Backpacking Kentucky

Backpacking Opportunities

Kentucky offers an ideal array of backpacking opportunities ranging from gently rolling lakeside hills in the west to strenuous mountain climbs in the east. For anyone getting started with backpacking, the Commonwealth is a perfect place to get out and wander.

Land Between the Lakes. Enjoy the North-South Trail running the length of the peninsula with loops and spurs to lakeside views of Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.

Mammoth Cave National Park. Get outside the tourist trail system to the west side of the park to enjoy several loops and lots of off trail goodies complete with backcountry campsites.

Big South Fork. Inside or outside of the National River and Recreation Area, combine loops connected by Sheltowee Trace in southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee.

Red River Gorge. Plenty to see and options for easy ridgeline walking or challenging hiking in and out of the Gorge. Arches and vistas are never far away.

Sheltowee Trace. Kentucky’s longest trail at over 330 miles from north of Cave Run Lake down to Burnt Mill in Tennessee. Hike in sections or as a full on thru hike.

Pine Mountain. The 42-mile Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail is a favorite of mine and a great introduction to hiking the Appalachian Trail. Enjoy the biggest views in Kentucky, and the early stages of development of the Great Eastern Trail.

Cumberland Mountain. Part Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, backpack the ridgeline out of the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Don’t miss sand cave or the massive views up top.

NOTE: This section will include a number of backpacking routes in the coming months, so please feel free to revisit this page.

Planning

As they say, an ounce of planning is worth a pound of cure. Where backpacking is concerned, good planning is worth considerably more and might even save your life.

Seasonal challenges. There are certain times of year for each backpacking area that can lead to ideal conditions or a completely miserable experience. Let’s look at the seasons:

Spring. Nearly all of Kentucky is great in the Spring, but flooding becomes a concern with sections of trail that become impassable due to high water, flash flooding, and landslides. Check for these issues before backpacking Big South Fork and Sheltowee Trace.

Summer. This is open season for backpacking throughout Kentucky, but think long and hard before heading to Land Between the Lakes. It’s hot, humid, and the mosquitoes can be brutal.

Fall. This time of year is for big views to take in Fall foliage. That said, water can be scarce on Pine and Cumberland Mountains and on long stretches of Sheltowee Trace.

Winter. Pretty much all of Kentucky is beautiful in the Winter, but Pine and Cumberland Mountains can present dangerous conditions when snow or ice are present. In addition, access to many areas can have longer than expected distances with seasonal road closures.

Maps. Use as many maps as you need to get familiar with the area you’ll be backpacking. There is no such thing as a single best map. I always consult multiple maps to identify topography, trails, forest roads (in-service and decommissioned), ATV/Jeep roads, points of interest, and more. You’d be surprised how many forest paths are out there.

Route selection. You’ll have a lot of choices on your backpacking trip in terms of point-to-point, loops, and a range of spurs to add to your route. I generally prefer adding as many interesting places as possible, regardless of mileage.

Bailouts. When selecting your route, pay close attention to possible early exit points in the event you need to bail. The most common reasons are injuries, trail obstructions, deteriorating conditions, and physical exhaustion. Know your exits in advance.

Water. Though Kentucky isn’t a desert, there are times and places where it can seem like there’s no water for many miles. Generally speaking, you’ll be able to find water, but might have to work a little or a lot harder to find it. Identify natural drainages along your route to ensure you don’t run dry by looking at topography and trail reports.

Food. You’ll need a lot of calories while you’re out there and planning for this is something of an art. Most pack way too much food, but that’s always better than running out. As a baseline, here’s how I calculate calories: (number of miles X 150 calories) + (number of days X 2,000 calories) = total calories to pack.

Gear list. Put together a checklist for what you plan to take with you on your backpacking trip. This list can be modified over time and then adapted the week of your trip to fit the weather conditions - e.g. it’s been dry, so maybe carrying extra water would be smart. I like the Color Note app for this.

Preparation

After you’ve put together a plan for your trip, the next stage is preparing your body and mind - and the stronger your body, the stronger your mind.

Specificity training. Backpackers rarely do enough of this, and the result is predictable - soreness, sprains, and strains. In preparing for your trip, fully load your pack and get on trail. While it’s not always possible to simulate trail surface or elevation, mileage is another matter. Aim for a weekly mileage similar to a weekend of backpacking. If you’re going for a longer trek, a good target is your expected daily mileage on your trip 3-4 days per week with rest days in between.

Shakedown. While the physical gifts of specificity training speak for themselves, it also provides both the opportunity and motivation to cut weight and make things a little easier. Identify items that can be eliminated and find lighter weight swaps for those things you’ll need.

Long trip prep. If you’re planning to spend a week or ten days backpacking, plan a weekend trip first. This should be three to four weeks ahead of your trip and allows enough time to heal your body and order any gear swaps you might need;-)

Thru hiking. For the longest trips, it is not possible to fully prepare for the pains you’ll experience grinding mileage day after day, week after week. That said, ramping up your weekly mileage totals will help, but more importantly, building in rest days to your trip plan are a must. Your body will make a long list of adaptations on your thru hike including muscle building, bone strengthening, cardiovascular function, and overall endurance.

Gear Selection

There are as many different gear combinations as there are backpackers - ranging from traditional, heavy setups (30+ lbs. before food and water) to ultralight (less than 10 lbs.). And, as a rule, the lighter the setup, the lighter your wallet.

So, what kind of gear do you need and what’s worth some extra coin to buy? Here’s a quick checklist with a carrot denoting places to spend extra:

^Footwear. You’ll be carrying an extra 15 to 50 lbs. or more on your back, and that makes a huge impact on your body. Get shoes or boots that are not only comfortable, but are protective of your feet. I recommend trail shoes that drain quickly, have stiff soles and/or rock plates, provide toe protection, and have aggressive lugs/traction.

^Sleep system. This includes your shelter (tent, tarp, bivy, or hammock), sleeping pad (air, foam, or cloth), and covers (rectangle/mummy bag, quilt, or blanket). Of all the gear choices, this is the area where it’s smart to invest a few extra dollars for lighter, less voluminous options.

^Backpack. The most important part of your setup might be your backpack. Not for weight or size, but for comfort. You’ll have this strapped to your back for most of your waking hours, and no matter how light it is, it’ll feel heavy by day’s end. Spend whatever you need to spend to find the right fit. Size and weight are distant concerns compared to comfort.

Water filtration. No matter where you backpack in Kentucky, you’ll need to filter your water. Grab a good filter that will keep you healthy and avoid the dreaded diarrhea. Sawyer is the leader in this category with a few options to fit your style.

Cook system. Not all backpackers use cook systems. If you choose to go with a stove, a small MSR or Jetboil are generally all you need to boil some water for coffee, hot chocolate, and rehydrating meals.

Safety. Be sure to have some rope/paracord, first aid kit, emergency bivvy, whistle, and firestarter kit with you at all times.

Map, compass, back-up battery charging kit. These items will keep you on track through your hike and the back-up battery will likely be needed at some point or another.

All the other things. Beyond this, there are a number of other items you may bring - whether for comfort or for function. Research the rabbit hole of gear lists online, try them out while training, and decide what’s right for you.

On Trail

While you’re out there, you’ll get to experience the fullness of the backpacking experience, and the longer your trip, the higher the highs and the lower the lows. Managing your body, mind, and spirit will all come into play.

Body. Pay attention to your body and be sure to treat it with extra special care. Backpacking trips end quickly when hikers ignore blisters, pains, and other signals that the body needs some TLC. Treat hot spots before they become blisters, dry your feet when they’ve pruned, take a break and stretch as needed, and know your limits while you’re out there. Pushing too hard is a recipe for injury and a painful early ending to a backpacking trip.

Mind. Through loads of planning and preparation, you should be very familiar with the ground you intend to cover and be confident on trail. That said, there is a tendency for the mind to wander or altogether check-out. During these periods, be sure to check-in with your map, as losing your way most often happens during these periods. I like setting my GPS tracking app’s audio notification to 1 or 2 mile increments as a reminder to check my bearings, take in fluids, and get some calories.

Spirit. The longer the trip, the more likely you are to experience the emotional yo-yo of endurance pursuits. When negative thoughts begin to creep to the forefront of your mind, acknowledge them, but let them go. These negative thoughts will increase in frequency as you get tired, after a minor injury, or as you simply get bored. In these moments, there are two responses - stop or keep going. Sometimes you just need some rest to rejuvenate, other times, you’ll find these thought hard to shake and the best medicine can be to keep going.

Falling short. It is 1,000% okay to fall short of your trip objectives! Some people will beat the daylights out of themselves for not accomplishing everything they set out to do. Don’t be that hiker! I’ve fallen short plenty of times, but every trip has been a great trip. Backpacking is just like pizza - even if it’s bad, it’s good!

At Camp

Camping is an integral part of backpacking, and it pays handsomely to do it responsibly. Managing your impact on the land is largely determined by your camping style in the backcountry - and the lesser your impact, the better for everyone.

Campsite selection. As a rule, I try to make camp at previously impacted sites. That said, ultralight backpacking sans sleeping pad will generally be on soft, organic, leaf covered soils out of sight from the trail - and those who have made it to this skill level don’t need any pointers.

Cold camping. Beyond avoiding creation of a new campsite footprint, camping without a fire is the next best way to take care of the land. Short of hypothermia, I never use a campfire while backpacking. Cold camping eliminates forest fire risk, reduces resource consumption, and leaves the land as intact as possible. If you must have a fire, learn how to build and dismantle a small mound fire.

Stop building fires on exposed ridgetops! It is astonishingly stupid to build fires on exposed ridgetops on bare rock with no windbreak and no nearby water source, but I see this all the time - especially in Red River Gorge. Manmade forest fires owe their prevalence to stupidity, and this is just one example.

Pooping. The amount of toilet paper and human waste I’ve seen along the trail seems to increase each year. While it’s great that more folks are getting out, it’s a real tragedy in terms of land impact and hiking experience. Learn how to dig a cat hole and for heaven’s sake, bury your poop. IT STINKS!!! Also, I generally plan my backpacking trips to maximize use of developed pit toilets, port-o-potties, and flush toilets. It’s more comfortable and leaves no trace.

Bear country. When camping in bear country, never bring or prepare food at camp. Leave your kitchen and pantry a quarter-mile downwind, and hang it properly to keep you and our black bears safe. Failing to do this leads to bears patrolling campsites, and the euthanasia of bears that become habituated to humans. A fed bear is, in fact, a dead bear.

Making Adjustments

There are two great questions to ask when you step off the trail - (1) what went right on this trip, and (2) what could make the next one better?

When you make a habit of asking these questions, you’ll gain confidence in your backpacking skills while identifying opportunities for improvement. The most common changes are gear subtractions and lighter-weight substitutions.

As you gain experience backpacking, major changes early will be replaced with minor tweaks later until eventually, you become completely satisfied with your setup.

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