Kentucky Trails

When looking for prime offroad trails in the Red River Gorge Area, look no further than Spaas Creek. It is one of the best offroad trails within the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway for a good reason - it is satisfying! To satisfy your sense of adventure, it is just tough enough with moderate obstacles to challenge and excite new drivers and provide interest for seasoned drivers. Overlanders love it because it is one of the few trails on the Byway that has dispersed and rustic camping. The wooded wet scenery, which presents new inspiring details around every corner, will captivate even the most cynical in your group. You can't help feeling satisfied after driving Spaas Creek.

It starts with the name - Punkin Hollow in one county and Pumpkin Hollow in another. Either way you spell it, the Hollow is the quintessential offroad experience of the Red River Gorge region and the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway. It combines the best features of wheeling in the area without being too stressful and intense. The experience isn't a "gimme" either. You are going to have to earn your hero shots. Slick rocky climbs through a thick dark green forest will give way to the crossing of the Right Fork Cane Creek. Of all the creek crossings on the Byway, this one is special. You will certainly want your camera crew to get the hero shot of you driving the crossing. Get your wheeling buddies and make it an epic trip by combining Pumpkin Hollow with Spaas Creek.

New Virginia Ridge is an alternate road following the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway. It is one of the more calm and subdued backcountry drives in the entire network. Tall hardwoods line the gentle dirt road while you wind down, around, and past flowing tributaries and Hawk Branch. If you roll the windows down or take the top off, you can hear the crystal clear water flowing as you drive by. Towards the end, the trail runs along the edge of Big Sinking Creek, where structures remain from oil and gas booms that went bust before it reaches Bald Rock Fork. It is a perfect addition when driving the Byway.

Fixer-Leeco Road is a perfect beginner trail along the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway. Long water crossings through beaver areas are a memory-making experience and get your proverbial tires wet when learning how to drive offroad. Additionally, Fixer-Leeco marks the beginning of a long stretch of dirt road when you combine it with Fixer Road and either Cave Fork Road or New Virginia Road.

Wild Dog Creek Road is a captivating route nestled within the enchanting beauty of the Daniel Boone National Forest. This scenic road winds its way through the forested landscapes, offering an immersive experience for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. As you traverse Wild Dog Creek Road, you'll be greeted by towering trees, peaceful creeks, and an abundance of wildlife. Whether you're seeking a peaceful drive or stringing together an adventure-filled route, be sure to check out Wild Dog Creek.

Part of the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway, Bald Rock Fork is a remote and quiet road sure to pique your adventurous spirit. This road starts where Fixer Road ends along the edge of the Big Sinking Creek, which they call sinking because water disappears or sinks into limestone deposits, making the creek look dry as the water runs underground. The trail eventually turns to follow its namesake, Bald Rock Fork. With impressive creek views and crossings, the road enters the Pendergrass Murray Recreation Preserve, with world-class rock climbing and fantastic hiking opportunities.

Cave Fork Road is the tale of two stories. The first story is that you drive through two creek crossings for almost 3/4 of a mile and can take in the lush forest around you. The other side of the story is that you can witness Kentucky's oil and gas history for the remainder of the road as you drive through an old oil boom area that helped America win World War 1. If you are driving the DBBB, there are other options to reach pavement, such as Bald Rock Fork Road or New Virginia Road.

Many roads and offroad trails along the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway are named after landscape features, such as ridges, creeks, or forks. Others are named based on what towns they connect, such as Fixer-Leeco. Then you have the roads named after the town or settlement itself. That is the case with Fixer Road. Let's be clear. Fixer is not named in adoration an attorney who works for corrupt politicians, but rather for a man who was irritated with the U.S. Post Office. Folklore has it that a post office was established in the community in 1917. After submitting several rejected entries to postal authorities, an irritated customer declared that he was done suggesting place names. If the post office didn't like it, they could "fix 'er" themselves. If you are driving the DBBB, Fixer Road takes you through historical oil and gas activity and old homesteads while providing views of the Big Sinking Creek.

Touted as tough and non-negotiable, Old Fincastle Road is among the few rock-crawling offroad trails when driving the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway. It's one you don't want to skip. The trail has interesting and exciting features for drivers and passengers alike, from the challenging rock obstacles to a fun, scenic water crossing of Walker Creek. If you are new to rock crawling, this one will pucker you up just enough to inspire you to find more rock crawling trails.

Wayne Benson Road is worth adding to your list of DBBB trails. Mushy, mucky, and muddy Wayne Benson Road is an actual trail that provides the sense of adventure you seek. When all you hear are the birds chirping and the sound of sticky mud under your tires, you will feel remote, alone, and insulated from mundane daily life. As an add-on in this area of the DBBB, you can continue your offroad experience by taking on Johnson Hollow after completing this trail.

If Ballard Branch/Lone Oak is your first set of trails or roads when doing the entire Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway, don't let its schizophrenic personality fool you that the DBBB as a whole is going to be just like this one. It won't. If you are already on your way and have driven several other trails, you will be glad this one goes quickly.

Towering above you, sheer cliff walls are lined at the bottom with laurels that run alongside the road as you descend into the hollow that Hell Creek trickles across. While short and quick, this scenic and gentle road is a no-brainer to add to your list of roads you want to drive the DBBB. It is the perfect add-on when tackling the infamous Old Fincastle Road.

Driving into a dark hollow for the first time always brings a bit of a thrill and excitement. Johnson Hollow Road is no different, with the thrill and excitement coming in the form of being greeted by an old house with its own personality. When you drive by the mysterious old house, you can't help but wonder what it was like decades ago, perhaps with a cheerful, rosy-cheeked grandmotherly figure waving to you as you drive by. But then the present moment sets in, and all you see are the endlessly dark windows and the feeling you are being watched by something or someone within the decaying structure. Johnson Hollow is an excellent add-on or a fun bypass to Wayne Benson Road when driving the DBBB.

The sticky mud and a long descent into the hollow will brighten your eyes and widen your smile. Brushy 1085, part of the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway, starts 4.5 miles of actual offroad trail when you combine it with its neighbor, Brushy Fork North Road. The forest envelopes you with direct sunshine, quickly losing its shine as you drop into the hollow. As you continue this short trail, photo opportunities unveil themselves to you and your wheeling mates. After completing this trail, photos of water crossings, a calming unnamed tributary, and flexy obstacles will surely be in your collection.

Brushy North Fork Road is a true delight among the offroad trails that make up the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway. Your attention is immediately captured by a rock obstacle to begin the trail before it gives way to water crossings that are several vehicle lengths long. Most of the water comes from the several ponds you pass by, where at points, they overflow into the road. Adding to the delight factor, the ponds provide clear views of the skies above, making this trail somewhat different than most in the area as copious amounts of sunlight shines in the lower sections, which makes you want to roll the windows down or take the top off to enjoy the experience in its entirety.

Cold Iron Fork Road on the Daniel Boone Backcountry Byway can be described as "a thorn among the roses." The thorn is one gnarley rock obstacle, and the roses are literally wild roses found abundantly on the trail. Combine that with driving under an impressive tree canopy of beech, sugar maple, oak, hemlock, hickory, and white pines to round out the whole offroad experience. Have the winch ready, and bring a camera!