Skip to content
Bell County sets out to build a $56 million preserve.
Construction is slated to begin this spring at Boones Ridge, a $56 million nature observatory in Bell County, Kentucky.
The Appalachian Wildlife Foundation is building this 12,000-acre attraction near Pineville at the southeastern corner of Kentucky.
Part of the building construction stands atop an old coal mine, where a construction foundation is slated to take six weeks to complete, says Frank Allen, chairman of the board of the non-profit Appalachian Wildlife Foundation, Inc.
Mostly, Allen says, the attraction aims to “highlight the wildlife and wild lands” of Kentucky’s mountains.
“The mission in general is education,” Allen says. “Bird watching and birding is going to be a huge draw. We’re going to have several bird observatories that are enclosed.”
In all, Boones Ridge is slated to feature two museums, several restaurants, a retail village, observation towers, petting zoo and a tram system for visitors, Allen says.
Look also for an extensive trail system and viewing stations for the habitats of deer, black bear and elk.
The under-construction visitor center will open in the fall of 2022 while the remainder of Boones Ridge is set to open in the spring of 2023, Allen says.
Boones Ridge is expected to attract 980,000 visitors a year, says Allen. “There are so many moving parts on this thing and different affiliations and different features.”
boonesridge.com / 606-523-1323
The story above first appeared in our May/June 2021 issue. To get more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!
