Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Kentucky / Big South Fork (Kentucky)

Kentucky Trail (Big South Fork)

Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Kentucky side (near Pine Knot)

The Kentucky Trail is Big South Fork’s long-distance route on the Kentucky side of the park. The National Park Service’s trail map rates it moderate to difficult and lists it at 19 miles one way, linking the John Muir Trail near No Business Creek with the Sheltowee Trace near Rock Creek. Backpacker, which counts 27 miles, describes it as a route of shallow streams, “soothing waterfalls,” sphagnum-covered rocks, and sandstone arches.

Published hiking detail is thin, so plan with the NPS map.

The hike

The NPS map lists the trail’s features: Difficulty Creek and Troublesome Creek, Oil Well Branch, Big Spring Falls, and Catawba Overlook. Backpacker also names Troublesome and Difficulty Creeks, and says the trail meets the John Muir Trail near the Tennessee line, which would let a long trip continue south into Tennessee’s part of the park. (For the John Muir Trail itself, see our Big South Fork John Muir Trail page.)

The other end meets the Sheltowee Trace, which links to other Sheltowee sections in the park, including Yamacraw to Yahoo Falls.

MTB Project, describing an 18.6-mile bike loop on the Kentucky side that uses part of the Kentucky Trail, gives a sense of the terrain. It drops steeply into Difficulty Creek, climbs out to the Troublesome Creek drainage, crosses a wooden bridge over Troublesome Creek, and follows the Big South Fork River below “rocky cliffs that make up the banks,” through dark hemlock and mountain laurel. It calls the area “off the beaten path” and recommends carrying plenty of food and water, and warns of vehicle traffic on the gravel roads in hunting season.

Catawba Overlook is also reachable from the Blue Heron area, according to the NPS, by a 1.6-mile trail that follows old mining tram routes. Blue Heron itself, a former coal mining camp, has a 6.5-mile loop with gorge overlooks and old mine openings.

The NPS’s backcountry rules apply throughout, and because the park straddles two states, hunting follows Kentucky’s seasons on this side.

Tips

Camping

Big South Fork requires a backcountry permit for overnight camping. NPS rules: camp at least 100 feet from trails, parking areas, and paved roads, and out of sight of the road; at least 100 feet from rock shelters, arches, caves, graves, and historic structures. Fires only in existing rings with dead and down wood, and never within 100 feet of rock shelters, arches, historic structures, or cemeteries, or on cliff ledges. Stays are limited to 14 days at one site and 30 days a year. Bury human waste 6 inches deep and 100 feet from camp and water. Pets must be leashed.

Inside Intel: We didn’t find camper accounts recommending a particular campsite on the Kentucky Trail. Whatever spot you choose, keep 100 feet from the trail and from any rock shelter or arch.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Camp kitchen in Troublesome Creek:

The Kentucky Trail is long and remote, with no resupply between creek drainages. A reliable stove for treated creek water matters. See the stoves testers like.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.