Pine Mountain
Pine Mountain, the second highest peak in Kentucky. See black bear, deer and elk as well as a variety of small animals and birds. Travel along scenic Little Shepherd Trail, a one-lane paved road, from Kingdom Come State Park to the Pine Mountain Trail Overlook near Whitesburg. Hunt in the Hensley/Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Hike the historic Scuttle Hole Gap wagon road or the Pine Mountain Trail Linear State Park.
Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve
A 60-foot waterfall is the focal point of this 2,639- acre preserve that is home to one of the largest concentrations of rare and endangered species in the state.
Lilley Cornett Woods
This old growth forest was preserved by coal miner Lilley Cornett, whose family passed it on to Eastern Kentucky University for use as a research station and living museum of natural history. It's open by appointment.
Shepherd Trail
Little Shepherd Trail is 20 miles of road through the wilderness of Pine Mountain Wildlife Management Area leading to the Kingdom Come State Park. It is located off Highway 119 South on the Cumberland side of Pine Mountain. Call (606) 633-5828.
Fish Pond Lake
This pristine manmade lake is one mile west of Payne Gap off U.S. 119. Once the site of a mining camp, the valley was dammed and flooded in 1961 to create this shining centerpiece to the 895-acre Little Laurel Park. The lake is home to freshwater jellyfish and a resident trout population, as well as bass, catfish and other Kentucky species. Petroleum-powered boat engines are prohibited, but at 45 acres, the lake is small enough for boaters to traverse easily with electric motors or oars. The lake is owned by the Letcher County Fiscal Court and is open to the public.