Hillman Ferry Heritage Trail

Now I have had the opportunity to hike trails in the Canadian Rockies and lately the Land Between the Lakes. The past two days I have had the opportunity to explore the LBL trails with my trusty dog, Bailey.

I can recommend the series of trails in the northern portion of LBL. They are well maintained and marked. I did break the "law" and released Bailey from the leash. She can hike better than I and after all has 4 legs. She has the nose that gets her in trouble. However, she is the companion a hiker needs and enjoys. She will scout the trail and report back often. She does not talk much during the hike and is happy with water and some trail mix. What a Girl!

The Heritage Trail offers a glimpse of the communities located in the LBL prior to flooding of Kentucky and Lake Barkley. We visited the Bohanan Cemetery with family interned there from 1800's. Along the trail you can visit several sites from the Volger Family who owned the local lime business and quarries. Several family homes sites remain with chimney, cellar and wells. If you hike the Volger trail you can visit a rock beach and the old quarry site. Bailey attacked two submerged stumps and enjoyed chasing a large buck. The buck had a rear that looked like a 1959 Cadillac. Fortunately, the deer could out run Bailey and she returned to my side.

A little history here. The Volger family opened a lime quarry in the area in the 1800's and quarried stone for much construction in the era. It appears that the Hillman Ferry docked at the beach we visited. The TVA constructed a tunnel we visited in order to explore the availability of lime stone for the construction of Kentucky Dam. These artifacts are not the pyramids, but represent the heritage of the Land Between the Rivers. I did discover that 228 cemeteries are to be found in the area. A testament to the communities that existed in the area prior to the flooding of Kentucky and Lake Barkley.

If you are ever in the area, drive the Trace and camp at any of the many sites in the 1 million acres of the LBL. This is a pristine, undeveloped preserve for all of us. Watch out for the big butted deer and a small, brown dog chasing after a meal. The old man following all this action will be yours truly.

Happy trails.