Sheltowee Trace
Sheltowee Trace is a 285-mile trail in Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1 to 3 to 4, minimally developed to highly developed. The forest has not published allowed uses for it. It enters Clifty Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Daniel Boone National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 38.3850° N, 83.4164° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 36.6024° N, 84.7395° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 64 segments.
The trail
| Length | 285 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed; 3, developed; 4, highly developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| National designation | National Recreation Trail or other national designation |
| Trail numbers | 100 |
| Forest | Daniel Boone National Forest (unit 0802) |
| States | Kentucky |
| Detail published | basic characteristics |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Wilderness
- Clifty WildernessFS · about 1% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedSte - Goodin Ridge Rx
38 mi from the trail midpoint · 2,604 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Park units nearby
Historic places nearby
Guidebooks for Daniel Boone National Forest and Kentucky
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Sheltowee Trace?
The Forest Service records 285 miles under this name in Daniel Boone National Forest, the sum of 64 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Sheltowee Trace?
Daniel Boone National Forest has not published allowed uses for this trail. The forest office can say what is open.
Where does the Sheltowee Trace start?
The line begins at 38.3850° N, 83.4164° W and ends at 36.6024° N, 84.7395° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Sheltowee Trace in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Clifty Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Clifty Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Sheltowee Trace?
Clear Creek Campground (under 0.1 mi), Great Meadows Campground (0.1 mi) and Alum Ford Campground (0.1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 8 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Sheltowee Trace?
Trail class 1 to 3 to 4, which the Forest Service describes as minimally developed to highly developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Sheltowee Trace?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Sheltowee Trace a national trail?
Yes. The record marks it as a National Recreation Trail.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Sheltowee Trace?
Daniel Boone National Forest, Forest Service unit 0802. The trail is in Kentucky.
Is there a fire near the Sheltowee Trace?
The interagency feed shows 1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Ste - Goodin Ridge Rx at 38 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 64 segments named Sheltowee Trace in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0802. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.