Laurel County High Point Trip Report

Date: January 22, 2004
Author: Estus Hibbard

This is a revision to Mr. Foust's previous report. From KY 80 in eastern Laurel County, take KY 1803 south and drive 3.2 miles. At that point, 1803 takes a sharp turn to the right, but you want to go left onto Blackwater Church Road. After that, drive 0.7 miles to Gilbert Road which is on the right. Go all the way to the end of that road to an apparently abandoned house and a barn next to it. This is the spot where I began my hike. I attempted to check at a couple of neighboring houses to try and seek permission to go to the top of the hill, but alas, I didn't find anyone around.

At that spot, there is a "Keep Out" sign posted, so I left a note on the car's windshield explaining my plans. I followed the faint trail going around the barn until it apparently ended a couple of hundred feet beyond it. I used a Garmin E-Trex GPS unit for my hike.

I kept going up the hill to the right of the barn, almost certain I was going in the right direction. About 25-30 minutes after I started, I reached the top of the hill. Shortly after passing the barn, I encountered a small pond on the way up. Going the route I took, expect a Class II climb, along with a few briars along the way.

At the top of the hill, my GPS was varying between 1,767 and 1,768 feet above sea level. The highest point appears to be at the base of one of two maple (or oak?) trees. Walk around a bit to satisfy yourself, just in case. With no leaves on the trees, I got some rather decent views to the north and towards Clay County. The hill is visible from several spots along KY 80 around the Bush community.

I roughly followed the path I took and got back to the car without any real incident. About an hour later, I typed my GPS coordinates on www.topozone.com, and it turned out that I was in the correct spot. It is located roughly halfway between BM Blackwater and the spot where Clay, Knox, and Laurel counties meet.

I lived for 10 years about 3 miles northeast of this hill (as the crow flies) along KY 80 a few hundred feet inside of Clay County without realizing it was the highest point in Laurel County, until I ordered Andy Martin's book. From where I lived, you could have spotted it if a couple of houses and a few trees were chopped down. Not too bad of a climb.