Kentucky Travel Guide
Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Kentucky's icons are bourbon and horses. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail links distilleries from Louisville to Lexington; the Kentucky Derby, the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, is the most famous two minutes in sports.
Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system (over 675 km mapped). The Red River Gorge's arches, Land Between the Lakes, and the bluegrass music heritage of Owensboro round out the state.
Destinations in Kentucky
Mammoth CaveThe world's longest cave; the Frozen Niagara and lantern tours.
Kentucky Derby, Churchill DownsThe first Saturday in May; the museum is excellent year-round.
Bourbon TrailMaker's Mark, Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve; book tours ahead.- Red River GorgeNatural Bridge and the climbing mecca's arches.
- Kentucky Horse Park, LexingtonThe 1,200-acre equine park in horse-capital country.
- Land Between the LakesThe 185,000-acre recreation area between Kentucky and Barkley lakes.
Hover a state to explore it. Click a city pin to open its guide.
Top Cities & towns in Kentucky
Regional food
- Hot Brown (the Louisville open-faced turkey sandwich)
- Bourbon balls (the Derby-week candy)
- Burgoo (the Kentucky stew)
Getting there
Louisville (SDF) and Lexington (LEX) are the gateways. The Bourbon Trail is a driving loop; Derby weekend books out a year ahead.