VOLUME 1 KentuckyTRAIL TOWNS Where the Outdoors and Amenities Meet GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL TABLE OF CONTENTS DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN BEING 5 Kentucky Trail Towns 26 Jamestown Overview IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. 28 Manchester 6 Kentucky Trails State Map 30 Harlan Tri-Cities Kentucky’s designated Trail Towns put you near the best outdoor action in the 8 Explore More of the state – including hundreds of miles of trails, woods and waters – but keep you in Outdoors in Kentucky 32 Berea cities and towns offering hotels, restaurants, attractions, entertainment and other 34 Columbia conveniences to round out your stay. TRAIL TOWNS 36 Royalton To be a certified Kentucky Trail Town, these popular destinations have made a 12 Dawson Springs Slade commitment to share their area’s outdoor opportunities, culture, history and stories 38 to visitors hungry for adventure. Since its inception, this program under the state’s 14 Livingston 40 McKee Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet has designated 20 communities across Kentucky 16 Morehead 42 Munfordville to serve as official gateways to the state’s great outdoors. 18 Olive Hill 44 Cave City/Horse Cave Here’s just a taste of what awaits! 20 London 46 Campbellsville 22 Stearns 48 Estill Twin Cities 24 Elkhorn City 50 Hazard Explore Kentucky’s Trail Towns! kentuckytourism.com/ky-outdoors/trail-towns Dawson Springs KENTUCKY TRAIL TOWNS OVERVIEW Located in Western Kentucky, Dawson Known as Harlan Tri-Cities, the towns of Springs was the state’s first official Trail Cumberland, Benham and Lynch combine Town and is home to scenic trails, a beautiful to deliver attractions like Pine Mountain lake and lots of adventure at Pennyrile Scenic Trail and Kingdom Come State Park, Forest State Resort Park. South of Louisville, both tucked between two mountain ranges. sister cities Cave City and Horse Cave Nearby Hazard offers exciting ATV trails are perfect bases to explore the state’s vast and elk tours. network of caves. Adventure in Eastern Kentucky means a trip Not far away, Munfordville offers easy near the Virginia border to Elkhorn City, access to great paddling trails while visiting a regional hotspot for rushing whitewater Kentucky’s own Stonehenge. Columbia and more in an area known as the “Grand sits on the banks of Russell Creek – which Canyon of the South.” The Estill Twin connects to the Green River and Green Cities of Ravenna and Irvine add scenic River State Park – and neighboring views and paddling along the Kentucky River, Campbellsville offers great fishing on the while Slade is home to the striking Natural river. Jamestown is widely known as one Bridge in the Red River Gorge and endless of the key gateways to Lake Cumberland fun adventures as well. and Stearns, famous for its scenic train rides, And did we mention how these Trail Towns also sits near Big South Fork National River provide easy access to outdoor fun? and Recreation Area. The Dawkins Line Rail Trail cuts right through After spending time in Berea’s charming Royalton, Sheltowee Trace National downtown, hit the Pinnacle Trail for stunning Recreation Trail passes just outside the town views. Moving southeast, London offers of Livingston and through downtown full-on family fun at Levi Jackson State Park Morehead, which is also home to and serene McKee in the foothills of Daniel outstanding fishing at Cave Run Lake. Boone National Forest is especially popular A trail in Olive Hill takes you directly for horse riders. Manchester offers some of to Carter Caves State Resort Park. the state’s most popular ATV and water trails. Stearns 4 Kentucky Trail Town Guide Kentucky Trail Town Guide 5 TRAIL TOWNS PUBLIC LANDS Berea Elkhorn City Livingston Munfordville 1. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park 6. Mammoth Cave National Park Campbellsville Estill Twin Cities London Olive Hill 2. Breaks Interstate Park 7. Land Between the Lakes Cave City/ Harlan Tri-Cities Manchester Royalton 3. Daniel Boone National Forest 8. Pennyrile State Forest Horse Cave Hazard McKee Slade 4. Big South Fork National River 9. Tygarts State Forest Columbia & Recreation Area Jamestown Morehead Stearns 10. Red Bird District Dawson Springs 5. Red River Gorge LAKES RIVERS US BIKE ROUTES 1. Kentucky/Barkley 5. Cave Run Lake Big Sandy Cumberland USBR 76 TransAmerica 2. Lake Cumberland 6. Nolin River Lake Big South Fork Rockcastle USBR 21 Cumberland 3. Green River Lake 7. Barren River Lake Russell Fork USBR 23 Kentucky 4. Laurel River Lake Tradewater Licking Tygart’s Creek Green Ohio River Licking River Ohio River Tygarts Creek Big Sandy River 9 Tygarts State Forest Kentucky River Olive Hill Ohio River Morehead US Bike 5 Route 21 Red River Gorge 5 ll Big Sandy River Slade Royalton 76 TransAmerica Estill Twin Cities 76 TransAmerica Berea McKee Russell Breaks Ohio River 2 Fork Interstate Mammoth Cave Mundfordville Rockcastle River Green River Park National Park Mississippi Campbellsville Livingston Laurel 76 TransAmerica Elkhorn City River Tradewater River River 6 6 Green River 10 Red Bird Hazard 3 3 District Dawson Springs Manchester Cave City / Horse Cave Columbia London Daniel Boone 8 Pennyrile State Forest National Forest Jamestown Cumberland River US Bike 4 Route 23 7 2 Harlan Tri-Cities 1 Stearns 1 7 Land Between the Lakes Cumberland River Big South Fork National Cumberland Gap River & Recreation Area 4 National Historical Park Slade Photo Caption PhotoElkhorn Caption City London Cumberland Gap National Park in Area sits between Lake Barkley and EXPLORE MORE OF THE the Appalachian Mountains was a Kentucky Lake – two of the largest man- passageway for Native Americans and made lakes in the country – whose vast OUTDOORS IN KENTUCKY westbound American settlers that now waters offer a combined 3,000 miles If you are looking for an escape, Kentucky is the place to play with abundant preserves the area’s flora, fauna and of shoreline for fishing, water-skiing, wilderness and waters to explore, including the world’s longest cave and three natural beauty for plenty of fun – and boating, tubing and swimming. Kentucky of Kentuckys largest lakes. relaxation! Also in the south-central part Lake is lined with properties that lend of the state, Cumberland Falls State themselves to lazy weekends on the Resort Park frames a rushing waterfall in water. Lakeview Cottages, pitched on Trek through some of the 400 miles of and stunning scenery. It’s also home Daniel Boone National Forest with cozy the side-channel of Cypress Bay, offer passages at Mammoth Cave, the longest to the spectacular sandstone arch accommodations at its DuPont Lodge a handful of fully furnished family-sized cave system on the planet, then explore Natural Bridge, countless trails and with 51 rooms and a riverside retreats. Finally, whether you want to do it the area’s trails, rivers, zip lines and more campsites, high-flying zip lines and observation deck. all or get away from it all, Kentucky State in and around Mammoth Cave National Parks offer adventures aplenty – from off-road adventures. Further southeast, Visitors can also trek through countless Park. When your day of play comes to an shorelines and mountains to caves and where Kentucky borders Virginia, Black trails that wind through the state, including end, check into the on site lodge, where a trails – with accommodations ranging Mountain is the state’s highest peak Sheltowee Trace National Recreational variety of cottages and rooms await. from rustic to refined. Full-service resorts, reaching 4,145 feet. Black Mountain Trail, the state’s longest, stretching cozy cottages and scenic campsites, plus From deep below ground to high above Cabins offers 11 cabins in the shadow of nearly 260 miles through Daniel Boone top-rated golf and breathtaking lakes, it, the Red River Gorge in southeastern the peak, providing ideal bases for a day National Forest. await in scenic locations around the state. Kentucky is a mecca for rock climbing or three of exploration. Kentucky is an angler’s paradise. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation 8 Kentucky Trail Town Guide Kentucky Trail Town Guide 9 Jamestown EXPLORE THE TRAIL TOWNS OF Kentucky Campbellsville Harlan Tri-Cities Morehead Cave City / Horse Cave FEATURES RIDE • Pennyrile State Forest PUBLIC LAND Equine Trail System • Pennyrile Forest State • West Kentucky ATV Recreation Area Resort Park CAMP • Pennyrile State Forest • Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park • Tradewater River • Lake Beshear OUTFITTERS HIKE • Tradewater Canoes & Kayaks • Pennyrile Nature Trail CAN’T MISS! • Jones-Keeney Trail System • Tradewater Pirates Baseball BIKE • Dawson Springs Museum & Art Center • Pennyrile State Forest • Ms. Becky’s Place Mountain • Trail Town Spirits Bike System (mountain) • Mule Days, May • Pennyrile Area Cyclists PAC Challenge Routes (road) DAWSON SPRINGS PADDLE • Tradewater River (class I) 37°10’02.4”N 87°41’34.1”W • Lake Beshear (flat) The state’s first certified Trail Town offers a host of outdoor adventures in the heart of DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS Western Kentucky. Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, the 13-mile Pennyrile Nature • Dawson Springs was the first certified Kentucky Trail Town. Trial and Pennyrile Lake join Lake Beshear, Tradewater River and Jones Keeney • Dawson Springs was built on tourism, as it was once home to popular mineral spring bath houses. Wildlife Management Area to create plenty of places to play just outside of town. Restaurants, hotels and outfitters in the city provide everything you need to complete your stay. MORE INFORMATION Dawson Springs City Hall 270-797-4248 www.dawsonspringsky.com