More Horse Trails
Dawkins Line Rail Trail www.Parks.ky.gov then search for Dawkins, is a former railroad line that is now a new trail for horseback riders, hikers, and cyclists. Stretching 18 miles from Hagerhill in Johnson County to Royalton in Magoffin County, it features 24 trestles and the 662-foot Gun Creek Tunnel.
Mammoth Cave Horse Camp www.MammothCaveHorseCamp.com, (888) 682-3958. Bring your own RVs, campers, tents, and horses to owner Kevin Davis’ equine camping facility, where campers can ride along backcountry trails in Mammoth Cave National Park, with views of caves, waterfalls, and woods. Halloween weekend, October 31-November 1, includes breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, dinner on Saturday, costume contest (cash prizes), pumpkin painting, trick-or-treating, dancing, and trail riding for $54 adults, kids free. Camping is $24 a night per site and $10 a night to stable your horses.
D Bar K Horse Camp www.DBarKHorseCamp.com, (270) 286-0217. The 2013 and 2014 “Best of Mammoth Cave” winner for its campground has two fall events: an all-cowgirl weekend October 24-26, with scavenger hunt on horseback, Saturday and Sunday breakfast, and Friday and Saturday supper. For Halloween weekend, October 31-November 1, it’s bean soup, beef stew, and cornbread dinner ($7 per person), and prizes for best-decorated campsite, best costume for people, and best for horses.
Popes Creek Ranch www.PopesCreekRanch.com, (270) 940-0511. Bring your horse to this hidden gem spread over 1,100 acres near Lebanon. With miles of untamed trails backing up to a 1,300-acre wildlife area, “civilization” is easily forgotten. There are a limited number of stalls for horses; their riders can choose among Cedar Lodge Cabin, an RV park,tree house, teepee, and platform tent cabin accommodations. The Burley Shed and The Woodlands Amphitheatre are equipped to handle events.
Shelby Trails Equestrian Park Simpsonville, www.ShelbyCountyParks.com then locate under the Parks tab, (502) 633-5059, provides horses and mandatory helmets for guided trail riding on nearly 400 acres. Reservations are required. Closed-toe shoes are suggested. Riders can bring their own horse (must have proof of all vaccinations and a Coggins report) and follow mapped trails. Trail stalls can be arranged. Daily pass: $10.
More information about these Kentucky horse activities can be found by going to www.KentuckyTourism.com and clicking on “Things to Do,” then selecting “horses” from the drop-down menu. You can search for horse trails and horse camps under the Keyword box by region or city.
Read the Kentucky Living October 2014 Worth the Trip article that goes along with this Web exclusive. Rake in the vistas.
