Dawkins Line Rail Trail

*TRAIL UPDATE* As of May 2023, this section of the Dawkins Line Rail Trail is now completely paved.
Join us as we take a ride on the Dawkins Line Rail Trail, Kentucky's longest rail trail. For more information about this route, visit parks.ky.gov/p....
Strava Link: / strava
Correction: In the original version of the video, I incorrectly stated that the Dawkins Line is Kentucky's ONLY rail trail. I have since learned that the information that I came across in my research of the trail was incorrect. I believe it is correct to say that it is the LONGEST rail trail, but it is definitely not the only one.
For more Kentucky gravel routes, visit www.kentuckycy....
For those who want to support the work of the Kentucky Cycling project, please consider buying some merchandise at www.kentuckycy.... To provide more direct support visit bit.ly/kycyclin... or reach out to discuss possibilities for sponsorship or partnership at www.kentuckycy....
#DawkinsLineRailTrail #RailTrail #Kentucky #Cycling

[@joyfultrails]

Nice! I’m hoping to ride this one and Prestonsburg later this year.

[@KentuckyCycling]

The trail has been paved since this video was produced. Check out this video for what the riding experience is like now (and my suggested way to ride it, especially when combining it with the Prestonsburg Passage. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWinpJugm7yMn9Usi=WldOLDGD1uQF1kJA Looking forward to seeing what your videos!

[@elizabeththomas3293]

Thanks for the video, Nathan. Trefor and I watched it last night and rode it this afternoon. It's always nice going into a ride having an idea of what's to come. Appreciate it!

[@KentuckyCycling]

Hope you enjoyed your ride. There are big changes on the horizon in the form of paving the Dawkins Line.

[@elizabeththomas3293]

I did enjoy it. After a couple of close calls road riding this winter it was nice to be able to just relax and ride without worrying about cars.

[@CharlieFrace]

@@KentuckyCycling you passed grandparents house I really miss that place it beautiful

[@markanthony124]

I live on this trail it's beautiful

[@KentuckyCycling]

I agree! Glad you appreciate what is a great resource, not only for your area, but for Kentucky and the surrounding region.

[@donaldtank]

Can my trike recumbent ride on this trail?

[@KentuckyCycling]

So long as you have decent tire width, I wouldn't think there would be a problem.

[@jeffsmithsolo]

Very helpful video! Since we don't have gravel bikes, we're thinking of doing this with 28mm tires on our road bikes or riding our mountain bikes that have Ardent 2.4s. Any advice?

[@KentuckyCycling]

I'm sure you could do it on 28 mm tires, but there may be places where the gravel is a little deep or loose where things would likely get a bit squirrely. So, if it were me, I'd take the MTBs.

[@jeffsmithsolo]

@@KentuckyCycling we ordered some 42mm gravel tires for our mountain bikes. Thank for your help!

[@KentuckyCycling]

@@jeffsmithsolo Happy to be of assistance. Enjoy your ride!

[@rolynontrails1550]

Enjoyed your video! We love riding and videoing different rail trails. They are such amazing places to ride. We have ridden mostly around NC/VA/WVA. We are headed to NY/NJ/CONN the beginning of November and are looking forward to exploring new areas and shooting new videos while we are there. Thanks again for a great video. We just subscribed and look forward to more.

[@vaughnpayne]

I rode this trail when it first opened. It was always poorly maintained. It isn’t suitable for road bikes, and you have to avoid horses, ATVs, and unleashed dogs.

[@KentuckyCycling]

I agree that it isn't really suitable for most road bikes. From what I've read about riding on gravel trail, you really want a bike that can take at least a 32mm tire (or possibly get by with a 28 mm gravel tire). We also found the trail to be in good shape over all. Dogs weren't an issue for us either. I had also seen some older reviews stating that the restrooms were closed and trash piling up. But, we found the restrooms at the Jane Beshear Trailhead to be open, very clean, and well-manicured on the day of our visit. In all, it was a very pleasant experience!

[@danielmeade1610]

Atvs aren’t allowed unless it’s during the even the the first responders put on in September. But I know of course that people ride them on it anyway.

[@vaughnpayne]

@@danielmeade1610 The locals with ATVs don't follow the rules. They are the one who make this poorly designed gravel road rut-strewn. I was a vocal opponent of the design of the trail at Paintsville Tourism meetings.

[@KentuckyCycling]

And, for what it's worth, there are lots of signs throughout the trail stating that no motorized vehicles are NOT allowed. Also, there are many barriers set up along the trail now to serve as a physical deterrent to such activity. We only saw minimal evidence of ATV tracks and would highly recommend the trail, based on our experience. We were very pleasantly surprised by the amount of shade on the trail and there are many natural points of interest including wildlife (we saw a flock of turkeys), boulders, creeks, etc.

[@vaughnpayne]

@@KentuckyCycling Knock yourself out. I'd much prefer a 3 hour trip from Louisville to Loveland, Ohio for a real rails-for-trails experience than a similar hike to Paintsville for a struggling and barren ride.

[@CherieFNP]

I just started getting into riding for exercise, love this video. Too bad this trail is 5 1/2 hrs from my house 😢

[@KentuckyCycling]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video and hope you enjoy your journey into cycling. Hopefully, you can find some trails that you can enjoy closer to home. If not, come see us in Kentucky!

[@artbyphotos]

Mammoth cave has a rail trail, idk what it has to have to be official but its called rail trail and was part of the old train travel

[@KentuckyCycling]

Apparently, I misspoke. I must have read some dated material when preparing for this video. However, in looking at the Rails to Trails Conservancy site, it says that there are currently 17 rail-trails in Kentucky, with the Dawkins Line being the longest. www.railstotrails.org/our-work/united-states/kentucky/

[@myanimaladventures1196]

Hey, thank you for sharing. Are there any RV camping spots near the trail?

[@KentuckyCycling]

I'm not an expert on the area, but it looks like the Jenny Wiley State Park campground is only about 8 miles from the eastern end of the trail (at Hager Hill),

[@KentuckyCycling]

I should also mention that they have started a project near the Royalton Trail head, which will include RV camping right on the trail. In talking to one of the folks associated with that project, it should open in 2021 so something to look forward to.

[@kathrynleskosky75]

What kind of bikes were you riding? Beautiful route! What is your 'professional' opinion of Fuji Touring bike, any year? thanks

[@KentuckyCycling]

I was riding an old Bridgestone light touring bike with 35 mm tires, which was great for the trail. I'm hardly a 'professional'. LOL I'm just passionate about Kentucky cycling. I have owned a couple of Fujis in my life. They are viewed as kind of a value brand, meaning you typically get a fair amount of bang for your buck. It'd likely be fine for this trail. 32mm or wider tires would be best, but you could probably still ride it on a narrower tire.

[@baredog6774]

I rode this back in the spring on my hybrid. What size tires are you guys running? I currently have 25s on my road bike. I found that there had been some recent maintenance where the trail was not packed and that slowed me even on 38 mm tires. I live just north of a Paintsville and would like to ride along with you all sometime.

[@KentuckyCycling]

A couple of us had 35 mm tires and the other had 40 mm. From what I've read, you really want at least 32 mm for gravel. There were a couple of spots on the trail where they had recently added gravel and it wasn't packed so we know what you mean. I don't know when we'll be back to ride again as there are a lot of other places that I want to do videos on, but we enjoyed it!

[@rollingreclinerRecumbent]

You lost me at horses being allowed.

[@KentuckyCycling]

For whatever it's worth, we didn't encounter any horses when we were there, but it's definitely a possibility. #ShareTheTrail

[@dianehopward626]

I've lived rd there all my life,n the tunnels are awsome , but the state took way too much money n invested in it ..true they are trying to have an rv lot there but seriously they have to be losing a ton of cash not that profitable.I'm here everyday n haven't seen anyone riding n using the trail.IMO a lot of big heads on the county done as they always have put most of the money in their own pocket...not many of us pee ons really interested in the trail since at least two that cohearsed the deal has no interest in it a bit.our little town of Royalton will never be any diff for the better I honestly dont see it ...ppl just arent drawn to it.

[@KentuckyCycling]

I appreciate your perspective. But, I believe that it is a resource worth promoting. And I know several people, myself included, who would have never come to your town, if not for the trail.

[@dianehopward626]

@@KentuckyCycling ty my point bn it won't bring in enough revenue to pay taxes alone on that state property ....plus it has no drawing power . you gotta go way off course to even get to the bkrd's of Oakley to get to the real riding trail .n I stand on my original post ain't worth the ride when you can go to Dewey or Paintsville lake to see the beauty of nature n good riding trail ,just don't see anyone bypassing that to get to a at best logging rd to ride

[@KentuckyCycling]

I'm guessing that you are not a cyclist. Multiuse trails are a draw in it of themselves as cyclists will drive to a destination if provides a riding experience that is free of cars. I don't think there is any value in arguing about whether or not money should have been spent this way. The question now is where do we go from here? Do we encourage people to make use of a resource in our state or shy people away from it? What I'm trying to do with this channel is the former.

[@dougwachs]

We are from Central KY and visited twice in 2020 - wouldn't have visited without the trail - on both visits we saw over 20 people enjoying the trail. Not a LOT of people like the 1,000+ we saw the Virginia Creeper trail, but it's a start. They do need to get the washed out section a bit firmer, but the rest rooms were working in Oct. 2020 and it was a great family trip during this COVID mess. We did buy lunches and gas at the Royalton gas station - that helped a little. Thanks for the video!