Bullitt County Highpoint Trip Report

Dawson Knob and one area 1,600 ft southwest (980+ ft)

one area 1,200 ft northeast of Dawson Knob - BM Mountain Top (980+ ft)

Date: June 20, 2005
Author: Bill Schuler

on Pitts Point quadrangle

I expected this one to be a lot harder, if not impossible, to get permission but it turned out to be simple. I went North on Hwy 31W from Radcliff, KY and took the Bullion Boulevard off-ramp to the Chaffee entrance gate to Fort Knox. There you'll find a Visitor Center. After talking with Sgt. Baker on duty, showing him my maps, and explaining what I wanted to do, he called a Liaison Officer, SPC-4 Linderman at 505-624-2111. Mr. Linderman had a few more questions for me and then gave permission to hike onto the Fort Knox property from the east.

He warned me not to touch any ordnance I might find. He talked again with Sgt. Baker and I overheard the comment "He looks harmless". Sgt. Davis then made copies of my identification and called the MPs at 502-624-2112 to tell them what I planned to do and that I have an OK to do it. I returned to Radcliff and took LA 313 East to Interstate 65. I went north on the Interstate to exit 112 at Route 245. Zero your odometer here.

0.0 I-65 and Route 245 - go west on 245
0.8 Junction with Highway 61 - turn right (north)
1.2 Pine Valley Road (unsigned) - turn left (west)
1.4 Highway 1494 - go straight
2.3 Tracy Layne Road on right - go straight
2.5 Pine Valley Court on left - go straight
2.9 Peacock Hollow Road on left - go straight
3.3 Roy Layne Road at a Baptist Church in the hamlet of Beech Grove - turn left
3.5 Circular drive ahead - turn left
3.6 Pavement ends - still OK for passenger cars but potholed
4.0 Unsigned, posted road to right - go straight
4.5 A couple of Posted signs
5.3 A field road - park or drive
5.4 Field road turns right - go straight to locked cable and park if you are still driving.

Note: The roads in the area are confusing and there's probably a better way to get there. Try your luck. I drove in there twice on entirely different routes and wasn't sure where I was on either trip. From the road head the peaks are about 1.5 miles due West. I hiked the road with it's ups and downs to Dawson Knob, went southwest along a lesser track about 0.3 mile to the second point and backtracked northeast beyond Dawson Knob 0.2 mile to Mountain Top. It's a heavily timbered area with few views but pretty nonetheless. My GPS was helpful when I could get a signal but map and compass worked better. I wasn't stopped or bothered by anyone.