Located in portions of 21 eastern Kentucky counties, the Daniel Boone National Forest encompasses over 699,575 acres of land and is managed by the USDA Forest Service. This land is generally rugged and characterized by steep forested ridges, narrow valleys, and over 3,400 miles of cliff line. These diverse land forms give rise to a great variety of trees, wildflowers, birds, and animals, including threatened and endangered species such as the Virginia big-eared bat, freshwater mussels, running buffalo clover, and white-haired goldenrod.
The forest contains two large lakes (Cave Run Lake and Laurel River Lake), many rivers and streams, two wilderness areas, and the 269-mile Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail that extends across the length of the forest (see details below). Abundant wildlife, lush vegetation, magnificent scenery, and numerous recreation opportunities offer visitors much to enjoy. The Daniel Boone National Forest, originally named the Cumberland National Forest, was established in the 1930's. National forests in the eastern United States were set aside for watershed protection and to provide a continuous supply of timber. Use was later expanded to include recreation, wildlife, water and wilderness.
The Daniel Boone National Forest is one of the most heavily used forests in the South, with over 5 million visitors annually. People come here to backpack, camp, picnic, rock climb, and enjoy the tranquility. For more information contact the Daniel Boone National Forest at 859.745.3100 or check out the web site at www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/boone.
