Pine Mountain State Resort Park, near Pineville, will hold its second annual Hike the Highlands on January 11 through January 13, 2013.
This year participants will be able to choose from a variety of activities and adventures. Hikes will range half-day to full day excursions. Evening presentations will focus on safety while hiking and hiking highlights of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
Among the full day hikes will be an all-day, nine-mile round-trip trek along the Ewing Trail to White Rocks and all-day, eight-mile round trip trek to Blanton Forest including the upper and lower loops featuring Sand Cave and Knobby Rock.
Half-day (or less) hikes will vary in length from 1.5 to three miles and will also be offered on Saturday and Sunday. Some of the destinations for these shorter treks include Narrows Overlook, Chained Rock, and Laurel Gorge. An underground hike of historic Gap Cave will take place on Saturday.
Registration fees for Hike the Highlands are $20.00 for adults, $10.00 for youths 13-17, and free for children 12 and under.
Pine Mountain State Resort Park is offering package deals for the weekend starting at $129.00 for single and $174.00 for double. The packages include accommodations for two nights, two evening meals, a bandana, hikes, and evening programs.
Advance registration is required for Hike the Highlands and can be made by calling the park at (800) 325-1712. If also making lodging reservations, mention Hike the Highlands Weekend for the package pricing.
Winter is perhaps the best season for visiting and hiking the Southern Appalachians – the leafless trees offer stunning view of the mountain tops. So brush off the stay-inside blues and join Pine Mountain for this wintery weekend escape.
Pine Mountain State Resort Park became Kentucky’s first state park in 1924 on land donated by local county officials.
At first the park was called Cumberland State Park; the name was changed in 1938 so as to avoid confusion with the newly formed Cumberland Falls State Park.
During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed roads, bridges, shelters, and trails along with log cabins that are still a part of park’s rentals.
Pine Mountain is located in south-central Kentucky not far from where Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet at Cumberland Gap and about 190 miles from Metro Louisville. (For detailed directions, consult Google Maps.)
Facilities at the park include the 30-room Herndon J. Evans Lodge, cottages, Mountain View Restaurant, mini golf, playgrounds, picnicking, a pool, trails, and more.
Pine Mountain State Resort Park
1050 State Park Road
Pineville, KY 40977-0610
Telephone: (606) 337-3066 or (800) 325-1712
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