Beyond the Adventures

04/24/2025

On May 12th, the adventure continues as Middlesboro, KY kicks off the Kentucky leg of the journey with a big welcome celebration. From there, we’ll trek through Bell, Knox, Laurel, and Rockcastle Counties, arriving in Madison County on June 3rd for the final stretch.

We’ve got 122 hikers signed up and ready to walk in the footsteps of Daniel Boone—but there’s still room on the trail for YOU! Lace up your shoes, grab your spot, and be part of living history. 🥾✨

📍 Starting April 23rd in Kingsport, TN, hikers will retrace Boone’s legendary 1775 path from Tennessee into Virginia. Over the next two weeks, we’ll pass the ceremonial ax through Scott and Lee Counties, then make a grand crossing of Cumberland Gap on May 10th—open to all hikers and the public, join us on the trail!

On May 12th, the adventure continues as Middlesboro, KY kicks off the Kentucky leg of the journey with a big welcome celebration. From there, we’ll trek through Bell, Knox, Laurel, and Rockcastle Counties, arriving in Madison County on June 3rd for the final stretch.

🎯 The journey ends June 7th at Fort Boonesborough, echoing Boone’s arrival 250 years ago—an unforgettable finale to a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

🎉 Along the way, enjoy historic programs, festivals, and community celebrations:

🗓️ Trail Events Schedule with more to come

April 23 – “First Blaze” Kickoff Ceremony at Netherland Inn and Boatyard

April 26 – Into the Wilderness at The Blockhouse (Natural Tunnel State Park)

May 3 – Natural Bridge at The Cedars Natural Area Preserve

May 9–11 – Virginia: America’s First Frontier at Wilderness Road State Park

May 10 – Crossing the Cumberland Gap at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

May 11 – Blazing Trails & Tall Tales at Cumberland Gap NHP

May 12 – Kentucky Welcome in Middlesboro, KY

May 13 – Crossing the Cumberland Ford at Pineville, KY

May 15 – Warrior’s Path Event at Flat Lick Park

May 19 – Barbourville Celebration on Main Street

June 7–8 – 250th Anniversary of the Settling of Kentucky at Fort Boonesborough State Park

04/23/2025

Boone Trace 250 – Day 1 (April 23)
📍 Start: Netherland Inn and Boatyard, Kingsport, TN
🏁 End: Smith Hollow Swinging Bridge @ Nottingham Road, Gate City, VA
📏 Distance: 8.9 miles
Today marks the ceremonial beginning of our journey. We will make the First Blaze at Netherland Inn and Boatyard, next door to the historic Long Island of the Holston, a significant Cherokee meeting place and the starting point of Boone's 1775 expedition. The day concludes at the Smith Hollow Swinging Bridge on Nottingham Road, Gate City, VA. This is where they crossed the North Fork of the Holston River.

Historical Highlights:
🏛️ Netherland Inn and Boatyard: This historic site was a stage stop during the nineteenth century and a boatyard as early as the last quarter of the eighteenth century. Daniel Boone and his ax men met at Fort Patrick Henry March 10, 1775 to begin blazing the path west through the Virginia wilderness to Cumberland Gap and on into Kentucky.

🏛️ Anderson Blockhouse Marker Site: The historic marker indicates the original location of the John Anderson Blockhouse. Anderson built his blockhouse on the knoll here sometime before 1775. A replica of the John Anderson Blockhouse was constructed at Natural Tunnel State Park, Duffield, VA.
🔗 Ax Tracker Map: https://bit.ly/BT250Map

As our hikers make their way through your communities, we invite you to come out, give them a wave, and greet history in motion. A friendly smile or a wave can make a big moment even more meaningful—after all, you're witnessing the legacy of Boone come alive.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to trace the path of Daniel Boone and the pioneers who followed. Share your photos and experiences with us using !

04/17/2025

Harney Peak in the Black Hills, South Dakota 🇺🇸
Harney Peak, now officially Black Elk Peak, in South Dakota’s Black Hills, is the state’s highest point at 7,242 feet. Located in Custer State Park and the Black Hills National Forest, it’s accessible via the 7-mile round-trip Black Elk Peak Trail from Sylvan Lake. This moderate hike winds through granite spires and pine forests, culminating at a historic fire tower with panoramic views of the Black Hills and beyond. Named for Lakota holy man Black Elk, it’s a sacred site and a must for hikers seeking breathtaking vistas.

04/14/2025

04/13/2025

Longhorn Cavern State Park—a limestone labyrinth that’s pure Lone Star magic! Carved over eons by an underground river through 400-million-year-old Ellenburger limestone, this cave sits 11 miles southwest of Burnet off U.S. Hwy 281, near Lake Buchanan. Native tribes like the Tonkawa and Comanche sheltered here for millennia—arrowheads and bones prove it—while legends whisper of Sam Bass stashing outlaw loot in its depths. Opened as a state park in 1932, it’s a 639-acre marvel, with the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) chiseling trails and stairs from 1934-1937 to make its 1.1-mile tour a breeze—68°F year-round, $17 adults, kids half-price.

This isn’t just a cave—it’s a Texas time capsule. Spanish explorers dodged it, but by the 1860s, Confederate troops mined bat guano here for gunpowder—niter-rich p**p was gold in the Civil War. The 1920s turned it wilder: a speakeasy and dance hall thumped under chandeliers, with locals sipping moonshine to ragtime beats. The CCC hauled out 2,500 truckloads of rubble, revealing crystal chambers like the Queen’s Throne and calcite wonders—no stalactites, just smooth flowstone from its river days. Today, 52,000 visitors yearly trek its lit paths, spotting rare bats or booking wild cave tours to crawl tight spots—helmets on, $100 a pop.

From prehistoric hideout to Prohibition party spot, it’s a geological star—pair it with Inks Lake hikes or Gorman Falls nearby.

04/12/2025

Happy Gopher Tortoise Day! 🐢🐢🐢 Like sea turtles, gopher tortoises are also a protected species in the state of Florida. Unlike sea turtles, gopher tortoises DO NOT live in the salty ocean. Make sure to brush up on the differences between the two species below! (Yes, we realize there are a few caveats but a fun graphic nonetheless!)

03/30/2025

Delicious Southern cooking! Home of the best cracklin' cornbread in the world! Since 1965.

03/26/2025

The original Cracker Barrel in Lebanon in 1970