Discover the Roads Less Traveled in the Bluegrass State

RRG/Natural Bridge Area

Travelers can take advantage of the state’s central location and beautiful scenic drives to explore Kentucky’s hidden gems no matter the season. When you’re ready and feel comfortable traveling on a road trip, Kentucky is waiting.

In central Kentucky, take a relaxing drive through Horse Country on Old Frankfort Pike (KY 1681). This 16.9 mile scenic byway connects Frankfort and Lexington, winding its way through with beautiful scenic horse farms surrounded by rock and wooden fences. Hungry? Stop in Wallace Station Deli and Bakery, an unassuming eatery created by popular Chef Ouita Michel. If you turn north onto U.S. 62, you’ll end up in the charming, historic town of Midway with plenty of antique shops, boutiques and restaurants. There’s also Pisgah Pike nearby, an approximately 5 mile long roadway running north and south from Old Frankfort Pike to U.S. 60 between Versailles and Lexington. On the Lexington end, you’ll find a magical site – The Kentucky Castle, and further east along U.S. 60 is Keeneland, an internationally renowned racecourse and the Thoroughbred industry’s leading auction house.

The Red River Gorge National Geological Area has some of the most deeply forested terrain surrounding the paved roads – bikers especially enjoy it. Starting in Powell County near Stanton, drive along the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway for colorful foliage in the fall and the spectacular Nada Tunnel year-round – the one-lane tunnel is 900-feet long that was created in the early 1900s for timber hauling.

For history lovers, drive the Wilderness Road Heritage Highway from Middlesboro to Berea, and learn about how the West was settled at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Take time to explore Berea, the “Folk Arts and Craft Capital of Kentucky.”

2020 continues to be the “Year of Music” in Kentucky, and you can take in the sights and sounds of Kentucky’s country music heritage by driving along the Country Music Highway (U.S. 23)! This scenic roadway winds through seven counties in far eastern Kentucky, hugging the border of West Virginia and passing by some of Kentucky’s most beautiful state parks. Music and storytelling traditions run deep in this part of Kentucky, which has produced more hit country artists than any other region per capita, including Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, The Judds, Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, Billy Ray Cyrus, Tom T. Hall, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Dwight Yoakam and Patty Loveless.

Start in Ashland at the Highlands Museum and Discovery Center to find a special display dedicated to the Judd’s and take in a show at the Paramount Arts Center, a restored 1930s art deco building hosting theater performances, concerts and private events. Continue south to the Paintsville area and visit the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum featuring exhibits and memorabilia about the area’s country music stars. Don’t miss Loretta Lynn’s Homeplace in “Butcher Holler” and Webb’s Grocery Store. This singer-songwriter’s birthplace and family home is nestled between two fog shrouded mountains up a “holler” in Van Lear. Visitors wishing to tour Loretta Lynn’s homeplace will need to stop in Webb’s Grocery, a historic general store currently owned by Loretta Lynn’s brother, Herman Webb.

For more information, visit https://www.kentuckytourism.com

Media Contact

Angela Blank, Assistant Director of Communications & Media Relations, [email protected]
View and download assets, visit Kentucky’s Media Hub

If you publish anything as the result of any Kentucky Dept. of Tourism’s story ideas, please let us know so we can share your work across our social media platforms and say thank you!