Ben Braman
Trails Coordinator
Hazard-Perry County has been designated the 20th Kentucky Trail Town sponsored by the state of Kentucky Office of Adventure Tourism.
A Trail Town is a destination along a long-distance trail or adjacent to an extensive trail system. Whether the trail is a hiking trail, water trail or rail trail, users can venture from the path to explore the unique scenery, commerce and heritage that each trail town has to offer. It is a safe place where both residents of the town and trail users can walk or drive to find the goods and services they need.
Hazard is situated on the North Fork of the Kentucky River, Rowdy is located on Troublesome Creek of the North Fork of the Kentucky River, and Buckhorn Lake is located on the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River. Several access ramps are available within the city of Hazard and also throughout Perry County. The Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park is located in Perry County. Currently, two designated trails exist at Buckhorn Lake State Park, with others in the planning stages.
The North Fork of the Kentucky River is approximately 168 miles (270 km) long. It rises on the western side of Pine Mountain, in the Appalachians of extreme southeastern Kentucky, in eastern Letcher County near the Virginia state line in Payne Gap, near the intersection of US 23 and US 119. It flows generally northwest, in a winding course through the mountainous Cumberland Plateau, past Whitesburg, Hazard and Jackson. It receives Rockhouse Creek at Blackey near its source. Approximately 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Hazard, it receives the Carr Fork. It receives Troublesome Creek at Haddix, southeast of Jackson. Three miles upstream from its confluence with the South Fork, it receives the Middle Fork. It joins the South Fork to form the Kentucky at Beattyville.
Basic Elements of a Trail Town strategy:
- Enticing trail users to take detours off the trail and into your town via a connector trail.
- Welcoming trail users to your town by providing information about the community readily available on the trail.
- Making a substantial path between your town and the main trail.
- Educating local businesses on the economic benefits of meeting trail tourists’ needs.
- Recruiting new businesses or expanding existing ones to fill gaps in the goods or services that trail users need.
- Promoting the trail-friendly character of the town.
- Working with neighboring communities to promote the entire trail corridor as a tourist destination
Current Trails
Leatherwood Trail
Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park
Buckhorn, Kentucky
About: looped trail, lefthand fork where two trails meet, ascends hill, levels out and descends hill, numerous steps, overlook of lake, strenuous
Length: 0.5 mi
Difficulty: Strenuous
Moonshine Trail
Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park
Buckhorn, Kentucky
About: self guided interpretative trail, trailhead is located at the right fork of the two trails, ends behind park office
Length: 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy
North Fork River Trail
Hazard, Kentucky
About: Trailhead is located behind City Hall and runs to the Perry County Park launch ramp.
Length: approx. 5 miles – Allow 2-3 hrs to complete.
Difficulty: Easy (and relaxing)
Trail Activities: Kayak, raft and float, fishing (Small Mouth, Redeye, Kentucky Bass, Muskie, and occasionally a Trout). It is possible to see cranes, deer, fox, otters,& beavers, and other wildlife.
Parking: Ample parking at City Hall and the Perry County Park.
Hours: To be determined.
$5 rental fee per boat. Call 439-1816 for details.
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TransAmerica Bike Route (USBR 76)
Perry County, Kentucky
About: From the west, trailhead is located just northwest of Buckhorn, travels along KY 28, 451, and 80/550 to Dwarf.
Length: approx. 40 miles
Difficulty: Easy, moderate, and strenuous
History
The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail began in 1973 as nothing more than an ambitious idea for a way to celebrate the nation’s upcoming 200th birthday. By June of 1976, the Trail was ready; the maps and guidebooks were published thanks to an enormous effort. Now cyclists were needed to ride it across the country. Given the name “Bikecentennial,” organizers publicized the event and thanks to strong word-of-mouth and its fortunate, prodigious publicity, 4,000 cyclists showed up for the ride.
Most of the riders were in their 20s and had no experience with long-distance cycling. They traveled in groups of 10 to 12 with leaders trained by Bikecentennial. There were few helmets to be seen and the bikes were often discount-store quality.
But the equipment scarcely mattered. This group of people set out to have the experience of a lifetime and for the most part they did, learning about America and about themselves in a profound way.
Indeed, many cyclists who rode across the country in 1976, and those who ride the Trail today, say essentially the same thing about the experience, “I learned more about this country in 90 days than most people learn in a lifetime.”
The Eastern Kentucky Leg
The route crosses the Mississippi River at Chester, Illinois, and heads into Carbondale, another fun college town. A ferry takes you across the Ohio River into Kentucky, where you’ll enjoy the evening fireflies at your campsites. Kentucky offers rolling white-fenced farms and woodlands until reaching Berea, the gateway to the Appalachian Mountains. A loop south of the route will take you to see Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest cave system in the world. Past Berea, you’ll spend some time ascending and descending the mountains of the Appalachians, and riding part of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.
The Kentucky section of this national trail is more than 500 miles long. In spring 2013, AASHTO approved the submitted realignments and updates for USBR 76 (TransAmerica Bicycle Trail), which runs east to west through Kentucky from rural Crittenden County at the Ohio River to the mountainous area of Pike County. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Bicycle program team developed a Bicycle Comfort Index Rating System/ BCI (formally called the Bicycle Level of Service (BLOS)) which was very helpful in determining the safest and most suitable routes to bike within the USBR 76 corridor. KYTC has now updatied the USBR 76 signage for the entire route across the state. KYTC continues to work with neighboring states interested in the USBRS and other cross-state bicycle touring routes.
The TransAmerica Bicycle Route travels eastward out of Owsley County along Highway 28 across Breathitt County then turning south towards Buckhorn through Perry County following Highways 28, 451, and 80, then east on Highway 80/550 into Knott County. The route is clearly marked on all state maps and takes one through Booneville, past Morris Fork Crafts, then through Buckhorn and Chavies, past the Artisan Center in Hindman and Alice Lloyd College, taking the rider eventually through Elkhorn City and into Virginia.
The Perry County Leg
The TransAmerica Trail travels approximately 40 miles through the northern portion of Perry County, starting just northwest of Buckhorn near Morris Fork. The route travels southeasterly along KY 28 to the junction of KY 28 and KY 451 just south of Chavies. The route then proceeds southeasterly through Krypton, Yerkes, and Busy intersecting with old KY 80 near Exit 56 of the Hal Rogers Parkway. The route then proceeds northeasterly through Combs and Airport Gardens to the junction of KY 80/550/476. The route then continues northeasterly through Darfork and Bulan to the intersection at Dwarf. The route leaves KY 476 and travels along KY 80/550 to the Knott County line.
Perry County Stopover
County Judge Executive Scott Alexander wants to welcome cyclists to Perry County, Kentucky, and has announced that a stopover for cyclists travelling the USBR 76 Bike Route has been established. The stopover will be located in the Perry County Park and will offer free admission to the county pool (in season), free shower, free primitive campsite area (no fires allowed but in-place grill is available) or outdoor shelter, and free cell phone charging. There are two restaurants serving home-cooked meals, three fast food restaurants, and a small shopping mall within one-quarter mile of the Perry County Park. The Perry County Park is accessed off KY 550 across the bridge toward Perry County Central High School. Appropriate signage has been posted for directions. The approximate coordinates for the bridge are 37o16’56” N and 83o12’44” W (from Google Earth). Please call ahead to make arrangements at 606-439-1816.
River Arts Greenway
Hazard, Kentucky
About: Trailhead is located at Triangle Park and runs to the International Peace Garden.
Length: approx. 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy (and relaxing)
Perry Park Trail System
Perry County Park
Hazard, Kentucky
About: self guided interpretative trails, trailhead is located in the Perry County Park
Length: 6.25 miles
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Healthy Mile
Hazard, Kentucky
About: Trailhead is located behind ARH Medical Mall and runs the perimeter of the Black Gold Shopping Plaza.
Length: approx. 1 mile
Difficulty: Easy
Proposed Trails
Lakeshore & Meetinghouse Trails
Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park
Buckhorn, Kentucky
About: self guided interpretative trail, trailhead is located behind park office
Length: 3.75 miles
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Rowdy ATV Trail
Rowdy, Kentucky
About: Wilderness adventure trail, trailhead is located in the Rowdy, Kentucky
Length: approx. 20 miles
Double H Linear Trail
Hazard, Kentucky
About: Trailhead is located near Walkertown Bridge and runs with the railroad bed to Hiner.
Length: approx. 7 miles
Difficulty: Easy
The Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreation Authority
The Kentucky Mountain Regional Recreation Authority, KMRRA, was created and established as an independent, de jure municipal corporation and political subdivision of the Commonwealth. The purpose of the authority is to establish, maintain, and promote a recreational trail system throughout the KMRA to increase economic development, tourism, and outdoor recreation for residents and visitors. The recreational trail system shall be located with significant portions of the system situated on private property made available for use through lease, license, easement, or other appropriate legal form by willing landowners.
