Wanna visit Harlan, but have no idea what you should do? Here are our picks for the very best ways to spend 1 day in Harlan County!
- Start your day off by checking into the Benham hotel, so that you have a place to put your things while you’re out and about in Harlan. While you’re there, don’t forget to ask the locals about the haunted mystery surrounding there!
- After you’re all checked in and have had a chance to look around, head on out for some more adventure. Start off by heading to Black Mountain in Lynch to see the tallest peak in Kentucky. That is a view you aren’t going to want to miss. Feel free to check out the rest of the trails around the area too while you’re at it, or if you want to stay high in the air, you can always reroute to Evarts and visit the Black Mountain Thunder Zipline to check out the tallest, fastest, longest zipline in Kentucky!
- After you’re done on the trails, head to the nearby Portal 31 Mine Tour to go deep in the caves and learn some amazing history about our county. Don’t forget to get some Harlan County memorabilia at the gift shop while you’re there!
- After all of this adventure, you’re sure to be hungry, so stop by one of our many restaurants for a delicious meal. If you stay in the Tri-Cities area, you have an assortment to choose from such as Roseanne’s Hut or Sasquatchi Hibachi. If you want to venture on down to Harlan, there’s tons to choose from, including Harlan County Beer Company, Dairy Hut, The Portal (named after the mine). If you’d prefer a deli/coffee shop vibe, check out Moonbow Tipple (Harlan), or Lamphouse Coffee (Tri-Cities)!
- Next, be sure to check out our amazing shops scattered all around. Check out Hill & Holler in Cumberland, then come on over to the city of Harlan to see so many more including: Mountain Merch, Belinda Belle’s, Sassy Trash, Abraham’s, My Sister’s Closet, Southern Ruckus, Hot Off the Press, PBJ Monogramming, Rhonda’s Merle Norman, and more! You can also take photos at some of our beautiful murals, take the walking tour in downtown Harlan, or participate in any of the events or festivals that happen to be going on that day because there’s always something going on in Harlan!
- Now that you’ve gotten all of your shopping done, you’re ready to have a relaxing activity for the evening. We would recommend heading up to Kingdom Come State Park and checking out some more trails, riding in some paddle boats on the lake, or having a relaxing game of mini golf right there. Also be sure to check out the gift shop before you leave!
- Now it’s time for you to grab some dinner and head back to the Benham Inn for the night! You can stop back by the restaurant’s in the Tri-Cities before retiring for the night.
