About the Area
Set along the Cumberland Plateau of the Appalachian foothills, the Daniel Boone National Forest extends across 21 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky. These lands are managed for multiple use, providing recreation, timber, wildlife, water and minerals.
The Daniel Boone National Forest is divided into four Ranger Districts - Cumberland, London, Stearns, and Redbird. Each District Office shares in the management of 708, 879 acres of national forest lands. These lands are intermixed among state, private and other federal lands within a 2.1-million-acre proclamation boundary.
Recreation
The Forest provides 164 developed recreation areas, including campgrounds, picnic areas, shooting ranges and other outdoor recreation facilities.
The Forest manages the largest trail system in Kentucky. More than 600 miles of trail, including the 300+ mile Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail, are managed to provide multiple use for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and off-highway vehicles.
Two large lakes – Cave Run Lake and Laurel River Lake – provide excellent opportunities for boating, fishing and other water sport activities. In total, there are 13,853 acres of lakes and 2,516 miles of streams open to the public on Forest lands. 19 of these bodies of water are routinely stocked with 11 state-regulated sport fish.
The Forest provides opportunities for hunting nine state regulated game species, including wild turkey, deer, elk, and squirrels.
The Forest manages two federally designated wildernesses and Kentucky’s only Congressionally recognized Wild and Scenic River. Mechanized equipment is prohibited in these areas.
Plants & Animals
The Forest is home to 3,800 species of plants and animals, including 26 that are federally listed as threatened or endangered.
Five wildlife management areas are managed in cooperation with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources to provide habitat for wildlife species.
The Forest is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the South with nearly 3,500 miles of cliff lines and the one of the highest concentrations of rock shelters in the United States.