Clay County Kentucky Off-Road Adventures

The community of Manchester is an official “Trail Town” thanks to its connections to local streams, forests and natural landmarks. With the combination of beautiful mountain forests, natural streams and other outdoor recreation opportunities, Manchester is the perfect trail town. Manchester is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest and is near Goose Creek, the Redbird River and the South Fork of the Kentucky River. These streams provide excellent paddling opportunities for visitors. There are also hiking, camping, ATV trails, horseback trails and cycling routes in the area.

Clay County host some of the best ATV Trails in the United States. With miles and miles of trails, a day or weekend would not begin to be enough time to cover even a portion of the trails offered in our mountains.

Our trails range from easy to extreme with an abundance of wildlife to view and a population of Elk that is plentiful. It is very common to see herds of Elk as you ride through the moutains of Clay County. Come on home to Clay County for your next ATV vacation, where new adventures await and memories last a lifetime.

The Y-Hollow Trailhead is located inside the City Limits of Manchester. The Y-Hollow is an area of over 400+ acres. From the Y-Hollow Trailhead you can asscess any and all trails from river trails, hiking/biking trails, horse trails and atv trails. From the Y-Hollow you can travel to any trail in the County, from Beech Creek, Elk Mountain, Newfound and Redbird. The Y-Hollow is primitive camping only.

The Elk Mountain Recreational area is located just 7 miles outside the City limits of Manchester. Elk Mountain is an area of over a 1000 acres. The mountain offers restrooms and covered shelter and primitive camping.

Located in the Goose Rock community of Clay County, D & K Off-Road Park is a unique park featuring 3,150 acres of off-road fun. Challenge yourself with trails, mud, rocks and hills. The park also offers dirt drag racing under the lights. D & K Off-Road Park is a paradise for buggies, ATV’s, motorcycles, rock crawlers, jeeps and any other off-road vehicles. Tent and RV camping and cabins are available.

The Redbird District OHV Trail within the Daniel Boone National Forest is a 65-mile loop trail that begins and ends near the Redbird District Office in the eastern corner of Clay County. Located near Big Creek, the trail generally follows the ridge with some steep and rough areas. There are some areas so narrow that only single track vehicles can drive on them. It is a multiple-use trail; hikers, horses, mountain bikes, motorcycles and ATV’s under 50 inches are all welcome.

Clay County River Trails

Clay County has three main rivers: Goose Creek, Redbird and South Fork.

The Goose Creek River starts a few miles south of Manchester and runs through downtown Manchester. The Goose Creek runs into Oneida where it meets the Redbird River. The Goose Creek River with its' many twists and turns create about 30+ miles of kayaking and canoeing.

The Redbird River runs right through the heart of the Redbird Ranger District. It offers 30+ miles of kayaking and canoeing. The Redbird runs into Oneida where it meets the Goose Creek River. These two rivers come together to form the South Fork of the Kentucky River.

The South Fork River runs through Clay County into Owsley County, with 20+ miles before you enter Owsley County. The South Fork River has wide banks and creates a perfect river for spending a lazy day tubing, hitting the narrows on a kayak, or paddling a canoe.

Gateway to the Redbud & Elk Capitals of Kentucky

With over 11,000 elk, Southeast Kentucky has more elk than any state east of the Rockies and has been declared the "Elk Capital of the East." Clay County is the “Gateway to Elk Country”. Located in the heart of white-tailed deer, wild turkey and elk country, Clay County provides unlimited opportunities for wildlife viewing. The majority of Clay County lies within the Daniel Boone National Forest as part of the Redbird District.

Clay County is also the gateway to the "Redbud Capital of Kentucky." Each Spring thousands of redbuds bloom in the majestic mountains of eastern Kentucky along Daniel Boone/Hal Rogers Parkway and historic Highway 80, providing a breathtaking drive into the “Redbud Capital of Kentucky". In the wild, eastern redbud is a frequent native understory tree in mixed forests and hedgerows. The flowers are showy, light to dark magenta pink in color, and appear in clusters from Spring to early Summer on bare stems before the leaves. The flowers are pollinated by long-tongued bees such as blueberry bees and carpenter bees. After the redbud bloom, dogwood flowers decorate the county fence rows, followed soon after by sarvis blooms.

Daniel Boone National Forest

Daniel Boone National Forest is located along the Cumberland Plateau in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky. The forest encompasses over 707,000 acres of mostly rugged terrain. The land is characterized by steep forested ridges dissected by narrow ravines and over 3,400 miles of sandstone cliffs. Daniel Boone National Forest is one of the most heavily used forests in the South, with over 5 million visitors annually. People come here to backpack, camp, picnic, rock climb, boat, ride and relax. Daniel Boone is comprised of four ranger districts: Cumberland, London, Stearns and Redbird.

Millions of visitors come to enjoy the scenic Appalachian beauty and abundant wildlife that the forest has to offer. Cave Run Lake and Laurel River Lake are popular attractions of the forest. Other special areas include the Red River Gorge Geological Area, Natural Arch Scenic Area, Clifty Wilderness, Beaver Creek Wilderness, and five wildlife management areas.

Over 600 miles of trails provide a quiet escape to more remote places within the forest. Hikers, horseback riders and other trail users get back to nature along the 269-mile Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail that extends the entire length of the Daniel Boone. Hundreds of miles of winding rivers and streams provide the finishing touch in outdoor Appalachian beauty.

Come and discover what you've been missing. Daniel Boone National Forest is Appalachia's best in southern and eastern Kentucky.

There are two areas designated as Wilderness: Clifty Wilderness and Beaver Creek Wilderness. Daniel Boone National Forest is a haven to many species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and other wildlife including: black bears, deer, bobcats, chipmunks, squirrels, elk, fox, shrews, voles, opossums, skunks, raccoons, rabbits, wild turkeys, woodchucks, songbirds, hawks, owls, eagles, bats, vultures, hummingbirds, turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, salamanders and treefrogs.

The Appalachian forest consists of sloping hills, ridge top flats, narrow valleys, hardwood forests, bottom wildlands and miles of rivers and streams. The Appalachian forest contains three large lakes (Cave Run Lake, Laurel River Lake and Lake Cumberland), many rivers and streams, two wilderness areas, and the 269-mile Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail that extends across the length of the forest. Abundant wildlife, lush vegetation, magnificent scenery and numerous recreation opportunities offer visitors much to enjoy. Please practice Trail Safety and Leave No Trace to make your visit safe and enjoyable while protecting resources we all enjoy. Most national forest system lands are open and free of charge for your use and enjoyment. Entrance and user fees may be charged at some areas.

Clay County Kentucky's Farm Markets & Roadside Stands

There is something special about preparing home-cooked meals with fresh fruits and vegetables picked up at a farm market within hours of harvest. Discover farm fresh foods at Clay County's farm markets, roadside stands and small town grocers...offering the freshest produce and seasonal favorites. From homegrown potatoes, lettuce, corn, beans, cucumbers, broccoli radishes, cider, gourds, and fall squash - to a vast array of fruits - you'll find everything you need for your cooking needs at Clay County's farmers markets and roadside stands.

Clay County is known for its abundance of yard sales and roadside tag sales, including the annual East 80 Yard Sale...a 22 mile yard sale! The yard sale route goes through Manchester and London, KY along Hwy 80 each Labor Day Weekend from Thursday through Monday. In addition, several vendors malls and thrift stores dot the county. Furniture, clothing, antiques, home decor, plants...you never know what you'll find around the county at local yard sales, vendors malls, thrift stores and roadside stands.

NEXT: Parks In Manchester & Clay County Kentucky

Join The Movement

"Stay In Clay" is comprised of progressive Clay County residents who have come together to cross all boundaries of race, economic, and social class, to empower our people, bond our community, and strengthen our local economy...to move Clay County forward with pride and purpose.

Stay in Clay is a group formed to help boost the spirit, pride, and morale of our people and help improve the look and condition of our hometown/county. We want Manchester and Clay County to be the place people want to live, stay, retire, visit, come home to!

Join The Stay In Clay Movement