We understand if you find it hard to leave the relaxing comfort of your cabin at Williams Creek Retreat. But, when you do venture out, you’ll find plenty to see and do to help make your vacation to the Big South Fork region complete.
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
The Big South Fork NRRA is the crown jewel of the northern Cumberland Plateau. The 125,000-acre national park offers a wide range of outdoors activities — including horseback riding, whitewater paddling, hiking and mountain biking — and attracts more than 500,000 visitors each year. The boundary of the national park is just two miles from Williams Creek Retreat. Bandy Creek — the most popular section of the park — is just 10 minutes away. The Big South Fork includes thousands of acres of hemlock forests and dense rhododendron stands in and around the 500-foot-deep gorge that encases the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. Huge sandstone boulders and bluff lines, rock houses, natural arches and waterfalls make the Big South Fork Complete. The BSF is the fifth-largest national park in the eastern U.S. www.nps.gov/biso
Brimstone Recreation
Brimstone Recreation includes 20,000 acres of managed property in the Cumberland Mountains, just 15 minutes away from Williams Creek Retreat. Brimstone has become recognized as one of North America’s top destinations for ATV riders, and hosts major events featuring some of the top stars in country music each Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend. Hundreds of miles of trails are on the property, suitable for everyone ranging from beginners to seasoned veterans, and many other forms of recreation are also permitted, including hunting and fishing. www.brimstonerecreation.com
North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area
The 145,000-acre North Cumberland WMA is a 30-minute drive from Williams Creek Retreat and is a big draw among hunter and ATV riders. www.discoverscott.com/places/north-cumberland-wma
Historic Rugby
This 19th Century historic English settlement appears just as it did in the late 1800s. Situated along S.R. 52 on the southern edge of the Big South Fork NRRA, it is a 30-minute drive from Williams Creek Retreat. Attractions at Rugby include guided tours and the Harrow Road Cafe. www.historicrugby.org
Museum of Scott County
The campus of Scott County High School is home to the Museum of Scott County and the USS Tennessee Battleship Museum. The museums include artifacts and memorabilia from historic Appalachia and the USS Tennessee, and the acres of surrounding museum grounds include a restored 18th Century Appalachian village. The Museum of Scott County is home to the Appalachian Heritage Festival on the final Saturday of each September. It is believed to be America’s only student-built, student-curated museum. museum.scottcounty.net
Daniel Boone National Forest
The Daniel Boone National Forest in southern Kentucky, along the TN-KY border, offers a range of recreational opportunities including hiking (the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail extends into Tennessee and ends at Leatherwood Ford in the BSF, a 5-minute drive from Williams Creek Retreat), rock climbing and rappelling. The national forest is a 15-minute drive from our cabins. www.fs.usda.gov/dbnf
Big South Fork Scenic Railway
The Big South Fork Scenic Railway in Kentucky is powered by a fully-restored vintage steam locomotive and carries passengers daily from the historic coal and lumber town of Stearns, Ky., into the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area to the historic Blue Heron Mining Community interpretive site. The railroad depot is a 20-minute drive from Williams Creek Retreat. www.bsfsry.com
