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Attractions
Barthell
Coal Mining Camp
Named
for EE Barthell, the mining town served the Stearns Coal and Lumber
Company as its first mine, opened in 1902. The mining camp was shut down
in 1952 and then purchased and renovated by the Koger family to the
state it appeared around 1910. Currently, the mining camp offers tours
of the mine, a restaurant, miner's cabin rentals, and entertainment.
For information call 888-550-5748 or 606-376-8749
or visit them online at
www.barthellcoalcamp.
Big
South Fork Scenic Railway
The
railway originally served as the backbone of the Stearns Coal and Lumber
Company hauling logs and coal out of the remote Big South Fork River
Valley. Today, you can ride the rails along the cliff lines and roaring
streams to the restored coal mining camps of the area. Rides available
April through December. Located at the depot in downtown historic
Stearns, KY.
Call 800-462-5664 or 606-376-5330 or log onto
www.bsfsry.com
for information.
Blue
Heron Mining Camp
Part
of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Blue Heron
Mining Camp was built in 1937 and operated by the Stearns Coal and
Lumber Company until 1962. In 1989, the park service restored Blue Heron
with "ghost" structures and oral histories of the camp. Other
features of the camp include canoe put-in location, horse trails, food,
restrooms and outdoor interpretive museum. Located at the end of KY 742
on the Big South Fork River, 9 miles west of Stearns, KY.
For information call 606-376-3787 or visit
www.nps.gov/biso/.
Cumberland
Falls State Resort Park

Often
referred to as the Niagara of the South because of its impressive
stature as the largest waterfall south of the Niagara and east of the
Mississippi. Cumberland Falls also boasts the only active moonbow in the
western hemisphere. The state resort park, located on KY Highway 90,
features DuPont Lodge for dining and lodging, along with a gift shop,
camping, swimming pool, horseback riding and hiking.
Click
Here to download a pdf flyer of 2009 special events at the park. For
information call 1-800-325-0063.
www.parks.ky.gov/findparks/resortparks/cf/
Falls
4-H Mountain Craft Center
Visitors
to the craft center will experience the historic 1842 log cabin in which
the center is located. The center features some of the finest locally
crafted items from wood workings, chimes and baskets to pottery, tin men
and more. Located at 6930 Highway 90 Parkers Lake, KY.
Call 606-376-3463 or visit
www.mountaincraftcenter.com
for information.
McCreary
County Museum
See
the local history of McCreary County with features on farming, mining
and the lumber industry. Learn how the coal company town operated and
the lifestyles of those who inhabited the camps. Located 1 mile west of
US Highway 27 in downtown historic Stearns, KY.
Call 606-376-5730 or visit
www.mccrearymuseum.com.
Sheltowee
Trace Outfitters

Sheltowee Trace Outfitters offer whitewater rafting and canoeing on the Big South Fork with
camping available. They also provide shuttle and guide services and
partner with the Big South Fork Scenic Railway to offer Rivers
and Rails each summer. Located just eats of Cumberland Falls on
KY Highway 90.
For info call 800-541-RAFT or visit
www.ky-rafting.com.
Stearns
National Historic District
A
visit to the historic town of Stearns, KY might include a ride on the
Big South Fork Scenic Railway, a stop at the McCreary County Museum,
dining at Stearns Restaurant or Suzanne's Fine Dining, or a visit to the
many shops in town.
In its heyday, the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company employed more
than 2000 people, with Stearns serving as the company's operational hub.
This site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |


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