Court House Rock

Court House Rock is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky, and it's a loop trail about six mile in length. The upper trail will take you over the tops of large boulders that stick out of the earth. They offer excellent views of the dark green vegetation and valleys below. This is Appalachia, a very remote area. Leaving the trailhead you are surrounded by a large hardwood forest. Your destination is a giant boulder called Court House Rock. It requires great skill to climb to its top and your Jack Russell Terriers could not make it up even if you could. We hiked in early June, but the temperature was 86 degrees at 9:00 am. The upper trail left you exposed to the hot sun, and out on the many rock cliffs.

The return trip followed some man made steps to the forest floor, where it was much cooler. Large growths of ferns bordered both sides of the trail, and the color green was overwhelming. We returned to connect with the upper trail through a large growth of Rhododendrons. The temperature had reached 97 degrees when we stopped to rest about a mile from the trailhead. We were getting low on water and everyone including the JRT's were worn out. Buzz was so tired he fell asleep right on the trail as we rested. That was the hottest day we ever hiked, and I would never try it again. The trail was an excellent hike with your Jack Russell Terriers but on a much cooler day. The Daniel Boone National Forest is a treasure chest of hikes. We saw very few hikers during our entire visit to Kentucky.