Treehouse camping, forest bathing: Six great ways to enjoy Kentucky’s fall color

October is here and that means fall color at its most brilliant in the commonwealth.

Fall foliage prognosticators are predicting that a kaleidoscope of fiery hues from topaz to scarlet will be on view for the entire month (the Farmers’ Almanac says the peak times are Oct. 5-21 for Eastern Kentucky and Oct. 12-28 for the rest of the state.)

The usual suspects in the Appalachian Region of Eastern Kentucky — from Jenny Wiley and Pine Mountain State Resort Parks to the Red River Gorge and Breaks Interstate Park on the Virginia line, are gearing up to welcome leaf-loving visitors.

However, Mike Mangeot, Kentucky’s Commissioner of Tourism, cautions not to overlook other parts of the state.

“In this year of the coronavirus pandemic, we have adopted the slogan, ‘Stay Close – Go Far’,” he says. “Our state parks, the Land Between the Lakes in Western Kentucky, and the Daniel Boone National Forest (which spreads across 21 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky) offer some of the best fall color in the United States.”

No-effort camping

This year more than ever, tourism efforts are being geared toward the Great Outdoors. That translates into many unique ways to experience it.

Camping may not be unique, but it seems that this year many people – not wanting to stay in a hotel — are trying it for the first time.

If, like me, you think of camping as a form of torture (I once almost broke up with a boyfriend over trying to pitch a tent), Lexington-based Kentucky Camp Company is a godsend.

Shane Tedder and his wife, Jarah Jones, operate KCC, but it was their 11-year-old son Pax who came up with the idea that launched it.

“We were on a camping trip to Florida when he said to me ‘Dad, how cool would it be if we could help families learn to camp,’ “says Shane. (For this service to mankind, I would like to nominate Pax for a humanitarian award.)

Currently, the couple has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to set up camps at the Twin Knobs Campground at Cave Run Lake just south of Morehead, but they hope to expand to more areas in the Daniel Boone National Forest next year.

Now through the end of October, neophyte campers can contact Tedder and Jones and arrange a weekend camping trip. The couple will provide all the gear (tent, cots, camp kitchen, chairs, firewood and kindling; you furnish the food.)

If you’re not exactly Dan’l Boone or even Dora the Explorer, it’s comforting to know that they will set up and take down the campsite for you. (Cost is $300 for a party of four).

“Right now, our package is for two nights – Friday and Saturday — but if someone wants a longer experience, we’re open to that,” says Tedder.

If camping still seems too primitive, an alternative is renting a cabin from Red River Gorgeous Wilderness Cabin Rentals which can provide you with unusual lodgings in what is arguably Kentucky’s most scenic area.

They have every category of cabin, from rustic casual to one with all the amenities of a 4-star hotel, including a private hot tub nestled in the forest.

With their treehouse accommodations, you’re not just looking at leaves; you are sleeping among them. If you want a treehouse that would make Tarzan and Jane green with envy, book the Looking Glass Treehouse, a dual structure perched atop a tulip poplar and pignut hickory. The façade of mirrors reflects the changing colors around you, promising a unique way of fall foliage viewing.

Take a forest bath

A bath? In the forest? If you think this means tripping along au naturel, slapping at clouds of buzzing mosquitoes, and looking for a natural bathtub that you might have to share with others — possibly not of your own species — put your mind at ease.

No public nudity is involved in forest bathing. All you shed is your corporate skin, thus allowing you to become one with the natural world, and you won’t even get wet.

While relatively new in the U.S., the concept has been common in Japan for four decades. Known as shinrin-yoku, it centers on becoming one with the natural world and has proven to have a positive effect on physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Forest bathing is about indulging all your senses. Really listen to the sounds around you. Can you distinguish the melody of a robin from that of a blue jay? Hug a tree if you want, but while embracing it, get a whiff of its perfume. Cedars have a different fragrance than rain-wet oaks.

Watch the play of natural light. You may be surprised to find that it creates sparkling diamond patterns and menacing shadows in equal measure. If we do this right, nature can both refresh and rejuvenate us, according to eco-therapist Jennifer Owens, co-founder and wellness director of Bridge Counseling and Wellness in Louisville.

“Forest bathing is usually done over a two-hour period,” says Owens, who has guided groups ranging in size from one person to five or six people.

Kentucky has a myriad of beauty spots where you can enjoy your “bath” amidst a backdrop of fall foliage. And you might just be getting healthier while doing it.

“Trees and plants release phytoncides, an organic compound which reduces blood pressure and improves sleep,” says Owens, “two hours in the forest equates to a two-week boost in your immune system.”

Tree-climbing, elk watching, golf

The coronavirus has played havoc with every aspect of our lives, but out of it has come the need to reconnect with nature. And what better time to do it than during nature’s most glorious season? The Kentucky Department of Tourism recommends the following:

▪ Enjoy tree climbing – adult style – with the experienced staff at Earthjoy in Brooksville in Bracken County. Receive all the training you need to learn how to surf the branches like a pro. If you’re not into tree surfing, you can swing in tree chairs or for the really lethargic, lie in hammocks suspended from the trees.

▪ Jenny Wiley State Resort Park promises a chance to see more than just gorgeous fall color on their guided elk watching tours. With a herd of 11,000 of these majestic herbivores spanning 16 counties, you’re guaranteed a spotting.

▪ Play a round of golf on an 18-hole mountaintop course at Stonecrest Golf Course in Prestonsburg. It may be hard to keep your eye on the ball rather than the starburst of fall colors in the surrounding mountains. But what really makes this course unique is that its 700 acres are part of a reclaimed Appalachian surface mine.

This year, more than any other, Kentuckians can take solace in the beauty of nature. So, go ahead – camp out in style, forest bathe, elk watch, golf on a mountaintop – you’ve earned it.

If You Go

Kentucky Camp Co., 309 N. Ashland Ave, Lexington; kycampco.com

Red River Gorgeous Cabin Rentals, 3546 Nada Tunnel Rd., Stanton; 606-663-9824; rrgcabin.com

Earthjoy, 3400 Bridgeville Road, Brooksville; 859-635-0320; climbtreeswithearthjoy.com

Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, 419 Jenny Wiley Dr., Prestonsburg; 606-889-1790; parks.ky.gov

Stonecrest Golf Course, 918 Clubhouse Dr., Prestonsburg; 606-886-1006; stonecrestgolfcourse.com