Driving Roads in Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky provides the state's most concentrated mountain driving, where roads cross the Cumberland Plateau and Appalachian foothills through steep hollows, forested ridges, sandstone cliffs, and narrow valleys. The Red River Gorge area is a notable example: KY 77 and KY 715 form part of the local scenic-road network, with narrow sections, frequent bends, and access through Daniel Boone National Forest. Farther southeast, routes around Cumberland Gap climb toward higher ridges and broad valley overlooks. Central Kentucky changes character around the Bluegrass region, where roads such as Old Frankfort Pike pass rolling pastureland, limestone walls, and horse farms on gentler terrain. Western Kentucky is lower and more open, with driving routes shaped by the Ohio and Mississippi river systems and the lake country around Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. Kentucky also maintains an extensive Scenic Byways and Highways program covering routes across these contrasting landscapes.