Discover Bell County

When searching for a hotel in Bell County, you can plan your trip around the themes that interest you: geological landscapes, cave tours, hiking trails, or regional history. Destinations differ in their landforms, historical connections, and the specific activities they offer.

Mountain Landscapes and Trails

Cumberland Gap is a dry notch in Cumberland Mountain. It formed when Yellow Creek cut through the rising mountain. Pine Mountain State Resort Park has 12 miles of self-guided hiking trails. The Hemlock Garden Trail passes through a wooded gorge with old hemlock trees that are over 300 years old and 0.9 to 1.2 meters in diameter. Large sandstone blocks and a forest stream also characterize the trail.

The Honeymoon Falls Trail follows a mountain stream through rhododendron stands and old-growth forest communities. At 25 feet high, Honeymoon Falls is the largest waterfall in the park. The Chain Rock Trail, by contrast, offers panoramic views of Pineville, Highway 25E, and the surrounding mountain landscape. These trails have different focuses: forest and stream, waterfall and plant life, or views of the town, road, and mountains.

Pineville’s Narrows is a water gap where the Cumberland River winds through Pine Mountain at Highway 119 in Pineville. Water is part of the landscape here too, but in a very different form from the mountain stream or waterfall.

History and Culture

The Wilderness Road through Cumberland Gap enabled about 200,000 to 300,000 European-American settlers to travel west. Hensley Settlement is a preserved Appalachian community from the early 20th century on Cumberland Mountain in Kentucky. Tours include several buildings, including cabins, a blacksmith shop, and a barn.

The Bell County Historical Society Museum preserves historical documents, photographs, and artifacts from the Cumberland Gap area. You’ll encounter another historical topic at Chained Rock: it was secured to the adjacent rock face in the summer of 1933 and is associated with a local disaster legend. Pine Mountain State Resort Park became one of Kentucky’s first four state parks in 1926.

Planning Tours and Activities

The Gap Cave tour includes a 1.5-mile hike, three cave levels, and 183 steps. These details give you a concrete framework for fitting the tour into your day. Reservations for Gap Cave must be made by noon on the day before your preferred tour date.

The trails also offer different options: the Clear Creek Hollow Trail follows a disused railroad track and is used by hikers, walkers, runners, mountain bikers, and anglers. The Cumberland River offers opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing. Paddling and fishing are the main activities on the river, while the Clear Creek Hollow Trail follows a former railroad track.

Local Cuisine

The restaurant and Mountain Top Tavern at Pine Mountain State Resort Park use locally sourced meat and produce when available. If local products are important to your trip, this conditional note is part of the description of the park’s dining options.

Discover more destinations: Middlesboro, Carter County, Fayette, Pike County, Morgan County, Woodford County, Garrard County, Whitley County.

For the main travel overview: Kentucky.