Perry County touts Trail Town status to boost outdoor tourism

Hazard became Kentucky’s 20th Trail Town in late 2018, giving Perry County a framework for turning river access, trail routes and local services into a usable weekend system where visitors can find supplies, lodging, food and a place to stop.

What Trail Town status changes on the ground

Kentucky’s Trail Town program is built for communities along long-distance trails and major trail systems, where travel is only practical if people can refuel, rest and get back out again. In Perry County, that means the designation is tied directly to roads, river ramps, small businesses and park facilities, not just a marketing slogan. It also comes with an ongoing expectation: communities have to keep improving to maintain official status, so the county’s outdoor pitch is meant to stay active rather than sit on a shelf.

Trail Town status changes how outsiders move through the county. A paddler on the North Fork, a hiker at Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park or a day-tripper using the River Arts Greenway is not just passing through scenery. They are a potential customer for gas, groceries, coffee, dinner, a cabin, a campsite or a guide.

Where the river access is, and why it matters

Perry County’s geography gives the program its backbone. Hazard sits on the North Fork of the Kentucky River, Rowdy sits on Troublesome Creek of the North Fork, and Buckhorn Lake lies on the Middle Fork. Several access ramps are available within Hazard and throughout Perry County, which is the difference between a river that looks good on a map and one that can support regular recreation.

The clearest example is the North Fork River Trail. The route runs about 5 miles from Hazard City Hall to Perry County Park and is listed as a 2- to 3-hour outing. It is easy and relaxing, with kayaking, rafting, floating and fishing among the main uses. Wildlife sightings can include cranes, deer, foxes, otters and beavers, giving the route a low-barrier outing that works for families, first-time paddlers and residents looking for a short local trip.

The North Fork itself is also central to the county’s pitch. The North Fork is roughly 168 miles long, which helps explain why local access points matter so much.

Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park as the county’s anchor

Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park gives the Trail Town idea a fixed destination with year-round use. The park officially opened in 1965 and covers 856 acres, and it sits at the center of a larger network of water, woods and lodging. Visitors can book lodge rooms or cottages, eat at the restaurant, and use the park as a base for hiking, fishing, birding and beach time.

The park’s walking trail is one of the most concrete assets in the county’s outdoor system. It is 1.5 miles long, self-guiding and moderately strenuous, which makes it useful for visitors who want a defined outing without needing a full-day commitment. Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park has two designated trails, with others planned.

Buckhorn Lake also extends the county’s recreation season beyond hiking. Fishing, boating, swimming and water-skiing are available around the lake, with hunting in the Buckhorn Lake Wildlife Management Area or Daniel Boone National Forest and walks on undeveloped trails. The Buckhorn Lake State Park Marina offers year-round, 24-hour boat-ramp access with paved ramp and shoreline access.

What visitors will notice in Hazard and along the greenway

Trail Town status is also visible in the county seat itself. The River Arts Greenway in Hazard runs about one mile along the North Fork of the Kentucky River, beside Main Street. That puts river access, downtown circulation and local foot traffic into the same corridor.

The path links outdoor use to everyday downtown life. Someone finishing a short river outing can move straight into Hazard’s business district without needing a car shuffle or a long drive.

The county’s Trail Town strategy also depends on groups already working on the ground. Pathfinders of Perry County is a nonprofit citizen-action group promoting community well-being, engagement, outdoor recreation and education. A Mountain Trail Association profile credits city and county leaders and Pathfinders with developing the trail system. The River Arts Greenway was one of the early projects that helped set the county’s current direction.

The county’s history is part of the route map

Perry County’s Trail Town identity is tied to older settlement patterns as much as to modern recreation planning. It was formed from parts of Floyd and Clay counties after Kentucky became a state in 1792, and a post office was established in 1824 in Perry Court House, a settlement on the North Fork founded by Elijah Combs and his seven brothers. The river corridor has long shaped where people lived, traveled and traded.

Buckhorn Lake also carries that history into the present. The park’s lodge displays handcrafted replicas of the buildings of Bowlingtown, the valley community that once stood where the lake is now. A plaque records Bowlingtown’s dates as 1800 to 1960.

What Perry Countians can use now

The easiest low-cost outings are already mapped out in public view:

• The North Fork River Trail from Hazard City Hall to Perry County Park, about 5 miles and 2 to 3 hours.
• The one-mile River Arts Greenway along Main Street in Hazard.
• The 1.5-mile self-guiding walking trail at Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park.
• The marina at Buckhorn Lake State Park, which offers year-round, 24-hour access.