Pine Mountain State Resort Park

About this park

Pine Mountain State Resort Park, established in 1924, holds the distinction of being Kentucky's very first state park, set in Bell County along the ridge of Pine Mountain in the state's southeastern Appalachian coalfield region. It was originally named Cumberland State Park before being renamed in 1938 to avoid confusion with the newly created Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. The park's best-known attraction is Chained Rock, a massive boulder literally secured to the mountainside by a large chain, reachable via a scenic hiking trail that offers sweeping views over the town of Pineville below. Each Memorial Day weekend, the park and surrounding town host the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, a tradition dating to 1931 and named for the wild mountain laurel that blooms across Pine Mountain each spring, making it one of the longest-running annual events tied to any Kentucky state park. Evans Lodge provides overnight accommodations, while the Wasioto Winds Golf Course offers a scenic, challenging round set among the mountains. The park also connects to the long-distance Pine Mountain State Scenic Trail and sits within Kentucky Ridge State Forest, giving hikers access to a far larger network of Appalachian ridgeline trails beyond the resort park's own boundaries.