South Fork Railroad and Cumberland Falls State Park

Day 19 of Caravan
May 16th
Levi Jackson State Park
London, KY

A visit to Sterns, Ky and South Fork Railroad with a train ride to Blue Heron Mining Camp that now is a ghost town beautifully designed to show and honor the coal miners from this area.

This is a dog friendly place, our group had three dogs with us today

Look at this closely, this is a trailer that has rail wheels on front and back, 

the trailer's tires are up off the track about 6 inches or so.  This train was at least 100 trailers long.

Coal mining and timber were the major industries, now no coal and very little timber, 

this is a holding pond for logs

Old road going to the Coal Camp

This was the community bath house.  The miners went on strike for two days to get it.
The miners took their job serious and never joked around underground, but when above ground it was different.  It was common to take someone's clothes or towel so there were baskets that they could put their clothes in and then lock the basket and tie it on a rope that was then hoisted up high on a beam above where you were taking your shower/

Inside the coal mine

Looking down on the train yard where the coal was loaded

Buddy takes it all in stride. 

 He will usually put up with anything as long as we are with him

Going into a tunnel 

Next we are off to Cumberland Falls State Park

Crossing the  Cumberland River on the way to the Falls State Park

There had been a rain so the river is a little muddy and a little on the high side

Lots of water coming over the falls creating lots of mist

trail down to the look out platform

I thought this was a cute bug on the cement, he was in the way of traffic

 so I helped him over to the grass

Just happened to find a picture of him in the gift shop

View from the Cumberland Falls Lodge dinning room where we had lunch

Our next stop is only 35 miles away at Renfro Valley

Safe travels to all
Nancy and Joe