Pine Mountain State Resort Park photo
Kentucky's first state park
More than 300,000 people passed through Pineville, Kentucky, at the northern end of the Cumberland Gap, during westward expansion in the 19th century. Two centuries later, the area attracts thousands of visitors thanks to the nearby Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and Pine Mountain State Resort Park.
Despite the Cumberland Gap drawing the bulk of attention, Pine Mountain has actually held its state park distinction longer. It was given the name in 1924, making it Kentucky’s first state park. That also makes Bell County the only county in the state with both a state and national park.
As Pine Mountain approaches its centennial anniversary it continues to be a vital and attractive destination due to multiple factors: it features more than 12 miles of hiking trails, more than 70,000 acres for public hunting, two golf courses, and kayaking, all helping to make it a playground for outdoor enthusiasts. Adding to its allure are the fact that 44 of the Kentucky’s 148 rare and endangered plants can be found in the park, along with wildlife such as deer, turkeys, bears, spotted skunks, a host of birds, and more.
“What gets me most excited is our great diversity of herpetological species,” says Keith Bowling, Pine Mountain State Resort Park’s program services supervisor. “If you’re a person who likes salamanders, snakes and amphibians, then we have a treasure trove of interesting stuff here for you to explore.”
Pine Mountain and the surrounding area will soon expand outdoor offerings with the Boone’s Ridge Wildlife Center. Set to open next summer, the $56 million facility is expected to host over one million visitors a year, bringing a tourism boom to the region previously dominated by coal.
Tourism officials say Boone’s Ridge is likely to provide a boost to Pineville similar to that of one of the park’s first attractions: Chain Rock, which helped to cement the mountain town as a tourist destination a century ago.
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Pine Mountain State Resort Park photo
Kentucky's first state park
A popular trail leads to stunning views at Chain Rock.
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Pine Mountain State Resort Park photo
Kentucky's first state park
Pine Mountain State Resort Park offers lodging options ranging from cabins and cottages to a lodge overlooking the Cumberland Gap.
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Keith Bowling photo
Kentucky's first state park
Prickly Pear cactus, the only species of cactus native to Kentucky, is one of 148 rare and endangered plants within Pine Mountain State Resort Park.
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Pine Mountain State Resort Park photo
Kentucky's first state park
Chain Rock is one of the park’s most popular attractions.
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Sarah Elliot photo
Kentucky's first state park
The Clear Creek Hollow Trail follows a former L&N railroad spur that serviced local coal mining operations before tracks were pulled in the mid-1980s.
Chaining the rock
Pine Mountain wouldn’t be what it is today without the legend of Chain Rock, which was an attraction before the park existed. For years, local children and those migrating through the Cumberland Gap were told about a rock hanging precariously off of the mountain overlooking Pineville that had been chained back to prevent the 200 foot long, 75 foot wide boulder from tumbling down and dooming the town.
But there wasn’t actually a chain, at least not yet.
“People would look up from the highway or downtown Pineville and just see this gigantic boulder, which quickly piqued their interest and became a hot conversation topic,” says Bell County Tourism Director Jon Grace. “In many ways it’s Bell County’s original tourist attraction.”
A chain was installed in 1933 after various locals and groups formed the Chained Rock Club. A team of over 50 people hauled the 101 foot, 1.5 ton chain up to the mountain’s peak and bolted it in place with massive steel pegs, putting a cap on an epic publicity stunt and giving the town peace of mind they didn’t know they needed.
According to Bowling, the act of finally moving to install the chain was spurred on by a curious couple from New Hampshire.
“The gentlemen’s wife asked what keeps the rock up there, and was told that it had been chained down for her safety,” Bowling said. “She responded by pointing out that if there were in fact a chain big enough to hold back the rock that you would be able to see it from town, which ended up setting in motion the installation of one that has only further fueled the rock’s lore.”
The 2,200 foot peak of Pine Mountain is accessible via the 0.9 mile looping Chain Rock Trail, which also connects with the Laurel Cove Trail, a 1.75 mile route that ends at another of the park’s most scenic getaways.
Laurel Cove Amphitheater
Hidden within the dense trees lining Pine Mountain sits the pristine natural amphitheater called Laurel Cove. The site has been host to the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival since 1931, making it the park’s oldest official tradition.
The festival takes place on Memorial Day weekend, and consists of a beauty pageant with representatives from colleges and universities around the state. Part of the activities include candidates performing a unique 15-second curtsy for the governor, who later crowns the festival queen during a coronation ceremony. The springtime coronation is not the only event to call the cove home.
Begun in 2019 and spearheaded by Tourism Director Grace, the Laurel Cove Music Festival takes place in mid-June and brings together some of the brightest bands and songwriters in Appalachia. The music fest has attracted fans from more than 22 states and three countries to see artists like Charles Wesley Godwin, Sierra Ferrell and Cole Chaney.
Grace said the concerts make the park a destination for music lovers as much as it is for those who come to enjoy the outdoors.
The cove’s pairing of a beautiful backdrop and magnificent music has led to comparisons to another iconic natural stage in the Rockies, he said.
“The beauty of the cove is unparalleled. Many of our visitors there, especially for the festival, remark that it reminds them of Red Rocks.”
Interestingly, both the cove and Red Rocks were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. when President Franklin D. Roosevelt enacted the New Deal.
“Even though it’s much smaller, and located in a completely different part of the country than Red Rocks, people tend to feel the same energy and aura when they visit the cove for a show,” Grace said.
Laurel Cove is also known for hosting a theater adaptation of the “Book of Job.”
Golfing, lodging and hikes
If hiking, nature watching and the performance arts don’t capture your interest, perhaps a round at the links will? The Pineville area is home to two golf courses, the 18-hole Wasioto Winds and the 9-hole Middlesboro Country Club—one of the country’s longest continually operating golf courses dating back to the late 1880s.
Wasioto Winds opened in 2001, near the entrance to Pine Mountain State Resort Park. It hosts everything from professional tournaments to local high school matches, scrambles, fundraisers and more.
Following a round—or day out exploring nature—visitors can unwind at the park’s Mountain View Restaurant, located inside a cozy, 30-room lodge. Its menu offers a wide variety: favorites like fried green tomatoes, a hot brown and derby pie, a beer cheeseburger, fried catfish, or honey pecan chicken. The food is all the better with the majestic view.
“Every room in the lodge has the same beautiful balcony view looking down at and following the ridge of Pine Mountain,” Bowling said.
The lodge is just one of several accommodation available at the park, including nine one-bedroom cabins and 11 two-bedroom cottages on site. Each of the cabins date back to the Civilian Conservation Corps time on the mountain.
The wood-fire heated cabins were the first thing the Civilian Conservation Corps built, Bowling said. “They originally housed the warden, accountant and others who lived and worked here. The other six cabins were the last structures they built.”