Cave Run Lake in the Morehead, KY area is a convenient getaway from surrounding urban areas like Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati and less than an hour away from Lexington. Surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest, Cave Run offers roughly 20 miles of US Forest Service managed OHV trails.
Related: See the guide for the Cave Run Lake Mountain Bike Trails here.
The Cave Run Lake area is located within the Cumberland Ranger District of the Daniel Boone National Forest - which also manages the very popular Red River Gorge area. Very close by is Dirt Nasty Offroad Park, also just outside Morehead, and not far from Hollerwood Park closer to the Red River Gorge. You can download a paper map of the overall Cave Run Lake area here.
General Area Notes:
You can find all of the necessary info at the Daniel Boone Nation Forest website for the White Sulfur OHV Trail System. It is important to note, the OHV trails are only open for use between May 1 and November 30.
Area information such as restaurants and lodging can be found at the Morehead KY Tourism website, MoreheadTourism.com and CaveRun.org. You can also check out a quick reference guide to activities around Morehead here.
White Sulfur requires a pass to ride. Passes are available at the Ranger’s Station, the campgrounds, and gas stations near the lake. Day passes are $7, 3-day passes are $15, and yearly passes are $40.
If you're coming to the area from the west (Lexington) and will require a lot of supplies, I recommend stopping in Mount Sterling. Otherwise, you'll be limited to local convenience stores with rather limited options or driving further out of your way to Morehead.
If traveling from the east (Ashland) or north (Cincinnati via the AA), plan on stopping in Morehead for supplies.
Cave Run is located in dry counties but the surrounding cities (Morehead and Mount Sterling) are wet. Use that info as you see fit...
The trail is limited to OHV use 50” wide and under. I’m looking at you, Side by Side guys…
An Interactive Trail Map can be found at Trailforks.com and using the Trailforks app when filtered by Dirtbike or ATV.
See the Blog section at the bottom of the page for a review of the trails.
For those of you on ADV and Dual Sport motorcycles, the Kentucky Adventure Tour (KAT) runs into Menifee County, just south of the lake. All of the trails at White Sulfur are suitable for larger bikes.
Dealerships and Parts:
Cave Run Motorsports - 2777 KY-801, Morehead, KY 40351 - Yamaha and Can-Am service and sales.
Great Outdoor Powersports - 1490 Flemingsburg Rd, Morehead, KY 40351 - Polaris service and sales.
Gateway Cycles - 620 Maysville Rd, Mt Sterling, KY 40353 - Kawasaki and Suzuki service and sales.
Restaurants:
Near the lake (area is moist, drive into Morehead for a cold beer):
Pop’s Southern Style BBQ - Closed during the winter months, very popular throughout the season.
Midland Frosty Freeze - Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Typical dairy bar food, ice cream, cold cut meats and small convenience store inside.
Reno’s On The Run - Local chain steakhouse with a location at Scott Creek Marina, open seasonally.
Clear Creek Market - Buy usage permits, camping supplies and other convenience store items, life-giving double cheeseburgers, Ale-8-Ones and Gatorade. Located on the Zilpo side of the lake.
In Morehead (about a 10 minute drive from the lake):
Reno’s Roadhouse - Steaks, bar food, fully stocked bar
Melini Cucina - Local Italian chain, wine and beer.
Don Senor - Local Mexican chain, full bar.
Hibachi Express - Carry out sushi and hibachi.
Two more Mexican restaurants, two Chinese buffets, and other national chain restaurants located in town.
Fuzzy Duck Coffeeshop - Coffee and espresso, baked goods, soups and sandwiches located in downtown Morehead.
Sawstone Brewing Co. - Craft brewery located in downtown Morehead.
BLOG
White Sulfur OHV Trails do not offer enough mileage to plan a weekend getaway around unless you intend to enjoy other activities offered in the area, or will be riding at one of the other nearby off-road parks. However, the trails are certainly worth a day trip knowing that they are well maintained and easily navigable.
I have put a lot of time on the trails at White Sulfur since going to college nearby and living in the area recently. There are no difficult trails and only the occasional deep mudhole. Though some of the switchbacks and drainage bumps can be tricky if hit at the wrong angle, this is a good place for families to ride or for experienced riders to just hop on and go. A lot of the surface is improved with gravel to prevent erosion, which frankly isn’t ideal for motorcycles but it’s not bad enough to not ride out there. Only one short singletrack trail, not listed in any of the information, can be found, everything else is two-track. There is one overlook, see the single picture above this blog section, everything else is snaking, wooded trail.
If you have any comments or suggestions shoot'em over to my email: jcollins@ridemoonshine.com.