This Hike Takes You To A Place Kentucky's First Residents Left Behind
By Andrea Limke|Published May 16, 2018
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
Hiking in Kentucky is always a memorable experience, whether it’s around a scenic lake or along the edge of a gorge. Many of these trails also take you through a piece of our state’s history and one particular area really takes you back in time. Indian Fort Mountain in Berea was once home to Kentucky’s first residents and you can still see evidence of their lives on the mountain today. We’ve shared all about Berea previously here, and you’ll want to try this unforgettable hike that is filled with natural beauty, sweeping views, diverse landscape, and an intriguing history that all make it worth a visit.
Located within the Berea College Forest, the Pinnacles and Indian Fort Mountain are one of the most popular hiking destinations in Kentucky. The forest is owned by Berea College and is one of the oldest managed private forests in the country.
There are more than 7 miles of hiking trails you can experience in this area, but if you'd like a short and sweet hike that takes you right to a piece of history, then follow the signs to Indian Fort Mountain.
This region was once inhabited by the Hopewell Indians, as well as other tribes, and it's easy to see why they would call these forests home.
The 1.1-mile walk to this historic site is filled with history itself. As you walk through the thick forest, rock formations, and creeks, imagine the Hopewell Indians living off this earth all the way back in the years 100BC - 400AD. The area is still a very active archaeological site, so you want to be sure to stay on the designated trails. But you can still observe evidence of prehistoric life if you look carefully.
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The most intriguing spot along the Indian Fort Lookout Trail is Devil's Kitchen.
This overhang and cave of sorts would have made the perfect home for those who once lived here. It's a mysterious site to see and a place you'll want to take some time and wonder what life was once like for those first Kentuckians.
The trails in the area are actually filled with these interesting rock formations, which you can imagine were good lookouts, hiding spots, and shelters all those years ago.
You can read more about the East and West Pinnacles and other lookouts on the site linked below, but these photos give you a taste of the stunning views you can get from a day spent hiking in Berea.
Hiking in Kentucky is always a great adventure, but imagine what those first inhabitants thought when they discovered our beautiful state.
Hopefully, they also enjoyed these views, as they looked out, planned, dreamed, and wondered what was to come. It's actually not very different from what we feel when we look out over our Kentucky, a state that's always been a beautiful place to live.
Indian Fort Mountain is a Kentucky treasure that allows us to experience the natural beauty of our state, as well as its interesting history. Have you hiked this historic mountain and the surrounding area? What other historic trails in Kentucky do you enjoy? Let us know in the comments!
For more on Indian Fort Mountain and the Berea Pinnacles, visit here.
And for more incredible hiking trails in Kentucky, check out our previous article here.
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