Leslie County High Point Trip Report

Peter's Knob and area west of Chestnut Knob (2,600+ ft)

Date: April 13, 2002
Author: Levi Foust

Note: Peter's Knob no longer exists. In its place is a major coal mining operation, but here are the directions anyway. From the intersection of Route 66 and Route 1850 near Queendale and Roark, take Route 1850 for 8.1 miles. Turn right onto Route 1780. Go about 7 miles to the border of Harlan County (At 3.9 miles, crosses a bridge to the right. At 6.1 miles, turns left) Where there used to be knobs and ridges, there are plateaus and craters. The roads are paved but narrow and lacking guide-rails.

area west of Chestnut Knob

Note: I had a difficult time finding a place to get anywhere near this highpoint as several sides of the mountain are privately owned. From the directions to Peter's Knob where Route 1780 crosses the bridge at 3.9 miles, go northeast on Route 2058 for about 5 miles. Turn right onto Route 421 and go for about 3 miles to Reuben Branch (next to a gas station). Take Reuben Branch 0.4 mile, a little past the log house. The pavement ends at a house where I was allowed to park. I continued by mountain bike up the road which crosses rocky streams impassable to a regular passenger car. Soon after, the road dissipates to an ATV trail. Follow the ATV trail up the holler to just south of Chestnut Knob. Turn north to Chestnut Knob and then west to the highpoint.

From parking it is about 4 miles round trip. The further the trail goes, the rougher it gets.