Type Kentucky state park Created June 11, 1961 Phone +1 606-589-2478 | Area 1,283 acres (519 ha) Status Open year-round | |
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Location Harlan County, Kentucky Operated by Kentucky Department of Parks Address 502 Park Rd, Cumberland, KY 40823, USA Hours Open today · 7AM–7PMTuesday7AM–7PMWednesday7AM–7PMThursday7AM–7PMFriday7AM–7PMSaturday7AM–7PMSunday7AM–7PMMonday7AM–7PM Similar Pine Mountain, Pine Mountain State Res, Bad Branch Falls Stat, Dr Thomas Walker State Hist, Carr Creek State Park | ||
Little shepherd trail and kingdom come state park cumberland kentucky
Kingdom Come State Park is a part of Kentucky's state park system in Harlan County located atop Pine Mountain near the city of Cumberland. It was named after the 1903 best-selling novel The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come by native Kentuckian John Fox, Jr. Features of the park include Raven Rock, Log Rock, and a 3.5-acre (1.4 ha) mountain lake.
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Natural formationsEdit
Raven Rock is a naturally bare, large rock face composed mostly of limestone, leaning at a 45° angle over 290 feet (88 m) in the air. Nearby is the Cave Amphitheater. In the back of the Cave Amphitheater are deep crevices that house thousands of bats. Also within the park is a natural sandstone bridge called "Log Rock," which greatly resembles a petrified tree which has fallen over. Unfortunately, the Log Rock has been severely vandalized over the years, and the underside is now covered with people's names that they have spray-painted or scratched onto the stone. There are also numerous overlooks to the valleys below. The most popular of these is the Creech Overlook, which provides a stunning view.
WildlifeEdit
Black bears inhabit Kingdom Come State Park and adjoining lands in the Cumberland, Kentucky area. Black bears naturally recolonized extreme eastern Kentucky counties (Harlan, Letcher, Bell, and Pike) over the last three decades from the neighboring states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. The species was not reintroduced to Kingdom Come State Park or any portion of Kentucky east of Interstate 75. It is illegal to knowingly or unknowingly feed black bears.
Numerous other wildlife species call Kingdom Come State Park home as well, including the state-threatened common raven, fox, multiple species of hawks, cottontail rabbit, multiple bat species, coyote, multiple species of amphibians, and an array of insect life.
Activities and amenitiesEdit
Fourteen hiking trails, a 9-hole miniature golf course, lake with paddle boats, picnic shelters, fishing, and primitive campsites are available at the park. The park offers access to Little Shepherd Trail, a 38-mile (61 km) primitive road for mountain biking and adventure driving that winds across the Pine Mountain ridgetop to the city of Harlan.
NearbyEdit
The Kentucky Coal Mining Museum, Portal 31 Mine Tour, and Benham Schoolhouse Inn are operated by the Kentucky Community and Technical College System in Benham.