Class II Kentucky River, KY

Before the construction of modern highway bridges, people relied on ferries to cross the Kentucky River. Ferries drove robust businesses and anchored communities near the river. Now, those communities and the ferries that were their lifeblood lay discarded in the dustbin of history; bypassed by four lane interstates and concrete bridges. Ferries exist in modern Kentuckians' memory from the names of the rural roads that lead to their long obsolete landings on the river bank. Only one ferry, the Valley View Ferry between Jessamine and Madison counties, still operates on the Kentucky River. The rest lost their long battle against progress. Paddlers and anglers can use some historic ferry landings while enjoying a slice of the Kentucky River that seems to transport boaters back to the time of stagecoaches and showboats by floating Pool 10. This pool begins at Lock and Dam 11 near College Hill in Madison County and ends at Lock and Dam 10 in Boonesborough. This section of the river flows through the rolling verdant hills of Madison and Clark counties that retain the rural character of the time before automobiles. A paddler on Pool 10 can hardly believe they are just a few miles, as the crow flies, from the bustling commercial centers of Winchester or Richmond. (KYFWR)