New Website for Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park
Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park is a city park located just south of London, Kentucky in Laurel County. The park encompasses 896 acres and includes a section of the Wilderness Road that early settlers used to reach Kentucky. The park is named for Levi Jackson, an early Kentucky pioneer. It serves as both a recreational and historic park.
The historic Wilderness Road was the main route used by settlers for more than 50 years to reach Kentucky from Virginia. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. It was later lengthened, following Native American trails, to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. The Wilderness Road was rough and steep. In the early days of the trail, it could only be traveled on foot or horseback. As more travelers passed, the road improved and horse-drawn wagons were able to follow the trail.
It remained a state park until 2019, when the Commonwealth of Kentucky transferred ownership of the property to the City of London. The name changed from Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park to Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park. The City of London immediately set out to improve the property and its many structures and attractions.
The Mountain Life Museum, a park attraction that brings visitors into a pioneer settlement, is open Friday and Saturday. Buildings in the settlement were moved from other sites or built as replicas on the park. All buildings are filled with lots of pioneer relics including tools, products of agriculture and household implements. The museum consists of 7 buildings – an excellent attraction to visitors of Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park. There are also many other attractions within the park, including a campground, several shelters, mini golf, community swimming pool, and Treetop Adventure – an aerial treetop adventure course.
Click here to visit the Official Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park Website.