KENTUCKY IS HOME to rolling bluegrass hills, canyons and waterfalls, underground rivers and giant caverns. All that natural beauty means there are a lot of incredible views to check out in the Bluegrass State. Here are just 15 of the incredibly stunning spots you’ll find here. 
Cumberland Falls
Cumberland Falls is a 125-foot-wide curtain of water that’s known as the “Niagara of the South”…for good reason. This spot in southeastern Kentucky is especially gorgeous on full-moon evenings when moonbows occur—a phenomenon that happens nowhere else on the planet but here and at Zambia’s Victoria Falls.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Spring morning in the Bluegrass region
Home to endless acres of manicured pastureland, miles of white fences, gorgeous barns, and 400 or so horse farms, Kentucky’s Bluegrass region truly is the Horse Capital of the World. Make Lexington your base to get to know this stunning part of the state.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Dale Hollow Lake
Created by Dale Hollow Dam in 1943, Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park is part of a beautiful 27,700-acre reservoir that sits in the Cumberland River basin of south-central Kentucky. Located in Clinton and Cumberland Counties, this is a great spot for mountain biking, birding, boating, fishing, and hitting overlooks with amazing views like the above.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Mammoth Cave National Park
One of the most fascinating natural features in Kentucky has to be Mammoth Cave. With more than 400 miles of explored and mapped subterranean passageways, it’s officially the longest known cave system in the world. Join a ranger-led tour to see all those stalactites and stalagmites, helictites, and travertine dams up close.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area is one of the most popular adventure destinations in the southern United States. Covering 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, there are natural arches and hoodoos to admire, a multitude of waterfalls to Instagram, the bluffs of a river gorge to scale…this is one special place to be able to explore.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Columbus Belmont State Park
On the shores of the Mississippi River in far western Kentucky, you’ll find Columbus Belmont State Park. It was an important fort during the Civil War, and on a visit you’ll see the famous giant (seriously, giant) chain that made it impossible for Union forces to navigate Old Man River back in the 19th century.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Cumberland Gap National Park
The area that is now Cumberland Gap National Park was once America’s first true gateway to the West, a passage through the mountains used by Daniel Boone and the scores of pioneers who came after him. Today, 371 animal species call this landscape of unique sandstone formations, underground caverns, wetlands, bogs, and rocky bluffs home.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Breaks Interstate Park
Welcome to “The Grand Canyon of the South.” Breaks Interstate Park
is a five-mile gorge plummeting 1,650 feet between the mountains dividing Virginia and Kentucky. This area is filled with incredibly diverse native flora—fractal ferns and tea berries, fungi and moss a thousand shades of yellow, orange, and pink—and local fauna that includes black bears and deer. Whether you feel like hiking, camping, or paddling, there are so many ways to experience nature here.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge
Completed in 1866, and spanning the Ohio River between Cincinnati and the Kentucky city of Covington, the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge might give you a strong sense of déjà vu when you see it for the first time. That’s because it was the prototype for New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge!
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge
Kentucky’s Red River Gorge is incredible, in no small part because it’s home to the 65-foot-high Natural Bridge sandstone arch. Here, you’ll find scenic nature trails to hike, adorable cabins to rent and live out your Daniel Boone dream, a campground, and a ton of rock climbing (and ziplining!) opportunities. The views aren’t bad either.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Bourbon distilleries
Kentucky is deservedly known as the World Capital of Bourbon. A drive through the countryside, hopping from distillery to distillery, might just be the best road trip there is—with a designated driver, of course. Plus, visit those historic distilleries and you can get views like the above.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Dixie Belle paddle wheele
The largest restored village in the USA is right here in Kentucky. Covering 3,000 acres, Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill preserves 34 original buildings. There are 40 miles of trails in the surrounding nature preserve, livestock to say hi to on the farm, and a vibrant organic garden (expect some of those greens in your salad if you visit the onsite restaurant). Yet one more thing you can do here? Take a cruise through the Kentucky River Palisades aboard the village’s Dixie Belle paddle wheeler.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Appalachian Mountains
The section of the Appalachian Mountains that runs through Kentucky must be one of most scenic areas in America. On a visit, you’ll find excellent fishing and boating, and some of the finest forest trails—for horses as well as hikers—in the state. The image above was taken in Pike County.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Land Between the Lakes Recreational Area
The Forest Service-run
Land Between the Lakes Recreational Area is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that’s home to 170,000 acres of wildlife, plenty of history, and no shortage of places to play in the great outdoors. Oh, and all that beauty is wrapped up by 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline. On a drive through this part of the world, look out for buffalo, elk, and wild turkeys.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
Sunset over the Louisville skyline
Spanning the Ohio River between Louisville and Jeffersonville in Indiana, Big Four Bridge was built for bicyclists and pedestrians. Make the round-trip by pedal power or foot and you’ll get the most amazing views of Kentucky’s biggest city and the 85-acre Waterfront Park.
Photo: Kentucky Tourism
(via Matador Network)
