Portal 31 is closed for the winter and will reopen March 1, 2010. Call 606-848-1530 for more information.
The
heart of the Kingdom Come Scenic Parkway
is the pioneer village of Cumberland, and
the historic coal camps of Benham and Lynch.
The
parkway winds between the rugged Pine and
Black Mountains and is officially desingnated
a scenic parkway for automoble
recreation
between Pineville & Whitesburg, Ky
on US
Hwy 119 (map).
Kentucky
is known for coal. Movies have been made
about coal mining here in the mountains.
Why? The
coalfields
of Southeastern Kentucky were
once the most productive in the world.
Thousands
of families streamed into the shadows of
Black Mountain between the World Wars to
mine coal. Few spoke english but many made
this valley their home. Listen
to Joseph Scopa, an Italian who migrated here before
WWII, briefly describe his experience.
Today
the mines in Benham and Lynch no longer
produce coal. Many impressive coal
camp buildings are preserved and most
are tourist
attractions. The Kentucky
Coal Musem was
once the coal camp commissary for Benham.
Pine
Mountain is the outdoor recreationist's
dream. Kingdom
Come State Park offers miles
of trails and numerous mountian-top views.
Visitors can access the Little Shepherd
Trail on top of Pine Mountain.
Kingdom
Come Scenic
Parkway
•
Take
a free Audio
Driving Tour
that takes you through popular destinations
in Harlan, Bell, and Knox Counties. The
tour is available at Cumberland Tourism,
Kentucky Coal Museum, and Kingdom Come
State Park. At the website, you can print
your own guidebook and burn your own audio
CD's.
•
View
Slide Show
about the area's wealth of history and recreation.
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