Beginner Off-Road Trails
Near Emlyn, Kentucky

Wolf Knob is an 8.2 mile out and back trail that ends at a closed forest service gate with a grassy road extending a ways beyond it. There is one nice campsite close to the eastern terminus in the shadow of a large rock overhang. This site has room for several trucks and/or tents. At this campsite, ...
Learn more about Wolf Knob

Jellico Creek Road, aka Rock Creek Road, connects to Angel Mountain Road and Little Rock Road to the west and then transitions to pavement to the east. Along the 2.75 mile route, you'll find several creekside campsites. During holiday weekends they can be very popular so be prepared for the possibil...
Learn more about Jellico Creek Road

Angel Mountain Road is a short out and back that intersects with Jellico Creek Road and Little Rock Road. Along the route, you'll find several small rock overhangs and outcroppings, locally known as "rock houses". At the top of the road, a short steep embankment leads to a small dirt road that conti...
Learn more about Angel Mountain

Little Rock Road connects Stephens Knob Road with Jellico Creek and Angel Mountain. The northern portion is mostly gravel and better maintained the southern portion where you'll find a few water crossings and rocky sections. Along this road, there are a few waterfalls accessible by either walking al...
Learn more about Little Rock Road

Ryans Mountain Road is a well-maintained gravel route that's two vehicles wide for the majority of its nearly six-mile length. It climbs from Kentucky State Highway 1470 before dropping back down from the ridgeline in the last mile or so. Unfortunately, there are only a few small pull-offs along the...
Learn more about Ryans Mountain Road

One of the best waterfall hikes in Kentucky lies along this well-maintained gravel forest road. Dog Slaughter Tail connects to Cumberland Falls Trail, with a great view coming along the bottom of the falls towards the State Park. There is a very heavy vehicle presence all along this road for hiking...
Learn more about Dog Slaughter (FSR 195)

Stephens Knob is relatively unassuming for the majority of its 7.7-mile length. It's a very well-maintained gravel road. During the winter, nice views are available off of the north side. There's a split at the end of the gravel, and both options lead back to a small grassy campsite. Cell service is...
Learn more about Stephens Knob

The Sandlick Trail is an easy trail ride that navigates through thick Tennessee mountain laurel, crosses several small streams along the way, and has a beautiful waterfall called No Business. This trail is one of the biggest feeder trails in the Tackett Creek area, with several trails branching off ...
Learn more about Sandlick Trail

This is a scenic and well-maintained Forest Service road that is also a part of the Kentucky Adventure Trail Main 2 Route. This road leads south of the Laurel Lake area and into some of the great waterfall hikes around the Cumberland Falls area. It's an absolutely gorgeous area any time of the year.
Learn more about Curd Garden (FSR 193)

This is a well-maintained gravel road that goes from Highway 25W to the elk viewing tower at Hatfield Knob. There are several viewing areas and lookouts on the way up as well, so keep an eye out for elk and deer. September is the best time to view elk, as they tend to gather into large herds during ...
Learn more about Elk Viewing Tower Road - Trail 25

This trail is a maintained gravel road that connects several other popular trails. At one end it connects to Trail 19, and at the other end, it connects to Trail 25. Trail 37 is also accessible from this trail and is a popular waterfall destination. There is also a cemetery called McCormick Cemetery...
Learn more about McCormick Cemetery Road - Trail 24

4005 is a mostly well-maintained Forest Service road, with large gravel for around three quarters of the road. Past that is a less-maintained but in good condition dirt trail. Access to 4005A is at the end of this trail. It would appear that some small cabins are being built towards the end of the r...
Learn more about DBNF 4005

This trail intersects with 16 Creeks trail and runs out a long stretch of high ridges with some excellent views of the surrounding area. The east side of the trail goes to several cell/radio towers that allow you to look over the town of Middlesboro and even see the tunnels at Cumberland Gap into Te...
Learn more about High Ridge Towers

RBW 4 is a two-way gravel road that begins where RBW 7 ends and continues up the mountain toward a gated elk hunting area. This route is wide enough for vehicles to pass in most areas and has no major obstacles along the main road. The gravel surface is generally easy to travel, making this more of ...
Learn more about RBW 4

This is a mostly well-maintained Forest Service road, with various developed water crossings. It provides access to Williams Siding Road (Williams Siding ATV trail) as well. Entry is through a residential area, so be courteous to the locals. This trail ends at a large turnaround/ undeveloped campin...
Learn more about 646A Straight Creek

This is a road along the top of a ridge that has recently been cleared for logging. The road is wide and flat and easily accessible by most stock 4x4s. It gets a little bit rougher as it gets closer to Trail 6 with some humps and dips that may challenge low approach or departure angles. The use of t...
Learn more about Trail 4 - Short Mountain Road

The trail is a maintained two-way gravel road that follows alongside Titus Creek and parallels active railroad tracks for much of the route. The surface is generally smooth and graded, making it accessible for most vehicles, but drivers should stay alert for occasional blind curves and loose gravel ...
Learn more about Titus Hollow Road

RBW 7 is a two-way gravel road that connects off Howard H. Baker Highway and climbs into the mountain area of the Royal Blue Riding Area and North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area. The road is wide enough for two vehicles to pass in most areas and has several places to pull over, stop, and explo...
Learn more about RBW7

This is a well-maintained gravel road accessible by any stock vehicle. It starts just off of I-75 and is a nice gravel road with a few potholes and puddles. Any stock truck or SUV can do this section at least as far as the shooting range. After that, it is a little rougher with a few steep rocky hil...
Learn more about Flatwoods Road - Trail 1

The trail is a two-way route with a mix of dirt, loose rock, and natural terrain features. Drivers can expect steep grades up to 20%, along with sections of loose rock that can make climbs more technical, especially in wet conditions. Water crossings are a key feature, typically reaching up to 12 in...
Learn more about Turley Road

The Sandlick Trail is an easy trail ride that navigates through thick Tennessee mountain laurel, crosses several small streams along the way, and has a beautiful waterfall called No Business. This trail is one of the biggest feeder trails in the Tackett Creek area, with several trails branching off ...
Learn more about Sandlick Trail

This is a well-maintained gravel road that goes from Highway 25W to the elk viewing tower at Hatfield Knob. There are several viewing areas and lookouts on the way up as well, so keep an eye out for elk and deer. September is the best time to view elk, as they tend to gather into large herds during ...
Learn more about Elk Viewing Tower Road - Trail 25

This trail is a maintained gravel road that connects several other popular trails. At one end it connects to Trail 19, and at the other end, it connects to Trail 25. Trail 37 is also accessible from this trail and is a popular waterfall destination. There is also a cemetery called McCormick Cemetery...
Learn more about McCormick Cemetery Road - Trail 24

This trail intersects with 16 Creeks trail and runs out a long stretch of high ridges with some excellent views of the surrounding area. The east side of the trail goes to several cell/radio towers that allow you to look over the town of Middlesboro and even see the tunnels at Cumberland Gap into Te...
Learn more about High Ridge Towers

The Sandlick Trail is an easy trail ride that navigates through thick Tennessee mountain laurel, crosses several small streams along the way, and has a beautiful waterfall called No Business. This trail is one of the biggest feeder trails in the Tackett Creek area, with several trails branching off ...
Learn more about Sandlick Trail

This is a well-maintained gravel road that goes from Highway 25W to the elk viewing tower at Hatfield Knob. There are several viewing areas and lookouts on the way up as well, so keep an eye out for elk and deer. September is the best time to view elk, as they tend to gather into large herds during ...
Learn more about Elk Viewing Tower Road - Trail 25

This trail is a maintained gravel road that connects several other popular trails. At one end it connects to Trail 19, and at the other end, it connects to Trail 25. Trail 37 is also accessible from this trail and is a popular waterfall destination. There is also a cemetery called McCormick Cemetery...
Learn more about McCormick Cemetery Road - Trail 24

This trail intersects with 16 Creeks trail and runs out a long stretch of high ridges with some excellent views of the surrounding area. The east side of the trail goes to several cell/radio towers that allow you to look over the town of Middlesboro and even see the tunnels at Cumberland Gap into Te...
Learn more about High Ridge Towers