Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail

Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail is a 120 mi (193 km) trail under development in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Once completed, the trail will wind along Pine Mountain Ridge from the Breaks Interstate Park to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The park itself will cover a 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) band along Pine Mountain.[1] The trail will connect Bad Branch State Nature Preserve and many other natural areas owned by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves.

Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail
Length120 mi (190 km)
LocationEastern Kentucky, United States
TrailheadsBreaks Interstate Park, Kentucky
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Kentucky
UseHiking
DifficultyModerate to Difficult
SightsCumberland Plateau
HazardsSevere weather
American black bear
Tick-borne diseases
Mosquitos
Biting flies
Chiggers
Steep grades
Limited water
Diarrhea from water
Poison ivy
Venomous snakes

As of May 2014, the trail is completed from the Breaks Interstate Park to Kingdom Come State Park.[2]

Trail sections

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The following chart lists the completed trail sections as of May 2014:

Trail Section Length Shelters Start to Finish
Birch Knob 28 mi (45 km) one Breaks Interstate Park to U.S. 23
Highland Section 16 mi (26 km) two U.S. 23 to U.S. 119
 
Birch Knob Shelter on the Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail
 
The falls via a spur trail of the Pine Mountain Trail near the Birch Knob shelter

Trail rules

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  • Foot traffic only between US 23 and US 119
  • Camping at designated sites only (There are a number of shelters along the trail - check for details on camping.)
  • No overnight camping permitted in state nature preserves.
  • No overnight parking at state nature preserves.
  • Trails have sign-in and sign-out stations that help identify who is and has been on the mountain in the event of an emergency.

References

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  1. ^ Susan Reigler, Pam Spaulding (2009). "Eastern Kentucky Parks". The Complete Guide to Kentucky State Parks. Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-9208-0.
  2. ^ Pine Mountain Trail Conference Retrieved on 2009-12-28
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37°12′12″N 82°33′09″W / 37.2034396°N 82.552376°W / 37.2034396; -82.552376