3 of the Most Scenic Drives in Kentucky
Looking for a way to spend a weekend in the Bluegrass State? Check out the views and recreation opportunities found along these three scenic byways in Kentucky.
Before You Hit the Road: Make sure you’ve completed these essential maintenance tasks
Cumberland Cultural Heritage Highway
Nature lovers should consider setting aside a weekend to tour the Cumberland Cultural Heritage Highway. It whisks you on a journey past lakes, rivers, mountains, and historic small towns. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to enjoy boating, fishing, hiking, and camping at sites like Big South Fork National River, Cumberland Falls State Park, and Dale Hollow Resort Park.
Highway 68
Historic Highway 68 spans 400 miles, crossing nearly 60 communities from Maysville in the northeast to Paducah in the southwest. This route is perfect for shopping enthusiasts — it offers over 200 antique shops along the way, along with countless small-town dining spots, inns, and boutiques. Since Highway 68 is easily accessible throughout the state, it’s easy to hop on the road and tour it one stretch at a time, so it’s ideal for a day trip or a week-long getaway. And with a view that oscillates between rolling hills and quaint communities, you’re sure to enjoy the scenery no matter how long of journey you take.
Country Music Highway
If you’d like a sampler platter of Kentucky’s culture, head over to the eastern side of the Bluegrass State and hop on Highway 23. The Country Music Highway earned its nickname for spanning the hometowns of many of the genre’s superstars, including Crystal Gayle, Loretta Lynn, Billy Ray Cyrus, Dwight Yoakam, and Chris Stapleton, among many others. You can explore this legacy at the U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Museum, or catch a live show at the Kentucky Opry at the Mountain Arts Center. But even if country music isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the gorgeous Appalachian landscape at stops like Yatesville Lake State Park and Pikeville Cut-Through Project.
Looking for more Kentucky adventures? Check out these car museums in Kentucky.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.