Sheltowee Bikepacking Route

The Sheltowee Bikepacking Route is an extremely challenging 300-mile mixed bag of surfaces, with 65% (195 miles) unpaved singletrack or gravel segments, and 35% (105 miles) comprised of pavement sections. The majority of the pavement is encountered in several stretches running south from Morehead, KY, due to the restriction of bikes through portions of Cave Run Lake, Red River Gorge, and Natural Bridge State Park.

location Northern Terminus to Clear Creek Campground via Morehead, KY

Day 1 (50 miles)

The northern terminus for the Sheltowee is 25 miles north of Morehead, KY, and this first leg is predominantly well-maintained ridgetop singletrack and gravel roads in Daniel Boone National Forest before popping out onto Main Street in downtown Morehead. Treat this first leg as a shakedown.

Back in Morehead, take this opportunity to refuel at The Fuzzy Duck, and grab any last-minute necessities at New Frontier before heading out of town. Outdoor supplies are somewhat limited in town, so be sure to come well-prepared. Otherwise, it’s a one-hour drive to Lexington, KY for gear.

The next few miles out of town are on pavement, but you’ll quickly pick up six miles of some fun and flowy singletrack leading to Cave Run Lake. Opt for a few extensions on the Limestone Trail if you’re looking to maximize your singletrack intake, because once you reach the lake, you’ll encounter the first long (22-mile) stretch of pavement. Unfortunately, the trails on the south side of the lake are closed to bikes for now.

Our crew took a short deviation to Clear Creek Campground, for our first night of camping, which brought our daily total to just shy of 50 miles. This is a primitive USFS campground with potable water. It costs $15/night.

location Clear Creek Campground to Lago Linda Hideaway (near Heidelberg, KY)

Day 2 (50 miles)

Day 2 started with about 12 miles of pavement before picking up some nice crushed gravel just north of Red River Gorge. This would turn out to be another 50-mile day, mostly pavement punctuated with some lovely gravel and heavy rain.

What should’ve been a pretty easy day turned out to be a bit of a slog when the crew encountered an unexpected closed county road and a well-intentioned detour led through a section of death mud, which wreaked havoc on our brake pads and drive trains.

Upon inspection, we discovered that the mud and grit from the full day of riding in the rain had severely worn the brake pads on three out of five of our bikes, and they would need to be replaced imminently. The route now avoids this section of death mud.

With the longest day of pavement under our belt, we rested up at Lago Linda Hideaway, near Heidelburg, KY, and dried out under the shelter of the horse stalls as we rested and waited for the rain to pass.

location Lago Linda Hideaway to McKee, KY

Day 3 (35 miles)

The third day began with a 17-mile stretch of pavement, a section that even hikers must endure, before reentering the gravel roads and singletrack of Daniel Boone National forest.

At times, the singletrack became slow going due to the number of downed trees that were obstructing the trail. This section of singletrack, north of Turkey Foot campground, was in desperate need of some trail maintenance.

South of Turkey Foot, things opened up a bit more, and we made up for lost time on some pristine gravel roads and some decently maintained single and doubletrack, although portions of this area are open to OHVs, which left plenty of ruts and mud puddles to navigate.

The final few miles north of McKee, KY, were the highlight for our crew, especially the final descent, which was chunky and steep, with a fast and deep creek crossing at the bottom, which made for some great photos. McKee served as our stopping point on Day 3, which was the shortest day of riding at only 35 miles.

The small town of McKee, KY, is less than 2 miles off-route, and it has several food options. The Little Turtle Lodge and Sheltowee Trace Rentals are the best bets for established camping near McKee. Otherwise, head out of town and back into DBNF for a primitive backcountry site.

location McKee, KY, to Sheltowee primitive camp site

Day 4 (44 miles)

Leaving McKee, the route quickly reenters DBNF and utilizes a combination of singletrack and USFS roads for 44 miles of mostly unpaved surfaces. At times, the riding was a bit slow going due to downed limbs and mud, but at others, our crew covered ground quickly. Several suspension bridges were damaged during floods in the spring of 2021, but we were able to ford the streams with relative ease.

A highlight of this section is the warm, hearty food and homemade pies at the 49er Truck Stop, which is directly on route as it crosses I-75. Be sure to stop for a resupply of calories and culture before heading back into the woods for the day’s final 8 miles, which include a unique section of sandstone outcroppings unlike any other portion of this route.

We camped at the Sheltowee Trace Camping Area, which is a small, primitive camping area with compost toilets located just off of Forest Trail 4255.

location Sheltowee primitive camp site to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park campground

Day 5 (45 miles)

Day 5 brought lots of gravel and lots of singletrack. Some of it rideable. Some of it hike-a-bike. Very little pavement.

The first few miles of gravel allowed us to warm up our legs before dumping into the woods for some fun and beautiful singletrack and gravel riding down to Laurel River Lake’s mountain bike trail system, which had us whoopin’ and hollerin’ on the rollers and berms before enjoying a warm, sunny lunch break at Holly Bay Marina.

After leaving Laurel River Lake, the trail becomes notoriously rocky and rooty as it descends to the Cumberland River en route to Cumberland Falls State Park. Unfortunately, the park’s trails are not open to bikes, so a deviation from the Sheltowee leads to one of the most scenic spots on the trail, Bark Camp Trail.

This trail is rugged and beautiful and more of a hiking trail than a biking trail. In fact, you’ll find yourself hiking more than biking on this 2.5-mile stretch, but you’ll be rewarded with spectacular scenery and some stellar swimming holes.

After leaving the Bark Creek Trail, the next nearly 10 miles are on Forest Service gravel roads, which lead to Highway 90. The final five miles to Cumberland Falls State Park campground are paved, windy, and hilly, with the occasional panoramic views punctuating the grind. Enjoy a shower in the campground ($30/night), and opt for a meal at the lodge. This is also one of the few spots to ship a resupply box if needed.

Cumberland Falls is one of the only places in the world where you can witness a moonbow (a nighttime rainbow during the full moon), so check the dates and weather while you’re there.

location Cumberland Falls State Resort Park campground to Bandy Creek Campground

Day 6 (75 miles)

Note: This was our final day of riding, but we rode until well after dark. It is suggested that this be divided into two days of riding.

For this final and longest day of riding, we opted for a big breakfast at the lodge before setting out on our longest day of riding, but not without first stopping for a view of the “Niagara of the South.”

Since the trails in the park are not open to bikes (at the time of writing) we climbed out of the river valley on highway 90 for six miles before heading back into the woods for the next 11 miles, with a mix of well-maintained singletrack and a splash of chunky, rocky, creek bed riding.

Near mile 236, we lost the trail. This is an easy turn to miss, as you essentially turn left into a tributary stream bed while a gravel road tempts you to go straight. Don’t go straight. Take the left into the stream.

Near mile 241, the trail nears Barren Fork Road and the Barren Fork Campground, where there is primitive camping and access to potable water.

Miles 242-252 are paved as the route makes its way through the town of Whitley City to Yamacraw bridge and avoids a stretch of trail that is closed to bikes. Whitely City is the final option for food, lodging, and a post office.

From Yamacraw the route enters Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (backcountry permit required) for the final leg of the ride, which follows portions of the Sheltowee Trace and Kentucky Trail, a rugged, beautiful, well-maintained and newly developed singletrack trail. These final 48 miles are comprised of a smattering of singletrack and gravel forest service roads, with pavement nowhere to be found.

The trail often follows the flow of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, with stunning vistas of imposing ridgelines and glimpses of the river below, but there is very little access to the river due to steep, rocky bluffs.

Riders can find a cozy backcountry campsite near mile 169, with views and sounds of the river below. Water access requires a steep off-trail scramble to the river below.

Approaching the southern terminus at Bandy Creek Campground, near mile 182, the route can be shortened by 15 miles of singletrack by turning right on Duncan Hollow Road and following it to the campground. Otherwise, enjoy the final miles of singletrack as you near the completion of a hard-fought, character-developing, bike-abusing route through some of the most scenic beauty of Appalachia.

Additional Resources

• Sheltowee Trace Association
• Moorhead Tourism
• Kentucky State Campsites
• Red River Outfitters KY