5 Amazing Hiking Trails in Breaks Interstate Park
Hiking Breaks Interstate Park – The Grand Canyon of the South
Breaks Interstate Park is simply amazing! Spanning nearly 5,000 acres across Southeastern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia the Breaks offers visitors breathtaking views of the once mighty Appalachian Mountains and river valley far below. Known as the “Grand Canyon of the South” this one-of-a-kind park does not disappoint. Keep reading for our ultimate guide to the 5 best trails for exploring and hiking Breaks Interstate Park.
Breaks Interstate Park, which the locals simply call “the Breaks” was on our radar long before we started camping and seriously exploring the wilderness as a family. I learned about this park by searching ultra-marathon trail races. The Breaks 40-mile race is billed as one of the toughest races in the Eastern United States. After hiking Breaks Interstate Park, I see why!
Our guide below outlines the best hiking trails in the Breaks, fun things to do when visiting, where to stay, and a few other resources we think will be helpful. Enjoy your visit to the Breaks!
5 Best Hiking Trails in Breaks Interstate Park
Breaks Interstate Park is home to 18 unique hiking trails. We really appreciated that the trails are shorter distances and very manageable. In fact, the longest trail is about 2.5 miles.
Fun Fact: Hikers can combine the 18 trails to form over 260,000 trail combinations…That would keep even the most avid hiker or ultra-marathoner busy for a few hours!
The Breaks is set up in a way that hikers must utilize the trail system to access certain trailheads. While this means a little more time on the trail it also gives hikers the opportunity to enjoy more of this fascinating park.
Before we jump into our Top 5 Trails for Hiking Breaks Interstate Park, we would be remiss to not share that this park is almost like two parks in one. The eastern side is up and down rolling hills through old-growth forest. While the Western side is front and center to the main attraction…the Grand Canyon of the South”.
Pro Tip: Hiking trails are marked with colored blazes (red, blue, white, etc.) and turn-markers. These make the trails super easy to follow!
Bonus Tip: Wear comfortable, sturdy, hiking shoes or boots! The additional traction is very helpful on several trails with boulders and loose soil near clifflines.
Number 1 – Bottom of The Breaks Trail
The Bottom of the Breaks Trail is a looped 2.4-mile trail that comes with some serious warnings. On our Grinnell Glacier hike someone, Sara, sold everyone that the trail was easy and mostly flat. Well, it was until it wasn’t and then we climbed the stairway to Heaven! The trail fairies at the Breaks were kind enough to give some warnings like:
- Make sure you have food…you’re going to burn serious calories
- Take a flashlight and no your cell phone doesn’t count
- It’s 900 feet down which means it’s 900 feet back up
I think these must have been written by a twin brother I never knew I had. Wide-eyed and ready to hit the trail we appreciated our hiking experience and would be ready for this challenge.
We joined the Bottom of the Breaks Trail from the Prospector Trail near the Stateline Overlook viewpoint. Our hiking journey took us down in a counter-clockwise pattern where we arrived at Center Creek Trail near the bottom of the canyon before reaching the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River.
Downward Journey
Our hike down was a mixture of gentle slopes, rocky terrain, steep rocks with some loose rocks to navigate, and more. As the trail winded around we were treated to beautiful views of the forest in its fall glory and giant rock outcrops rising high into the sky above.
As hikers who enjoy the beauty of sandstone rock formations, we truly appreciated the up-close glimpse we had of these rock faces.
A consistent element of Hiking in Breaks Interstate Park was the isolation on the trails. Over the course of 2.4 miles and our longer hike this day we crossed paths with 7 hikers! And 4 were in a single group. Remembering the epic crowd we “hiked” within Yellowstone and Glacier over the summer, these sparse trails were refreshing!
Mid-Trail Scenic Views
About three-quarters of a mile into the trail provides hikers an overlook to a spectacular waterfall. This section hugs the cliff line so use caution. We’ve hiked a number of challenging passages and this one certainly raised my focus. Keep your focus and watch your step and everything will be fine.
Reaching the River
As we reached the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River, we were treated to some passing by white-water kayakers. The Bottom of the Breaks gets closest to the river in a section between two sections of rapids.
Pro Tip: The John Flannagan Dam is opened on weekends in October which creates world-class white water rapids. Check out the Breaks Interstate Park Whitewater Season for more information.
We enjoyed sitting on the shoreline of the Russell Fork, resting our legs, and watching the kayaks float by. This provided a perfect opportunity to refuel with a snack while enjoying the beautiful trees lining the canyon walls which stretched nearly 900 feet straight up!
Hiking Out and Back Up
Hiking out of the gorge was equally challenging. While much of the hike down was packed dirt, switchbacks, and a few boulder fields, the upward hike was a mix between a rocky scramble and a walk straight up.
Pro Tip: Hikers should go at their own pace.
We remained slow and steady with frequent breaks. Covering 900 feet of elevation gain in about 1 mile is a serious gradient.
Why We Enjoyed the Bottom of the Breaks Trail
We enjoyed all aspects of this trail! Each of us was challenged on the trail and the views were tremendous! Provided you have good knees, hips, etc. this trail is a must do.
Number 2 – Beaver Pond
The Beaver Pond Trail is a short 0.7-mile trail. And shares part of its length with the Flatwoods Multiuse Loop Trail. A parking lot and trailhead are located near the bike barn or visitors can access via connector trails from the campground’s loop D.
The Beaver Pond Trail follows along the banks of the Beaver Pond. With its smooth water surface reflecting the nearby trees and lily pads floating near the dam of Beaver Pond the one word to describe this hidden pond is beautiful!
Pro Tip: While hiking along the dam look for openings in the tree line for an amazing picture with Beaver Pond in the background.
Why We Enjoyed the Beaver Pond Trail
In short, the beauty of Beaver Pond in the early morning sunlight along with the trees changing into their fall colors made this an unexpected, majestic site.
Number 3 – Geological Trail
We utilitzed the Ridge Trail to turn the Geological Trail into a loop trail! The Ridge Trail was a simple walk through the woods devoid of anything particularly interesting beyond the forest.
The Geological Trail is a short 0.35-mile trail that cuts through the canyon walls and offers hikers a view into the geological forces that broke apart the continents over 250 million years ago. We read a sign indicating the area was impacted by the last glacial age that forced the mammoths and other big bone animals to the area that is now Big Bone Lick Historical State Park. We are amazed at the interconnectedness of our world!
Why We Enjoyed the Geological Trail
This trail felt very familiar to our hiking through Red River Gorge. The huge cliff lines, the rocky boulders that provide chances to climb over, and the endless display of the power of nature to shape these rocks into unbelievable formations!
Number 4 Prospector Trail
Prospector Trail is a 1.5-mile trail that drops down into Breaks Canyon. Hikers get to walk with the forest on one side and the cliff wall of the canyon on the opposite. Keep your camera ready as you will encounter tons of amazing rock formations on this 1.5-mile trail.
The Prospector Trail crosses several boulder fields so make sure you have hiking boots with good traction.
We hiked this trail from an eastern to western direction so the canyon wall was on our right side. As we approached the Bottom of the Breaks Trailhead the Prospector Trail became more rugged, which we felt made this an exceptionally fun trail.
Why We Enjoyed the Prospector Trail
The Prospector Trail served as a perfect connector trail from the endpoint of the bottom of the Breaks trail to the Laurel Branch Trail and back to the campground. We really enjoyed the cliff walls and rock formations. Admittedly, I was hoping we could have looped over to Cold Spring Trail, but the climb from the bottom of the Breaks took a lot of effort and about an hour of time! So, heading back to our campsite was a smart move!
Number 5 – Mountain Home Trail
The Mountain Home Trail is a nice walk through the woods and offers a lot of solitude. Mountain Home Trail spans over 2.5 miles over rolling hills. Don’t worry, nowhere near as steep as the Bottom of the Breaks trail. But you will cover some elevation.
The two best features on the trail are the large open pastureland where wildlife can be spotted (we arrived at midday so no wildlife) and an old, abandoned car. Usually, junk left on a trail isn’t particularly cool, but in this case, it was neat to see this car from the 1940’s in a valley. Plus I created my own narrative about the car.
It went something like this…a bunch of moonshiners were racing through the valleys on a dark rainy fall evening trying to outrun the law when they lost sight of the dirt road and crashed deep into the forest valley below. The moonshine was never recovered! Okay, that was as far as I got before the kids said that was a silly idea!
According to Breaks Park, The Mountain Home Trail is mostly through three types of forest: cove, slope, and ridge. So, if you’re observant you will see all three. We mostly enjoyed the nice day and quiet forest.
We were treated to a really cool spider. Normally, we don’t love seeing spiders or getting tangled in the web, but this spider was huge and ready to keep doing his job to reduce the bug population!
Why We Enjoyed the Mountain Home Trail
Mountain Home gave us a view of the Park’s eastern side which is very different from the western side. We were excited at the chance to see some wildlife in the pasture on the ridge, but we only had a spider sighting. The rusty old car was super interesting.
Other Useful Trails for Hiking in Breaks Interstate Park
We found a few honorable trails that enhanced our exploration of the park. These other trails include:
- Flatwoods Multiuse Loop Trail
- Grassy Overlook Trail
- Laurel Branch Trail
Each of these trails served as a connector trail on our journey. Having connector trails allowed us to access all hiking trails from the campground. While that required a little more hiking, we explored more of the Breaks!
Pro Tip: The Grassy Overlook Trail has an amazing lookout over the Russell Fork River below and the mountains in Kentucky. Don’t skip out on this short spur on the trail!
Fun Activities at Breaks Interstate Park
Options for exploring the Breaks extend well beyond the trail! We encourage you to take time and enjoy all this park has to offer. We outline some of the highlights below. Visiting in mid-October meant we missed out on swimming and our son who desperately wanted to zipline did not hit the weight limit…next time!!!
Camping
Offering nearly 140 campsites, the Breaks has camping options for nearly every type of camper. From full-size RVs with full hook-ups to small pop-ups and even primitive tent campers the Breaks delivers.
Campsites are generally well spaced out, especially on the “C” and “D” loops. Campground loops “A”, “B”, and “C” are mostly nestled in the woods with loop “D” having more open space and sky. If Starlink is important, loop “D” is your best bet! We stayed in the loop “C” and could not access Starlink…which wasn’t all bad!
Rates are reasonable, we stayed in the Fall of 2023 for under $100 for 3 nights at a full hook-up site. On the epic western adventure of 2023, we paid well over that for a single night in places like West Yellowstone!
Swimming and Waterpark
Our visit to the Breaks was during October 2023 and the swimming and waterpark had been closed for weeks. Nevertheless, we stopped by for a quick walk around. This section of the park looks amazing. Kids, young and old, will enjoy spending an afternoon soaking up the rays and splashing in the pool!
In today’s bigger is better world a pool isn’t enough, slides are a must-have. This water park is complete with slides and a splash pad. Older kids can even play basketball in the pool.
There is a daily charge to enjoy the swimming pool and waterpark.
Peddle Boats, Kayaking (flatwater), and Fishing in Lake
Laurel Lake offers visitors the opportunity to canoe, kayak, fish or take a ride on a peddle boat.
In our view peddle boats are generally a lot of work for minimal enjoyment. However, these peddle boats appeared to be designed for more efficient pedaling. And maybe faster movement? Our visit was in October and coincided with the final day of the lake season at Laurel Lake. Since it was chilly out we decided to stay off the water and remain nice a dry!
The Laurel Lake recreation season operates from early May through mid-October. Rental rates vary by rental type so check with the Laurel Lake dock operators or online for the most current rates.
Visitors wishing to catch the “big one”, must have a valid fishing license in either Kentucky or Virginia.
Picnic and Playgrounds
Enjoying a relaxing picnic lunch as a family is easy to do at the Breaks. It seems everywhere we turned there were pull-offs and picnic tables nearby. Some were located near playgrounds and developed pavilions. While others were more “stand-alone” and near wooded locations. Visitors can select the perfect spot enjoy some lunch and soak in this beautiful park!
Zip Lines
During our pre-trip research, we discovered Canyon Rim Zip Line Tours. The opportunity to soar above the canyons at speeds over 50 miles per hour suspended by a zipline got our heart rate pumping! We were excited to give this a try!
Our only reservation was would our son weigh enough to participate. On some things we can divide and conquer, but not on something as cool as ziplines. Unfortunately, Jack did not make the weight cut-off (minimum weight of 75lbs and maximum weight of 250lbs) and we had to skip out on this adventure! We will get after it next time!!!
We learned Canyon Rim Zip Lines offers over 2,300 feet of zip lines and the tour lasts between 90 minutes and 2.5 hours. There is a charge to the zipline. During the time of our visit, the charge was $70 per person, which seems in line with other zipline tours we have taken.
Where to Stay at Breaks Interstate Park?
If you plan to stay overnight when visiting Breaks Interstate Park make sure you plan ahead of your visit. While lodging is available outside of the park, the closest options are at least 15 minutes away.
In Park Options
We enjoyed camping in the campground on the property. We find state park campgrounds to be some of the best value for the dollar in the campground industry. Large campsites and plenty of tree cover make these our favorite style of campground.
Camping – Visitors choosing to stay in the campground can camp in a tent or an RV.
Tent camping is permitted in the developed campground only…no “backcountry” or “dispersed” camping at the Breaks.
RV camping is an excellent option as well. Sites have a mix of amenities including electric only, electric & water, and full hook-up (electric, water, and sewer). We found sewer to be an important hook-up at the Breaks. The dump stations are NOT big-rig friendly.
Pro Tip: Bears inhabit the area and food storage is required while camping. Please follow the rules. A friendly bear is a dead bear! Please do your part!!!
The campground operates from April 1 to October 31.
Cabins – The park offers Lakefront cabins (2- and 3-bedroom options) and Woodland Cottages (2-bedroom options). We drove by the cabins which looked nice on the outside. This would be a nice option as opposed to camping.
Cabin rentals have booking restrictions so check with the park before you make firm plans.
Chafin Lodge – The lodge hotel is centrally located in the park and offers 70 rooms for guests. A full-service restaurant complete with a gorgeous view overlooking the Breaks Canyon can be enjoyed by diners out the giant picture windows.
Outside-of-Park Options
Staying outside the park is an option, but not super convenient. We recommend staying in the park to maximize all the available amenities of this fabulous park!
Hotels – In the nearby town of Tookland (15 minutes away) is a Comfort Inn & Suites and about 40 minutes away in Pikeville, Kentucky are a number of hotel options. Pikeville may be your best option to find more dining choices as well.
FAQ
Is there a fee to enter Breaks Interstate Park?
Yes, the entry fee is $3 per day per car. This was effective as of 2023. Check the rates before visiting.
Is there cell phone coverage at the Breaks?
Generally, we had good cell phone coverage throughout the park. We found it difficult to get service in valleys and areas surrounded by rocks. Like on Our service provider is Verizon. I can’t say how the other carriers perform.
What mountain range is Breaks Interstate Park?
The Appalachian Mountain range forms the Breaks. This particular range, Pine Mountain Range, runs southwest nearly 130 miles to Jellico, Tennessee.
Is the park dog friendly?
Yes. Make sure your dog is on a lease. Dog owners must clean up after their four-legged friend!
Is the Breaks a National Park?
Breaks Interstate Park is really special because it is a bi-state park. Meaning it is located in both Kentucky and Viriginia. The states jointly operate the park!
Sadly, the Breaks is NOT a National Park.
Other Helpful Resources
Red River Gorge – Visitors who enjoy the Breaks will absolutely love Red River Gorge. The “Gorge” is one of our favorite places in Kentucky. It is home to the most sandstone arches east of the Mississippi River. New arches are located each year. The dramatic forest and breathtaking arches make this a must-visit park. To plan your trip check out our recent article What to Experience In Red River Gorge and the Best Campground in Red River Gorge!
Cumberland Falls – Cumberland Falls is home to one of the only Moonbows in the world. Certainly one of the easiest to access and most predictable moonbows.
What is a moonbow? Find out more about this super cool nighttime rainbow in southcentral Kentucky in our article Moonbow: Cumberland Falls.
Summing it Up: Hiking in Breaks Interstate Park Review
We found the Breaks to be a wonderful getaway for our fall break in October 2023! The hiking trails provide a nice mix of challenging and easy hikes for the entire family. Our campsite was fantastic and the “lack” of a Starlink signal gave us the chance to spend quality time together. We can’t wait to visit again!
About Us
We are Mike and Sara who along with our kids and dog are exploring the US while camping in our fifth wheel! Our journey began during the COVID pandemic. The camping lifestyle provided us with an easy way to explore the great outdoors!!
