As surrounding states begin slowly trying to reopen in some way, shape, form or fashion after the Coronavirus lockdown, we’re all staring down what’s left of spring and at least early summer with a heightened focus on regional travel options.

While we all may have once regularly flown or drove far far away to adventure, these days we are all looking for more at close-to-home and cheap adventures in our own 100 acre woods and waters.

 This spring I have revisited Bob Sehlinger’s classic book “A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to The Streams of Kentucky,” dreaming of spectacular paddle trips on some of shallow, tight and windy, cliff-lined streams just over the borderline in Eastern Kentucky. 

 While I annually run the gorge section of Tygart’s Creek over in Olive Hill, it had been years since I had ran a portion of the equally stunning Little Sandy River through the Laurel Gorge in Sandy Hook, Ky., birthplace to my quite colorful, late grandmother, Goldie Green Lavender, and most famously, the late, great country singer Keith Whitley, who died on May 9, 1989.

The 95-mile-long Little Sandy starts in southern Elliott County and flows northeast to the Ohio River through Elliott, Carter and Greenup Counties. Along the way, it was dammed to create the 1,512-acre Grayson Lake (known for its cliffs, fishing and in recent years, colorful flocks of kayakers paddling out to Hidden Falls). You can find out more about that here https://www.kentuckytourism.com/grayson-lake-state-park-paddling/

 For fans of that trip and not put off by a little more production (i.e. two vehicles for shuttling) a day trip or overnight trip on the upper section of the Little Sandy can give you a spectacular paddling adventure that Sehlinger describes accurately in his guide as “beautiful beyond belief” thanks to the almost gluttony of waterfalls, gorgeous sandstone rock cliffs, and abundance of evergreen and hardwood forests. 

Recently, we loaded up the Quaran-Teens, and our adventure loving hound, Milo, and drove slightly less than an hour for a rejuvenating day trip of about 9 miles. We packed a lunch (eaten at a waterfall) and really took our time taking photos (at every waterfall) for a very leisurely paced 3 1/2 hours in two canoes. We are glad to say we encountered way more wildlife than people from migrating birds such as Orioles and bluebirds, to a number of resident Great Blue Herons, and plenty of fish jumping. The handful of people we saw were all within a mile of the take-out at Newfoundland Boat Ramp.

 Day Trip Directions

To get to the put-in from Grayson, (located west of Huntington on I-64), take KY-7 south 20 miles to James Rice Road. Take a left up the hill to Jame Rice Road (that overlooks the river). Take a sharp left on Sheepskin Road which goes back down to the river. Take a left (you can’t take a right because the old bridge is closed) and park in the Heritage Canoe Carry Down gravel parking lot.

To get to the Take Out at the Newfoundland Boat Ramp From Grayson, Take KY-7 south for 18 miles. Turn right at sign for junction of KY-706 and into gravel parking lot. There is parking for a few dozen vehicles including boat trailers.

Note that some upper stretches of the Little Sandy through the Gorge are – like Tygart’s Creek – only runnable through late spring or after heavy rains. Note that you should look for at least 140-150 CFS (cubic feet per second) to run the river. You can check the gauge at Grayson for runnable water levels at  https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=03216500

More Area Adventures on Land in Elliott County 

If you would up for more adventure on land, or would rather just find a spectacular hike, check out the nearby Laurel Gorge Cultural Heritage Center just before Sandy Hook. Turn left onto Cultural Center Road (just before the new KY-7 bridge – 19 miles south of Grayson). The gated entrance is closed but there is parking available in that area. While the center, which has some great displays honoring famous residents like Keith Whitley and Minnie Adkins is closed because of Covid-19, the Center’s hiking trails are all open and take you along a system of trails weaving between the sandstone cliffs and rock houses and nearby streams. Follow the Cultural Heritage Center on Facebook for updates at https://www.facebook.com/LaurelGorgeCulturalHeritageCenter/