The sun is shining and you have the whole day ahead of you – sounds like the perfect opportunity to hit the wide open road and take a beautiful scenic drive. This lovely byway will take you through some of the most pleasant countrysides in Kentucky, and all in about three hours total! Read on to learn more about the Route 10 Country Tour.
The Route 10 Country Tour is a scenic drive through beautiful Kentucky countryside.
It starts out in Alexandria and will take you all the way to Maysville. You can expect to cover a grand total of 53 miles.
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This is a true old-fashioned scenic byway – you won’t find any flashy, sprawling rest stops, gimmicky tourist attractions off the highway, or ugly stretches of urban sprawl.
Instead, the Country Tour will usher you through beautiful fields of green and past rural farmland bursting with color.
It’s a winding route with few distractions from the natural landscape. Though the road is lovely in any season, opt for a drive in the spring and fall for the most impressive views.
There are plenty of small towns and villages dotting the route. This byway is popular with motorcyclists due to the fun twists and turns, as well as the many valleys, creeks, and patches of woodland.
They say it's all about the journey, but the town of Maysville is definitely a worthy destination.
Maysville was once an important stop on the Underground Railroad, and you can still see plenty of old buildings if you park and stroll through town. Be sure to visit the Maysville Murals, a series of historic murals on a downtown flood wall featuring scenes from the history of Maysville and Kentucky.
The trip will take you 1.5 hours each way. You couldn’t wish for a prettier drive than the Route 10 Country Tour.
You'll want to take this drive again and again! Click here to view an interactive map of the route. For more of the best scenic byways in Kentucky, check out our list of the top 10 here.
There's nowhere in the world quite like Kentucky. Between the rolling hills of Horse Country, grandiose gorges of the Daniel Boone National Forest, riverfront vistas of northern Kentucky, Appalachian hills in our eastern region, and waterfront splendor of Lake Cumberland *and* Land Between the Lakes, you're guaranteed to find a scenic destination anywhere in the state. Today, we put together a scenic Kentucky road trip that visits some of our state's finest features, and it's sure to make you fall in love with the beauty of the Bluegrass all over again.
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Our scenic road trip to some of the most beautiful places to visit in Kentucky visits several beautiful destinations in the Bluegrass State. While it can be done in a day, we suggest breaking it into a weekend, and we have suggested accommodations listed below.
The Kentucky Horse Park is always a blue ribbon winner in our books, and it's the perfect place to stop and spend the morning. And honestly, it's one of those things to do in Kentucky that's a must!
We recommend going for a guided horseback ride through the equestrian park, which is one of the best ways to enjoy the rolling hills of the Bluegrass.
As the state is home to the famous Kentucky Derby, you can learn more about the horses by watching this video by @OnlyInYourState:
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Next stop, Red River Gorge! Located within the state’s Daniel Boone National Forest, Red River Gorge is the Holy Grail of outdoor recreation and adventure.
Known as the "Grand Canyon of Kentucky," Red River Gorge is a canyon system along the Red River in the eastern part of the state. The vistas here are out-of-this-world, and we recommend staying in your car and driving through a bit of the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway.
When you feel like getting out and stretching your legs, Natural Bridge is one of Red River Gorge's most spectacular spots and offers 10 hiking trails ranging from a half-mile to 7.5 miles in length.
Formed over millions of years, the park's eponymous sandstone arch stretches more than 75 feet long and 65 feet high and is truly a sight to behold. When you're tired and ready to rest your feet for the night, we suggest checking into the 35-room Hemlock Lodge, where each suite has a balcony for peak vista viewing!
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Curious to explore RRG before you go? Check out this video from YouTube user Robert Zinn:
New day, new possibilities. First up: a hike at the Berea Pinnacles, the trail Outside Magazine called the best in Kentucky in 2019.
To get to these overlooks, however, you're going to need to lace up your hiking boots and set out on a 6.6-mile journey, but trust us when we say: it's worth each and every step!
Once you've explored the pinnacles, head to Bardstown for a late lunch. Hailed as one of the most charming and walkable small towns in the country, Bardstown is peak Bluegrass beauty!
Order a bourbon flight to sample some of the state's finest spirits, and dine on Southern favorites like beer-battered fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, and bourbon-glazed chicken.
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Fortified, it's time to embark on the last leg of our trip, and it's breathtakingly beautiful.
Travel up through central Kentucky's rolling blue hills, through tunnels of trees and white picket fence-lined farms. Roll down the windows and drink in the sublime scenery of Horse Country.
Our final stop is as grand as it gets: the Kentucky Castle. It's a place that's truly as beautiful as it gets, and from its perch in Versailles, it almost doesn't seem real.
Your trip can end here, but we suggest booking a night's stay at the Kentucky Castle and reveling in being real-life royalty for the night.
Oh, Kentucky, there's nowhere in the world we'd rather be. We hope you enjoyed this scenic Kentucky road trip to some of the state's most beautiful places and encourage you to get out and let yourself fall head-over-heels for the beautiful Bluegrass State!
Not sure what to bring with you on this or any other Kentucky road trip? Take a look at our Ultimate. Road Trip Packing List for ideas!
Taking a road trip can be the best way to get to know an area. Even if you’ve lived in Kentucky your whole life, we guarantee there is still more to see. If you enjoy traveling and feeling like a tourist in your own state, then try out one of the best road trips in Kentucky we’ve put together to show you some extraordinary sights in the state. Each place includes a link back to the original article so you can read more details about each stop. You'll also find links to an interactive Kentucky road trip map so you can customize it the way that’s most convenient for you.
Route: Old Louisville > Versailles > University of Kentucky > Red River Gorge > Corbin > Western Kentucky University > Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
When the travel bug bites you and those iconic Kentucky rolling hills start calling your name, start planning your next weekend getaway with one of these Kentucky road trip ideas. What are your favorite picks for the best road trips in Kentucky? Share your best getaway in the comments!
