Legends and Lore of the Kentucky Wildlands

The Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky has long been known as a somewhat remote and mysterious area, filled with more than its share of ancient stories, folklore and legendary figures. Here in The Kentucky Wildlands, you can experience firsthand “the world’s most famous feud.” Look out over the same sweeping expanse that captivated a celebrated, legendary frontiersman and walk in his very footsteps. Search for America’s most notorious silver mine and follow the actual tracks of famous Prohibition-era bootleggers. Revisit a national crisis that pitted neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother and split Appalachian towns in two. And join the quest for the often-sighted elusive Bigfoot, believed to frequent the region’s highland forests. In The Kentucky Wildlands, there is no end to the tales and legends rooted in the kind of facts, fiction and stories that can move mountains.

Relive the world-renowned Hatfield & McCoy generation-spanning family feud unleashed across the Appalachian mountaintops with the Hatfield & McCoy Feud Driving Tour featuring actual sites of their clashes and deadly provocations. Trace the footsteps of legendary pioneer and frontiersman Daniel Boone, and ascend the path to the Pilot Knob vantage point where you can take in the same breathtaking view of the expansive untamed wilderness he saw more than 250 years ago.

Seek out what may be the most famous Appalachian legend of all, and certainly the most famous lost silver mine in our country’s history, by helping unravel the mystery of Jonathan Swift’s silver cache, one of the greatest buried American treasures of all time. And celebrate the folk lore surrounding the legend at the fun-filled Silver Mine Festival held each Labor Day weekend in Campton near Swift Creek, the alleged site of the mine.

Kentucky’s fascinating Civil War history includes mountains towns, such as Prestonsburg, which changed possession several times during the war and where neighbors found themselves on different sides of the nation’s struggle. The Moonshiner’s Hollow Interpretive Trail in Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park retraces the countryside once traversed by Kentucky’s infamous moonshiners and bootleggers. And join in on the fun of tracking the legendary Bigfoot, who according to the Travel Channel’s Expedition Bigfoot’s advanced computer models, is believed to have been narrowed down to the deep forests of The Kentucky Wildlands.

Hidden Gems in the Kentucky Wildlands

Liberty Park Veteran's Wall

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Asher Hunting Access Area

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Zilpo Road National Forest Scenic Byway

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