Boone Trace
1775 - Daniel Boone blazed trail into Kentucky as agent for Richard Henderson
1775-1795 - Boone Trace served as principal immigrant trail into Kentucky
Long Island of the Holston,
Kingsport, Tennessee, to
Fort Boonesborough State Park, Kentucky
Much of the original Boone Trace has been covered by paved roads. Other stretches lie on private property. Nevertheless, one can approximate the original route today through separate maps provided by Friends of Boone Trace for hikers or drivers. Historic sites, markers, museums, and parks along the way add the experience of following this early Kentucky history.
Following Boone Trace.
In 2015, Curtis Penix reenacted his fifth-great-grandfather’s entry into Kentucky in 1779 along Boone Trace. He walked from the Long Island of the Holston in today’s Kingsport, Tennessee to the original fort site at Fort Boonesborough State Park, Kentucky. He covered 200 miles in 16 days. This is his story assembled afterward from still photographs and his journal. This video is 32 minutes. Produced by Randell Jones, DanielBooneFootsteps.com.