Things to do / Travel Guide
Welcome to Central Kentucky and Tennessee, one of America's most celebrated heartland regions. You'll have a lot of fun in the land of country music, bluegrass, thoroughbred horse racing, and bourbon! And you can bet that there are lots of outdoors activities in places around the region's major cities, including Louisville, Lexington, Nashville, and Chattanooga. In the midst of deep dark forests, which turn into tapestries of color come fall, you'll reach wide rivers you never thought could wind so much and so violently, and fertile valleys with streams overflowing their banks with the tastiest bass this side of the Appalachians. Spelunking (cave exploring) and rock climbing dominate the scene as well, and hiking and biking are often the best ways to appreciate the region's rolling forests and farmlands.
Water Activities in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
Kayakers can test their hand-paddle coordination on Kentucky's Rockcastle River and the Big South Fork National River, which snakes across the Kentucky-Tennessee state line. Whitewater rafters relish Big South Fork's top-class whitewaters, rated among the best in the United States. Tennessee's Burgess Falls is a pleasant site to set your eyes on: 130-feet of glistening-white water cascading down bluffs within the dense forest.
The locals have nothing but praise for Dale Hollow Lake on the Kentucky-Tennessee border - the largest smallmouth bass ever was snagged in these waters. Many of the lakes in the region are formed by the widening of the rivers by means of strategically-placed dams, a process that has allowed them to snake along just like the old river courses. These lakes, and the rivers that flow in and out of them, are perfect for days on end of bass fishing, and you can also catch catfish, trout, rockfish, and crappie.
There's also awesome, unique scuba diving where they dammed the rivers - and overflowed old towns in the process. Visit a schoolhouse here, a three-story Shaker house there, in scenes that directly inspired the flooding scene at the end of “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”
Land-Based Activities in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
Those looking to probe the dark and mysterious depths of the region can spelunk Central Kentucky and Tennessee's subterranean secrets. Kentucky's aptly-named Mammoth Cave National Park is home to the longest cave system in the world. And Tennessee's more-than 3,000 caverns call out to cave explorers - you can hike many portions of the cave system, and in some places, such as in Cumberland Caverns, you can take your sleeping bags along for an overnight stay.
While Mammoth is great, and worthy of your veneration, there are other great spelunking areas, such as Diamond Cave and Crystal Onyx Cave in Kentucky, and Hall of the Mountain King and Raccoon Mountain Caverns in Tennessee. Don't think they're all the same thing - each is different and offers something unique that the others don't.
There are parts of this region that offer some of the best rock climbing in the country. It all starts at Kentucky's Red River Gorge, where you have roof climbing and crack climbing, plus excellent bouldering. Mammoth Cave National Park boasts fun above-ground climbing spots, too. Then there are places like Dawson Bluffs, with great cracks and one of the greatest roof cracks in the States. Meanwhile, Clear Creek in Tennessee boasts some serious sport climbing crags. Wherever you go, you're surrounded by dense forestry, which can best be appreciated in the fall, when the foliage changes brilliant colors.
Many of the places that are famous for climbing can also be approached on foot, and offer scenic hiking over crags and down verdant stream valleys. Visit the area that Daniel Boone called Eden along Sheltowee Trace, the arches of Red River Gorge, and a rock the size of a courthouse - called Courthouse Rock.
It's a sweet ride, enjoying the back roads that ribbon through idyllic countryside, on the seat of a bicycle. You can speed along the shores of the Tennessee, Ohio, and Cumberland Rivers, and foray into the hills and mountains. Steal a look at the karst landscape that reminds one of Swiss cheese, as you take on the strenuous challenges of scenic mountain biking trails. Ride across one of the world's longest pedestrian bridges, Walnut Street Bridge, over the scenic Tennessee River in Chattanooga, or wind your way along the wharf on the seven-mile, asphalt Louisville Riverwalk Trail along the Ohio River for relaxing riverside ride.
Naturally, horses play a large role in the outdoors activities available in the Central Kentucky and Tennessee region, with horseback riding extremely popular in these parts. There are literally hundreds of horse trails waiting to be blazed by you and your companions, for beginners as well as for advanced equestrians. Lexington is the “Horse Capital of the World,” so while there consider its Kentucky Horse Park. Otherwise take a ride in Mammoth Cave National Park, which offers more than 60 miles of trails. This region is THE region to experience the second-oldest human mode of transportation - after walking.
For all of you golf-lovers, the region offers some charming and exciting courses to try out. Check out Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Tennessee, designed by none other than Jack Nicklaus. Another great course can be found at Old Silo, in Kentucky, a beautiful but dauntingly difficult set of 18 holes.
Central Kentucky and Tennessee from Above
Why view this beautiful region from the ground when a bird's eye view can be more picturesque - and exciting. Nothing can thrill like skydiving, and this region delivers! You can find skydiving in every major city in the region. The region also offers hang gliding and hot-air ballooning, two excellent ways to experience the contours of the land like a lifelike topographical map.
Central Kentucky and Tennessee is a region covered by some of America's most famous forestland, and sprinkled by some of its most picturesque waterways. The region glorifies in graceful ups and downs, from the craggy hills and mountains to the verdant creeks and river beds. Indeed, you could spend a whole vacation even without popping your head above the land's surface, among all the wandering caves. And the fishing, kayaking, and biking, and all the other outdoors sports you can do here, will leave you satisfied and looking forward to your next trip. Outdoor sporting provides a unique window into this region, by which you can leave knowing that you've experienced the earth in a unique way, both aboveground and below.
Outdoor Recreation in Nashville, Louisville and Lexington in Central Kentucky and Tennessee
Outdoor-Sports-Recreation
My Old Kentucky Home State Park
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