Read an Excerpt
Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve
- Scenery: 3
- Trail Condition: 3
- Children: 3
- Difficulty: 3
- Solitude: 4
- GPS Trailhead Coordinates: Pilot Knob Trailhead N 37˚ 54.723' W 83˚ 56.697'
- Distance & Configuration: 4.5-mile loop
- Highlights: Wooded terrain and a view over the Cumberland Plateau
- Hiking Time: 3 hours
- Elevation: 800' at the trailhead, ascending to 1,420'
- Access: Open 24/7; vehicle pass required for overnight parking
- Maps: USGS Levee; trail map available online at eec.ky.gov/Nature-Preserves/Brochures/PilotKnobBrochure_color.pdf
- Facilities: None
- Wheelchair Access: None
- Comments: Dangerous cliffs are present and should be avoided, especially by children.
- Contacts: Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission: 502-782-7839, eec.ky.gov/Nature-Preserves/Locations/Pages/Pilot-Knob.aspx
Overview
Just off the Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, west of Red River Gorge, lies the 742-acre Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve. Pieced together beginning with an original purchase made with The Nature Conservancy, the preserve covers creek bottoms, wooded ridges, and the highlight, a 730-foot-high sandstone outcrop that is said to have been visited by Daniel Boone and overlooks both the Bluegrass region and the beginning of the Cumberland Plateau. Though you can take a fairly steep incline straight to the top, it’s worth it to tour the entire area, rich in wildflowers and native Kentucky hardwoods.
Route Details
From the parking lot, set out east on the trail, crossing Brush Creek. In 0.2 mile you’ll reach the first junction; to the right is the 0.4-mile loop of the Millstone Quarry Trail, which is worth an exploration. To the left is the Oscar Geralds, Jr. Trail, which charges upward in just under a mile to the peak of Pilot Knob; to do so, simply continue upward, staying left at both junctions with the Sage Point Trail.
While this is a decent hike, though short, it’s more challenging—and ultimately more fulfilling—to do the entire loop of the area. For the full loop, go right at the first junction with the Sage Point Trail. From here, you’ll amble along ridgelines thick with oaks and hickories, dropping to another creek and wildflower-filled bottomland (sometimes crossing power line roads) and climbing again toward the prominence of Pilot Knob. After completing the 2-mile Sage Point Trail, watch for a trail to the right and follow it 0.4 mile to some stunning rock formations and, finally, the cliff-edge view that, in spring, flowers with mountain azalea.
To return, follow this trail back 0.4 mile, then turn right on the Oscar Geralds, Jr. Trail and follow it for 0.3 mile. As you descend, look up and to the right to see the cliff you were just on. Keep right at the junction with the Sage Point Trail, and again keep right after another 0.3 mile at the junction with the Millstone Quarry Trail. Return the last 0.25 mile to your car.
Directions
From Exit 16 off Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, go right (north) on KY 15 for 2.9 miles. Turn right on Brush Creek Road and follow it 1.6 miles to the parking lot at the end of the road. The trail begins at the edge of the lot.
