Daniel Boone National Forest, Stearns Ranger District

The Daniel Boone National Forest embraces some of the most rugged terrain west of the Appalachian Mountains. Steep forested slopes, sandstone cliffs and narrow ravines characterize the land. Visitors come here to hike, camp, picnic, rock climb, boat, hunt, fish, ride, target shoot and relax. The forest contains three large lakes (Cave Run Lake, Laurel River Lake and Lake Cumberland), many rivers and streams, Clifty Wilderness, Beaver Creek Wilderness, Red River Gorge and the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail that extends across the length of the forest. Spread across 21 counties of southern and eastern Kentucky, more than 708,000 acres of national forest system lands are managed within a 2.1 million-acre proclamation boundary. The forest is divided into four ranger districts: Cumberland, London, Redbird and Stearns. The forest is host to three Job Corps Centers.