Paddling

Laurel River Lake

With towering sandstone bluffs rising out of crystal-clear water, and old-growth hardwood forests shading secluded coves, Laurel River Lake is a paddler’s dream. Located within the Daniel Boone National Forest, its convenience and breathtakingly beautiful scenery makes it easy to find tranquil, remote, spots for a lovely picnic or quiet introspection. There are several boat-in campsites with drinking water and other amenities, as well as primitive sites if solitude is the goal. The lake allows pontoon boats, as well as motorboats, so water-skiers and tubers can get in on the action.

Laurel River Below Dam

Spectacular scenery, great rapids, but tough to catch in its entirety at runnable levels characterizes this two mile section of the Laurel River. Releases can provide about two miles of fun rapids in very cold water. Even at the height of the summer, paddlers will want to take along their cold weather boating gear since the release water flows from the bottom of Laurel Lake. Only available when water is released from the dam.

Holly Bay Marina

Holly Bay Marina on Laurel Lake has plenty of fishing, boating, and recreation for your enjoyment. The marina offers Houseboat Rentals, Pontoon Rentals, Kayak Rentals, Fishing Boat Rentals, Boat Slip Rentals, Grocery / Deli, Full Service Marina, Camping / Fishing / Boating Supplies, Fully Equipped Campground, Year-Round / 24 Hour Security, Six-Boat Gas Dock, Safe Convenient Parking. Holly Bay Marina is handicapped accessible.

Wood Creek Lake

Situated along 1-75 in Laurel County, Wood Creek Lake is a lake that is widely over looked. Wood Creek Lake is a 672-acre reservoir in Laurel County, Kentucky. Created by impounding Wood Creek in 1969, the lake is in the middle of Daniel Boone National Forest. Wood Creek Lake Dam is a rock-fill dam, 163 feet high and 800 feet long at its crest, with a maximum capacity of 29,101 acre feet.

Upper Rockcastle River

This section of river is rated as Class I+. Put in is at the Wilderness Road Ford just south of Livingston on U.S. 25. The put in is on private land. Please respect the rights of landowners. The take out is just beyond I-75, on the right side of the river, 6 miles downstream. This take out is also on private land. The trip takes between 1 and 3 hours depending on the water level and the paddler’s ability. Looking for a more daring adventure that involves a higher class level? Check out the Lower Rockcastle River for Class II-IV.

Rockcastle Outdoor Company 

Rockcastle Outdoor Company located in Livingston, Kentucky offers guided and unguided SUP tours on the Rockcastle River.

The 3 Mile Cumberland is a Half-Day trip that includes a relaxing section of the Cumberland River where you meander down the river following behind the great Blue Herons that call the riverbank their home. Slip along the shoreline for a shaded trip, or out in the open for a sunnier voyage.

• About 1.0 – 1.5 hours on-water time
• Afternoon trips
• No experience required
• Appropriate for all ages (some small shoals)

5 Mile Ballard Ford

The 5 mile Ballard Ford is a Half-Day trip that includes a relaxing section of the Cumberland River where you meander down the river following behind the great Blue Herons that call the riverbank their home. Slip along the shoreline for a shaded trip, or out in the open for a sunnier voyage.

• About 2.0 – 2.5 hours on-water time
• Afternoon trips
• No experience required
• Appropriate for all ages (some small shoals)

5 Mile Upper Cumberland

The 5 Mile Upper Cumberland is a Half-Day trip which is located in the section of river above Cumberland Falls itself. It has moving water the whole way and is mostly Class I, with 2 rapids that are borderline Class II. The take-out is 1/4 mile above Cumberland Falls, a 68-foot waterfall. Don’t miss the take-out – the last drop is a doozy! Availability dependent on water levels.

• About 2 – 2.5 hours on-water time
• Afternoon trips
• Class I-II; age restrictions vary depending on water levels

11 Mile Upper

A narrow section of the Cumberland River, you paddle down the river nestled into the riverbank. Trees line the bank overhanging into the river, providing alternating sunny and shady spots. Shallow shoals alternate with deep pools, providing places to swim and cool off. The trip puts in at Williamsburg and takes out at Redbird Boat Ramp.

• About 4-5 hours on-water time
• Morning trip (Meets at 10:30am)
• No experience required

8.5 Croley Bend

A narrow section of the Cumberland River, you paddle down the river nestled into the riverbank. Trees line the bank overhanging into the river, providing alternating sunny and shady spots. Shallow shoals alternate with deep pools, providing places to swim and cool off. The trip puts in at Croley Bend and takes out at Redbird Boat Ramp.

• About 4-4.5 hours on-water time
• Morning trip (Meets at 10:30am)
• No experience required

17 Mile Upper

This 17-mile trip runs through farm and woodlands with the occasional house for the first 5 miles before entering into the Daniel Boone National Forest. This section of the Cumberland is a wide river with rolling hills, affording excellent birding opportunities. Availability dependent on water levels. The put-in for this section is at Redbird Boat Ramp and the take-out is at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

• About 6-7 hours on-water time
• Morning trip (Meets at 10am)
• Some experience recommended.

Blue Heron to Alum

This 12.2 mile trip is a combination of 2 Half-Day trips: Blue Heron to Yamacraw and the Yamacraw to Alum Ford. It is characterized by large boulders and high cliff lines. Early in the season, Lake Cumberland covers most of this section of river, so the section is mostly deep flatwater. Later in the season, as the lake drops, rapids alternate with deep pools, providing plenty of places to fish, explore and swim. When the lake is down, there are several borderline Class II rapids, with one (Duck Rock) that is a Class II rapid.

• About 5-6 hours on-water time
• Morning trip (meets at 8am)
• No experience needed for early season. Some experience needed for later in the season.
• Recommended age for early season levels: all ages
• Recommended age for late season: ages 8 and up.

50 Mile Trip

Any of the various sections of the Big South Fork can be combined to reach the length of trip that you would like. Running all the sections from Leatherwood Ford down to Hwy 927 gives you a 51.4 mile trip. This option is very popular with Boy Scout troops looking to get their 50-miler badge. Most people will take 4-5 days to do the 50-miler. Due to experience level requirements, this trip cannot be booked directly on-line.  

• Combine all the section of the BSF for a total mileage of 51.4 miles
• Morning trip (Meets at 7am)
• Class II experience required
• 2 mandatory portages (Angel Falls and Devil’s Jump)
• Recommended age for most water levels: 12 and up

28 Mile Upper

This 28-mile trip starts in the sleepy college town of Williamsburg, KY and runs through farm and woodlands with the occasional house for the first 16 miles before entering into the Daniel Boone National Forest. The upper section is narrow with Trees line the bank overhanging into the river, providing alternating sunny and shady spots. The river then widens out providing views of the rolling hills and affording excellent birding opportunities. Availability dependent on water levels. The take-out is at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

• About 10-12 hours on-water time
• Morning trip (Meets at 10am)
• Some experience recommended

24 Mile Trip

This 24-mile trip combines the sections of Blue Heron to Yamacraw, Yamacraw to Alum Ford and Alum Ford to Hwy 927 for a 2-day trip. runs through the heart of the Big South Fork National Park. It is characterized by large boulders and high cliff lines. Rapids alternate with deep pools, providing plenty of places to fish, explore and swim. There can be several borderline Class II rapids, with one (Duck Rock) that is a Class II rapid, which shows once the lake level drops later in the season. The latter part of the trip becomes mostly a flatwater section as you paddle into Lake Cumberland. Depending on the lake level, this section can have anywhere from 5-22 miles with no current.

• Usually done as an 2-day trip, but can be stretched into a 3-day
• Morning trip (Meets at 7am)
• Some experience recommended
• Recommended age for most water levels: 8 and up

27-Mile Trip

This 27-mile trip runs through the heart of the Big South Fork National Park. It is extremely remote with a number of Class II rapids. It is appropriate for experienced paddlers. Characterized by huge boulders, high cliff lines and numerous islands, this is an absolutely gorgeous section of river, but not one to be taken lightly. A damage deposit is required on this section of river. *Due to experience level requirements, this trip cannot be booked directly on-line.  

• Usually done as an easy 3-day or long 2-day trip
• Morning trip (Meets at 10am)
• Class II experience required
• 2 mandatory portages (Angel Falls and Devil’s Jump)
• Recommended age: 12 and up

19- Mile Trip

This 19-mile trip runs through the heart of the Big South Fork National Park. It is extremely remote with a number of Class II rapids. It is appropriate for experienced paddlers. Characterized by huge boulders, high cliff lines and numerous islands, this is an absolutely gorgeous section of river, but not one to be taken lightly. Putting in at Station Camp rather than Leatherwood Ford allows paddlers to skip one mandatory portage around Angel Falls and also avoid the long pool above Station Camp. A damage deposit is required on this section of river. *Due to experience level requirements, this trip cannot be booked directly on-line.  

• Usually done as an 2-day trip, but can be stretched into a 3-day
• Morning trip (Meets at 10am)
• Class II experience required
• 1 mandatory portages (Devil’s Jump)
• Recommended age: 12 and up