Knott County is once again taking the lead in adventure tourism by addressing the safety issue. Judge Thompson and the Knott County Fiscal Court has hired Ken Amburgey (recently retired from Department of Fish & Wildlife) as a ranger to police their trails. Ball Creek Fire Department has just purchased an ARGO 8x8 all terrain emergency vehicle which can go ANYWHERE! Even into the water, there was not a trail it could not handle.

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Knott County has also marked their trails to let people know if the section they are about to go on is GREEN for "easy", BLUE "more difficult" or BLACK "MOST difficult". They have also numbered each section and have a coordinated map so that if something should happen on any part of the trail, emergency crews will have no difficulty finding them. The county plans to have a "mock accident" this month to test their readiness. There are four different areas of Knott county where we have mapped trails but only one of them has signage along the route to keep you on the right trails and to let you know the difficulty of each one (see example of one of the signs below). This trail system is called the Sutton Trail which is located in the northwest portion of the county. There are maps available which you can purchase for $5.00. The Sutton Trail System is open year-round with a trailhead at Sutton Memorial Park where for just $5.00 you can park and ride or camp overnight. The trails start right there on-site. Come try this trail and if you are wanting to do more, they can set you up with someone familiar with the other trails to go with you. They have some great guides who LOVE to ride. The rules on ATV's and additional information are available their our website at http://www.knottcountytrailriders.com. In the early morning, dusk and sometimes throughout the day, you will see elk and other wildlife. They are amazing animals. Be sure to bring your camera. Below are a few photos from the ride.