Hike our Trails

The Land Beneath Your Feet

Our campus sits on the north slope of Pine Mountain in Harlan County, Kentucky. A place where the Appalachian Mountains reach their full, unhurried grandeur. The 348-acre James E. Bickford State Nature Preserve, located within our campus, protects one of the finest examples of mixed mesophytic forest in the world. These ancient woodlands are home to rare ferns, native orchids, and wildflowers found almost nowhere else — a living classroom that has been teaching long before we arrived.

A Note on Our Trails

Our trails are maintained by staff, volunteers, and the many hands that have cared for this land across generations. Conditions vary by season. We recommend sturdy footwear year-round and layers in every season.

All guests hiking our trails are asked to stay on marked paths, leave no trace, and treat the preserve with the respect it deserves. Many of the plants here are rare and irreplaceable.