Kentucky ferries
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Still a free Ferry that will take you across the Cumberland River in between Monroe and Cumberland counties
Marion, KY to Cave in Rock, IL in western KY.
Green river near mammoth cave. Pull out canoes there. Take my grandson sometime and I become a kid again
If you haven't ever rode a ferry across a stream, you missed a little bit of good life.
Valley View Ferry across the KY River connecting Madison Co to Jessamine and Fayette. I think it's the oldest ferry in operation.
correction: the oldest continuous business of record in KY.
correction: the oldest continuous business of record in KY.
My million $ idea has long been a ferry (or even just a passenger boat) from the West End of 265 in Louisville, straight across to Caesars, which otherwise takes about an hour drive to get to, despite the fact it's about 1 mile away the way the crow flies. Guaranteed mint.
That's not a ferry boat ride. You see things differently.
Maybe why you so unhappy with your life?
Our shop replaced the entire bottom plates in that ferry @ 35-40 years ago. I still enjoy taking it from time to time.Valley View Ferry across the KY River connecting Madison Co to Jessamine and Fayette. I think it's the oldest ferry in operation.
correction: the oldest continuous business of record in KY.
I’ve ridden across the Cumberland River many times on the Free Ferry. Was on the Ferry at Mammoth Cave-Green River once long ago. This part of the state used to have ferries every few miles along big rivers. My grandfather used to run one before my time.
From Center Point to Turkey Neck Bend. My grandpa ran that ferry many years ago.
Dumbass. Now Krazykat is gonna have that ferry built next week, and your dreams will be crushed.
The Cave-In-Rock Ferry From Crittenden County to Cave In Rock, IL is pretty damn cool. Probably the longest ferry ride in KY along with the hickman ferry
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I’ve been across that ferry more than 100 times. Go to the TN line - get a 12 pack beer - cut through Big Sulfur - cross the ferry and cruise through the (literal) middle of nowhere for a few hours.
The backroads after you cross that ferry are legendary for their scenery and emptiness. Coe Ridge is the place I’m headed if the **** ever hits the fan.
If you know your way around back in there you really can cruise for 2-3 hours without meeting another car. Growing up in Monroe county, cruising backroads was our jam and that ferry led to magical places.
There were a lot of them along the Cumberland before they built the dam.
If ya want a cheap day trip this summer for you and your family, find a ferry near you.
Throw in some roadside picnic food and it is a party.
Throw in some roadside picnic food and it is a party.
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Any of y’all Cumberland/Monroe area boys who have crossed the ferry ever been to Pinnacle Point in Kettle (Some refer to it as pinnacle bluff)? I’ve jumped out onto the rock many times.
It’s one of the most beautiful places in the state. And also one of the hardest places to get to. If you’ve never been and aren’t with someone who has been, you stand zero chance of finding it.
It’s one of the most beautiful places in the state. And also one of the hardest places to get to. If you’ve never been and aren’t with someone who has been, you stand zero chance of finding it.
Maysville doesn’t. We have 2 bridges. I believe you are thinking of the Augusta Ferry in Augusta, KY. About 20 minutes north of Maysville. It crosses to Ohio near Higginsport.
Pinnacle Point. Never heard of it but I’m not in that area. Like you, we would go to Tennessee line back in the day and head down Kettle Creek through Gods Country towards the ferry. After crossing we would head back towards Cumberland County on highway 100 through Mud Camp.
I may have actually drank a beer or two with KyFaninNC’s grandpa on the ferry. The operator’s would be more than willing to sit and shoot the breeze at 2:00 AM. That’s about the time we would be out prowling around.
I've seen the one in use in Northern Ky across to Ohio. Still pretty cool to watch them operate.
Dorena-Hickman is 30 minutes. Only way for public traffic to cross Mississippi to/from Kentucky.
Brent, between Silver Grove & Ft. Thomas. Used to walk down a hill and out a gravel road to catch it. Mile or two. Used to climb around on the outside shelf. Pedestrians only. There were two of them, the Prince & Princess. Converted WWII landing craft. Fare was 35¢ round trip, 25¢ one-way. The lines to get on could be a 1/2 hr. Held maybe 50 people.
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Never heard of it. Is it on the Dale Hollow, the river or just a bluff? Numerous bluffs around Kettle, Peytonsburg.
“I doubt it” - yeah, before my time. My grandfather probably knew him though, my mother said they used to live about a mile and a half below the Free Ferry, on the Monroe County side. Apparently, my grandfather would ride a horse from there to Marrowbone Creek to go gigging. That’s about the time line as my mother was born in 1931, and she was a teenager when they lived there.
It overlooks the Cumberland river. You turn off the ‘main’ road onto a path that cuts through a farm about 1/4 mile. It’s rough. 4-wheel drive only rough.
The path ends at a bluff. There’s a 10x10 foot circular rock that stands just off the end of the path. It’s about a 4 foot jump out onto it. The Cumberland is beneath you and the backdrop is all beautiful KY farmland. I think there may be one house visible.
I did a quick google search that led me to this old random video. WARNING: It’s a terrible video and way too long, but it gives you an idea if you watch it for a minute (they leave around the 7 minute mark and film their way out). At the very beginning they pan over the rock you jump out on (they don’t do it because they are pussies......or because it’s snowy).
Marrowbone Creek. Great grandparents grew up on it. It’s where I learned to catch crawdads.
I’ve been on other side of the ferry many a late, foggy nights where they didn’t even know I was waiting for them. Sat there for over an hour before they came over.
I still live near Marrowbone Creek. Have all my life. Brother and I used to catch crawdads and boil them. It’s a great place to live. I can see the creek from my house now.
Cat chaser- can’t get the video to load completely ( internet service is terrible), but it’s a view you could take from many places along the river. What I could see of it, it looks like a place we called the Narrows. May not be. The Narrows you could see the river on both the west and east side of the bluff. Some people built a platform to hang- glide from it out over the river. That was probably 45-50 years ago. Like I said, could be almost anywhere along the river bluffs.