State parks department announces another Kentucky Trail Town, this one in the southeast

Less than a week after naming Burkesville the 26th Kentucky Trail Town, the state Department of Parks has announced another.

Hyden, Ky., in Leslie County, was certified as the latest trail town — a designation aimed at highlighting the area’s outdoor recreational opportunities as drivers of tourism.

“We’re excited to add Hyden to the growing list of exciting destinations,” Department of Parks Commissioner Russ Meyer said, in part, in a Saturday release. “These communities and our 45 State Parks represent some of the best outdoor recreation in the Commonwealth and serve as vital economic and physical health drivers.”

Wednesday, Hyden Mayor Carol Graham Lewis Joseph said she was thrilled by the designation as a trail town, which had been in the works for six years.

“I’m excited, because I’m hoping for a surge in tourism,” she told the Herald-Leader. “And I have to say, I think I live in the most beautiful place on Earth.”

A little about Hyden, Kentucky

Hyden, which is the county seat of Leslie, was established in 1878 and incorporated in 1882. It was named in honor of State Sen. John Hyden.

In December 1970, an explosion occurred at a mining operation at Hurricane Creek, just outside Hyden, killing 39 men and propelling the town into the national spotlight. There is now a memorial at the site.

The town was also the site of Richard Nixon’s first speech following his presidential resignation after Watergate in July 1978.

The city is situated east of the Daniel Boone National Forest, and Leslie County was home to an estimated 10,200 people as of July 2021. Mayor Joseph said the city has a population of 375, and has seen an uptick in tourism in recent years, particularly from hikers and bikers.

The trail town designation aims to provide strategic planning to “capitalize on travel opportunities,” according to the state.

For Hyden, that means capitalizing on the city’s 96-acre trail property, which includes views of the area and has a wheelchair-accessible trail, according to the mayor.

The area offers a slew of outdoor activities, from water sports on nearby Buckhorn Lake, home to the state resort park of the same name, to a close waterfall and strip mining ponds, which Joseph described as “crystal clear.”

“Downtown Hyden is home to the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River and several local trails built and managed by city officials and local volunteers,” the release states. “…In addition, Hyden serves as a major access point for an extensive network of off-road trails for ATVs, Side by Sides and other off highway vehicles.”

Many of the trail rides leave from the city’s property and fan out to other local attractions, and the mayor said officials hope to host more events in the future.

Kentucky Trail Towns

Hyden is the 27th and latest of the Kentucky Trail Town program, which is now managed by the state Department of Parks.

The others are:

• Dawson Springs
• Livingston
• Morehead
• Olive Hill
• London
• Stearns
• Elkhorn City
• Jamestown
• Manchester
• Berea
• Columbia
• Royalton
• Harlan County’s Cumberland, Benham and Lynch
• McKee
• Slade
• Munfordville
• Cave City/Horse Cave
• Campbellsville
• Irvine
• Ravenna
• Hazard
• Elizabethtown
• Morgantown
• Park City
• Livermore
• Burkesville

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This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 4:09 PM.