Follow Our Adventures: [ Ссылка ]

Follow Us On Instagram: [ Ссылка ]

Shop Our Gear [ Ссылка ]
We donate proceeds from each sale to support conservation in areas affected by deforestation.

Hidden within a 300 year old stand of some of Kentuckys finest old growth forest, Rock Hotel is more than just your average rock shelter. This short, yet magical 0.75 mile loop traverses a jungle like section of old growth hemlock, tulip, and white oak forest tucked into its own separate nature preserve, the Pine Mountain State Nature Preserve. This trail is easily accessible along Highway 382 while headed from Limestone Gap to Laurel Cove, and became our last hike for the day shortly after completing the journey to Powderhorn Arch.



Having passed by the trailhead earlier in the day, I took note of the fact that there is not much of a parking area for this trail. We had to squeeze our suv onto a thin stretch of shoulder just off the main highway, with the hope that it would give cars passing by adequate space to maneuver. The trail begins just past the stone steps leading from the state park into one of two separate tracts, totaling 868 acres of state nature preserve, within Bell County, Kentucky. So you might be asking, “Why create an extra layer of protection within an already protected state park?’


Well, it turns out that Rock Hotel is one of many sites in the region with recorded prehistoric Native American habitation going back thousands of years. In fact, the Pine Mountain Ridge, which extends 125 miles through the states of Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, has a rich history of early human habitation since the Late Mississippian Period. Some of these sites even contain petroglyphs, preserved in the stable environment of several rock shelters. Walking this trail, its entirely possible to imagine yourself retracing the same steps as our early ancestors did while they roamed the land.

Enjoy and see y'all on the trails!

свернуть