Offroading & Adventure in Kentucky's Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway
Spring camping in Kentucky is quickly becoming a new tradition. The Lexington area is known for horses, burbon whiskey and now off-roading!!
The Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway
The Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway (DBBB) navigates around Eastern Kentucky’s Red River Gorge and Daniel Boone National Forest. The terrain is split three ways between paved/gravel/trail.
The DBBB features routes that range in easy to moderately difficult. According to the DBBB website, ORV vehicles with 33” mud tires, rear lockers, recovery straps, winch, and a GMRS radio or CB is highly encouraged. Cell coverage is spotty, at best.
I had scouted the area prior to this trip via Google Maps and OnX Offroad, creating routes that we knew were must-see areas. I also downloaded these maps in OnX for offline use, knowing service would not be reliable. Ratings, mileage and trail reports really makes OnX my new preferred offroad trail mapping tool. I’m kind of a nerd about maps, and I’m really enjoying my subscription to OnX to help me become a better navigator.
Sunrise from the road.
I set off before sunrise on a Wednesday morning to tackle the 540 mile journey to Eastern Kentucky. After a few gas and bio stops, as well as a slight delay from Ohio’s finest reminding me I-75 is not a race track, I finally arrived at our adventure base camp, Callie’s Lake & Campground. My adventure friends, and epic trip planners, Michelle and Dale, had already arrived and were eagerly awaiting to go do some trail exploring.
Our first route took us from camp to Pumpkin Hollow Rd to Spaas Creek. Rated a 4/10, Pumpkin Hollow is a moderate 3 mile trail that connects to Spaas Creek, a moderate 5/10 rated, 6 mile trail. Since I had the detailed map, I was nominated to lead this route. This is my first time leading an off road trail. Nervous about what’s ahead, I trusted my lines and only made a few wrong turns.
The second day, Brent & Chris joined our crew, and off we went! We started on a very windy, narrow paved route to the Fitchburg Stone Furnace. Also known as the Red River Furnace, this charcoal blast furnace operated by the Red River Iron Manufacturing Company in 1869 and closed in 1873.
We only scratched the surface of this new 250 mile expansion of the DBBB through historic route passing the Fitchburg Stone Furnace in the Daniel Boone National Forest.
A quick trip back to basecamp for lunch, and we were back to the trails. This time, our destination was south of camp to navigate Old Fincastle Road to Cowen Creek. Again, as the map holder I was nominated to lead our trio.
From my route scouting, I knew there was a slightly terrifying rock garden pass that we wound have to navigate through. Fortunately for us, we were approaching this obstacle going downhill, allowing gravity to work to our advantage. All three of us navigated without issue through, and we just kept having a blast!
Cliff below the rock garden on Old Fincastle Road. I still cannot believe I drove my Jeep here!
Day 3 of our offroad adventure took us to Mountain Springs Road to Sand Lick Road. This route took us nearly all day to complete, as the trails were extremely wet and muddy from the overnight rainfall. All three of us had to be winched or pulled up several obstacles, making for some hilarious radio chatter.
Routes we covered:
Kayak Tours at The Gorge Underground
A must-do experience, in my opinion, is a visit to The Gorge Underground. This old limestone mine was abandoned when miners hit an aquifer and the mine flooded. Rainbow trout swim these 35 degree waters, and will swim alongside your kayak throughout these underground rooms.
Our group getting ready to kayak underground! (Photo courtesy The Gorge Underground)
Getting ready to paddle (Photo courtesy The Gorge Underground)
Hartfield & Company is brining bourbon back to Bourbon County.
Bourbon Tasting at Hartfield & Company Distillery
The first and only distillery in Bourbon County since prohibition went into effect in 1919, Hartfield & Company produces small batch pre-prohibition style bourbon whiskey, gin and rum located in historic Paris, Kentucky. The tour takes visitors on an hour overview from mashing to fermentation to distillation and aging in their historic 3-story building. The small staff at Hartfield clearly has a passion for making some of Kentucky’s finest spirits.
The tasting room at Hartfield & Company Distillery
One of the many distillery cats roaming the halls
This spring trip was one to remember! I cannot wait for the next opportunity to further explore Eastern Kentucky. Special thank you to Michelle & Dale for all their pre-planning of these adventures, and allowing me to show up and be part of their family fun!