Pine Mountain State Resort Park, State park in Bell County, Kentucky, US
Pine Mountain State Resort Park is a nature reserve and state park in Bell County, eastern Kentucky, set along a forested ridge marked by rocky outcrops and hardwood trees. The park has a lodge with a restaurant, a golf course, and a network of hiking trails that cross the ridge.
The land was designated as Kentucky's first state park in 1924, under a different name than it carries today. It was renamed in 1938 to avoid confusion with another park, which gave it the identity it still holds.
Each spring, the park hosts the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, one of the oldest community celebrations in the state. The event marks the blooming of mountain laurel, a flowering shrub that covers the slopes in pink and white every year.
The park is open year-round, though trails can be slippery after rain or in winter, so sturdy footwear is a good idea. Overnight guests can stay at the on-site lodge, which also has a restaurant open to day visitors.
In the 1930s, local residents had a large boulder on the ridge chained to the rock face out of fear it would roll down onto the town below. The Chained Rock is still there today, and the chain remains bolted to the cliff, visible to anyone who hikes up to see it.
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