The Overland Directory · Appalachia

Overland businesses in Kentucky

Builders, mechanics, 4x4 shops, outfitters, campgrounds and guides in Kentucky, and a free way to get build quotes while the list grows.

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Rich Mountain Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

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Why Kentucky is sandstone, water and a tunnel you may not fit through

Kentucky is a low state with a hard edge on it. The U.S. Geological Survey puts the high point at 4,145 feet on Black Mountain in Harlan County and the low point at 257 feet where the Mississippi River leaves Fulton County, a figure it credits to the Corps of Engineers. Between those two numbers sits the Pottsville Escarpment, which the Kentucky Geological Survey describes as resistant sandstones and conglomerates weathered into sheer cliffs, steep-walled gorges, rock shelters, waterfalls, natural bridges and arches. That rock, not altitude, is what a driver comes here for.

Acres of federal land 1: 1.02M; Four percent of Kentucky’s 25.5 million acres. The Forest Service holds 818,751 of them and the BLM none
Acres in the Daniel Boone National Forest 5: 708,879; Across 21 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky, in four ranger districts. The forest’s home page rounds it to more than 708,000 acres
Acres at Land Between the Lakes 27: 170,000; About 110,000 in Kentucky and 60,000 in Tennessee, with 300 miles of natural shoreline
Black Mountain, the highest point in Kentucky 2: 4,145 ft; Harlan County. The lowest point is 257 feet on the Mississippi River in Fulton County
Of cliff line on the Daniel Boone 5: 3,500 miles; The forest claims one of the highest concentrations of rock shelters in the United States
Of national forest OHV trail 15: 150+ miles; The forest’s own figure. Its OHV pass covers the Redbird Crest and White Sulphur systems, out of more than 600 miles of trail in all
Federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 4: 41; 27 Army Corps of Engineers, 8 Forest Service, 6 National Park Service. 38 take reservations
Average annual precipitation 48: 38 to 58 in; About 38 inches in the northeast, around 58 in the southeast. Since 2011 the state has run 7.4 inches above average

Sources for this page

Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition. Kentucky low point footnoted to the Corps of Engineers. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot.. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. About the Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Daniel Boone National Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Offices. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Cumberland Ranger District Office. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. London Ranger District Office. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Stearns Ranger District Office. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Redbird Ranger District Office. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Camping and Cabins, including the dispersed camping rules. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Passes. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Maps and Guides, including the four district Motor Vehicle Use Maps. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Scenic Drives. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Red River Gorge. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Red River Gorge Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Redbird Crest Trail. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. White Sulphur OHV Trail. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Cave Run Lake. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Laurel River Lake. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Central Forest. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest. Rockcastle and Cumberland River Confluence. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. About LBL. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. General FAQ. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Rules and Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Supervisor’s Orders 60-08-13, 60-10-13, 60-11-17 and 60-04-13. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Backcountry Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Turkey Bay Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Turkey Bay OHV Rules and Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Scenic Drives. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
USDA Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Roads, and the Forest Service maintenance levels. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Federal Highway Administration, America’s Byways. Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Mammoth Cave National Park. Mammoth Cave National Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Mammoth Cave National Park. Directions, including the Green River Ferry limits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Mammoth Cave National Park. Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Directions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Superintendent’s Compendium. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Backcountry Camping Permits. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Camping. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Traffic and Travel Tips. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
National Park Service, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Overlooks. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. The Eastern Kentucky Coal Field. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. State Climate Summaries 2022: Kentucky (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150-KY). Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Red River Gorge (KY 77 / KY 715) Transportation Planning Study, Executive Summary, July 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Snow and Ice: priority routes and road condition descriptions. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. KRS 189.515, Restrictions on operation of all-terrain vehicles, effective June 29, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, DRIVE. All-Terrain Vehicles. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, Division of Forestry. Outdoor Burning Laws, and the fire hazard seasons set by KRS 149.400. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. Division of Forestry, and the ten state forests. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. Corps Lakes Gateway: Kentucky projects. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Frequently Asked Questions, including wildlife management area vehicle and camping rules. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Department of Parks. Kentucky State Resort Parks. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
Kentucky Department of Parks. Campground Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2026.