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Big South Fork National River & Recreation AreaMountain Laurel blooming in the spring.
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Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
Support Your Park
 
Clear Fork River from Peters Bridge
Chuck Summers
Clear Fork River flowing under Peters Bridge in the southern portion of Big South Fork.
 

The concept of partnership is deeply embedded in the management philosophy of Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. As a result, the park has developed a number effective partnerships with organizations in the region.

Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association, now called Tour Southern and Eastern Kentucky was created in 1987 to promote, expand, develop and market the existing and potential tourism industry throughout Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

In September of 2000, the ‘Company’s Coming’ tourism development initiative for Southern and Eastern Kentucky was unveiled. Big South Fork has been an active participant using the Company’s Coming initiative to promote tourism and development in surrounding communities.

Visit the Tour Southern and Eastern Kentucky website.

The Friends of the Big South Fork is a nonprofit group of interested citizens, formed to support and promote the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area by raising funds to preserve, restore, and enhance the park’s natural and cultural resources, to provide improved services and facilities for visitors, to increase public awareness and support of the park, and to enhance educational and interpretive activities which increases public appreciation and understanding of the park.

Visit the Friends of the Big South Fork website.

Volunteers-In-Parks show their support by donating valuable time that allows park staff to run a number of programs that would be impractical or impossible without volunteer assistance.  Explore the possibilities for donating time as a volunteer.

Visit the parks Volunteer page.

Big South Fork Scenic Railway 
Big South Fork Scenic Railway
Ride the rails to Blue Heron links to Big South Fork Scenic Railway
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Coal tipple and rail cars at Blue Heron. 
Blue Heron Mining Community
This outdoor museum tells the story of life in a 1950's company coal town.
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 Obed River Gorge
Obed Wild and Scenic River
Located just south of Big South Fork Obed offers a wealth of recreational opportunities
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Camper in Bandy Creek Campground, TN 
Camping
Camping facilities in Big South Fork
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Devils Jump Rapid is just below the site of the proposed dam.  

Did You Know?
In the 1960's Congress requested the Army Corps of Engineers to study the feasibility of damming the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River just above the Devils Jump Rapid to create another reservoir. Had that happened Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area would never have existed.

Last Updated: July 24, 2006 at 22:37 EST