10 Best Small Towns In Kentucky For A Crowd-Free Summer
On a clear summer night in Corbin, the mist off Kentucky's Cumberland Falls throws a moonbow you can actually see. Best of all, you can watch it without elbowing through a crowd. These ten towns keep summer simple and quiet. Picture a cold Ale-8 on a Winchester porch and a morning paddle down Elkhorn Creek. Picture bass biting on Green River Lake and sandstone arches at Slade with room to breathe. This is the Kentucky summer locals quietly keep for themselves.
Corbin
For those who want to cool off next to a misty waterfall, Corbin is the best place to go for a crowd-free summer. It's next to the second-largest waterfall east of the Rockies at the Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. This 125-foot-wide by 68-foot-tall waterfall can release up to 3,600 cubic feet of water per second. It produces so much mist that, on full moons, one can see a rare moonbow (a rainbow formed by moonlight). The park also has a visitor center, fire pits, mountain biking trails, and about 20 miles of hiking trails across 1,600 acres.
Those who enjoy fried chicken on a hot summer day can go to the Harland Sanders Cafe & Museum. This cafe was the first spot where Colonel Sanders introduced his fried chicken recipe, and today it is both an active restaurant and a museum with a wide array of memorabilia from his time here. Another fun museum in town is the Pinball Museum of Corbin, with working, playable machines dating back to the 1960s.
Grand Rivers
Grand Rivers is a tiny community surrounded on both sides by water: Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. It's also the closest town to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, a 170,000-acre peninsula named after its location between the two lakes. There are many trails to explore the area during summer, such as the Canal Loop Trail, which spans 11 miles near the north visitors' station.
In this area, visitors can go fishing, boating, or hiking through the Elk & Bison Prairie, a grassland habitat where bison roam. Visitors who arrive at night can enter the Golden Pond Planetarium to view the night sky for 40 minutes on a domed screen. In Grand Rivers proper, summer vacationers can find plenty of snacks and treats at hospitable restaurants such as Craig's Dairy Dream, which offers ice cream, or T. Lawson's Grille, which serves a full seafood and chicken menu.
Winchester
Winchester is the place to go for getting a good snack or drink during a summer trip. It was the birthplace of both the ginger ale drink Ale-8 One and beer cheese. Travelers can pick up a six-pack from the Ale-8-One bottling factory or go on the Beer Cheese Trail to try out different recipes from local pubs and restaurants. By going off the beaten path, travelers can discover the remains of an early frontier fort at Boonesboro and a recreation of Daniel Boone's frontier fort at Fort Boonesborough State Park. The park is also home to the Kentucky River Museum, located in the former home of the lock operator. This spot in particular is great for getting out onto the Kentucky River for fishing or boating through the Palisades, a series of cliffs that surround the river on both sides.
London
One of the most beloved summer pastimes from days gone by is taking a bike out into town. London keeps that tradition going as the Cycling Capital of Kentucky. It earned that title through its Red Bud ride, which takes place every April. However, the ride's trails are open all summer, including the Yellow Route, which runs through downtown London and spans 24 miles. There are also several mountain biking trails through Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Park. Along with trails, the park boasts zip lines and rope bridges, perfect for some summer adventure.
London also provides convenient access to remote, clear waters via Laurel River Lake, known for its sandstone bluffs and hidden picnic and paddling spots. One of the town's intriguing hidden spots is the Camp Wildcat Battlefield, which was the site of one of the earliest Civil War engagements right in the heart of Appalachian Kentucky.
Paducah
For travelers who want a more artsy summer trip, Paducah should be on their itinerary. It was named a UNESCO Creative City for its support for artistic endeavors, especially quilting. The National Quilt Museum is the town's premier quilting destination, displaying intricate works such as a Mountain Chapel by Annette Kennedy, along with classes for those who want to learn how to quilt. The town also supports performing arts at The Carson Center. For outdoor activities, hikers can explore Paducah's parks along the more than 5-mile Greenway Trail or take a boat out onto the Ohio River at the Ohio River Boat Launch. Wildlife watchers will want to visit the Metropolis Lake State Nature Preserve, home to rare crayfish and surrounded by bald-cypress and swamp tupelo ecosystems.
Campbellsville
Campbellsville is a central Kentucky college town with Campbellsville University. However, it's no party town. It's a relaxing lakeside region with an intriguing American Civil War history. On July 4, 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan was defeated at the Battle of Tebbs Bend by an outnumbered group of Michigan soldiers. The Battle of Tebbs Bend driving tour spans about three miles and guides one through the battlefield to the Atkinson-Griffin House Museum, an 1840 home that served as a temporary hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. Visitors can also hike the Tebbs Bend Green River Nature Trails, where these soldiers marched, or spend a day playing miniature golf, boating, and fishing for bass and crappie at Green River Lake State Park. Right by the park entrance is a small birdwatching area as well.
Cumberland
Previously known as Poor Fork because of its poor soil quality, Cumberland became a thriving coal-mining town in the early 1900s. Today, this Appalachian Mountain town has some of the best mountain views in the state, atop the 2,700-foot-elevation Kingdom Come State Park. There are multiple overlooks in the park, including 12 O'Clock Overlook, known for its sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Visitors can also stop at Raven Rock, a dramatic sandstone outcrop that provides one of the park's most photographed viewpoints.
Fishers can head to the park's 3.5-acre mountain lake to catch largemouth bass and trout, while hikers will find several trails winding through forests and rocky overlooks. Those who want to play golf with a scenic view can head into Cumberland proper to play a round at the 9-hole Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, which sits among the surrounding hills and offers a relaxed alternative to the area's outdoor adventures.
Georgetown
Georgetown is one of the fastest-growing communities in Kentucky, with its access to good jobs at the Toyota Factory and peaceful outdoor attractions. The most popular activity in Georgetown is the Old Friends retirement home for thoroughbred horses. Some of these steeds raced in the Kentucky Derby, and visitors can feed them carrots and meet them by taking a tour of the grounds. Georgetown also has one of the most popular paddling spots in the state at Elkhorn Creek, a 17-mile journey along a curved shoreline. For those who prefer indoor experiences, there's a tram tour of the plant at the Toyota Kentucky Experience Center. Another option is Ward Hall, an 1850s Greek Revival mansion known for its 27-foot-tall Corinthian columns and the stories of owners like the socialite Sallie Ward.
Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown (known as E-town by residents) is a laid-back town with a fun historic downtown and a shaded lakeside park. Located around an hour drive away from Louisville, Etown was a key stop in the railroad system, which is why Confederate troops raided the town in late 1862 to early 1863 to disrupt the railroad. One of their cannonballs, still lodged in a building to this day, is known as the Cannonball. Not far from the Cannonball, shoppers can get in a little shopping therapy at That Cute Little Shop boutique store. The nearby Brown-Pusey House, built in 1825, is another notable historic landmark that now serves as a museum and community center.
Etown also offers several water activities, including a pool at the American Legion Water Park and Freeman Lake at Freeman Lake Park. The 170-acre park features walking trails, fishing spots, picnic shelters, and views of the lake, making it especially popular during the summer months. Visitors who arrive on the first Saturday or Sunday of the month can take a tour of the 1892 Summit One Room Schoolhouse, which was known as the finest school of its kind in the county.
Slade
For those who enjoy hiking through impressive landmarks in the summer, Slade is one of the best towns to visit. The tiny community is entirely located within the Red River Gorge Geological Area, a canyon formed by the Red River. Throughout the gorge are many natural sandstone arches, including the Natural Bridge, which hikers can reach via the Natural Bridge State Resort Park. There's a Skylift available for those who prefer not to work up a sweat, or they can go fishing for smallmouth bass and spotted bass down on the Red River itself. For those interested in venomous snakes, Slade is home to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, which keeps venomous snakes and extracts their venom for medical research.
Summer Pastimes From Days Gone By
The pull of these towns is the kind of summer that does not ask much of you. It might be a bike ride through London or a slow afternoon with family out on Laurel Lake or the Land Between the Lakes. It might be an hour spent reading the markers at a Civil War battlefield while the kids run off some energy. None of these places chase the amusement-park crowd. They offer the older summer pleasures instead, a picnic by the water and a cold Ale-8 shared with friends, and they stay quiet while doing it.
