that lead to arches, waterfalls, or spectacular overlooks. I am biased toward trails that passed along mountain streams, through awe-inspiring forests, or visited the home of beautiful wild flowers. Though a few crowded trails (the Original Trail at Natural Bridge State Resort Park and the front country trails at Mammoth Cave National Park, for example) are included, I wanted to expose hikers to some less-used routes where they have better opportunities for solitude. I also looked for variety in landscapes: this isnt a book about 50 hikes to arches.