Pine Mountain State Resort Park
A resort, hidden in the mountains of Kentucky for over 100 years, has stolen our hearts. Pine Mountain State Resort Park is full of so many lovely things. Art, well-crafted food, local lore, a pristine pool, epic views, and the most important element in a getaway – relaxation.
Built on top of Pine Mountain by the Civilian Conservation Core (CCC) of the early twentieth century, this park is one of the first four State Parks in Kentucky. Pine Mountain is a long but narrow ridge of the Cumberland Mountains – which extend through Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The Cumberlands are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains that stretch from Alabama to Canada.
One of our favorite experiences at this park was hiking to Chained Rock – a source of community pride and lore. In the 1930’s the town of Pineville, in the valley below, secured this most precariously placed boulder with a chain so large that it took a team of oxen to carry it to the top of the Mountain. Once secured, the chain has prevented the rock from crashing down upon the town below – which at the time was a rampant fear of the community’s children.
How special is a place that would go to those great lengths to give their kiddos such peace of mind, even if the solution was just for show.
Other special things about Pine Mountain:
- Artist and naturalist Ray Harm spent several years living near the park and the lodge is now home to a print of each of his works, totalling around 180, plus one original. The halls and public spaces feel like one large wildlife gallery.
- The Laurel Cove Music Festival takes place each June – grab those tickets as soon as they go on sale because they sell out quickly.
- There are 12 miles of hiking trails in the park.
- The nature center is not to be missed – filled with wildlife examples of the biodiversity of the Park. Yes, living snakes, turtles, fish, and scorpions fill this original CCC cabin.
Interested in learning more about Pine Mountain? Check out this episode of the Roadtripzee Podcast!
Don’t miss our new guide, Kentucky’s Centennial Parks Road Trip Guide: 3 State Parks Turning 100 in 2026.