Abandoned Towns

State hub · Kentucky

Ghost towns in Kentucky

Kentucky's best-known ghost towns are company towns. In the southeast, the Stearns Coal and Lumber Company built 18 mining camps, starting with Barthell in McCreary County in 1902; Blue Heron, the camp for Mine 18, opened in 1937. In Edmonson County the Kentucky Rock Asphalt Company built Kyrock along the Nolin River and ran it until 1957. In Muhlenberg County, Robert Alexander's iron furnace at Airdrie failed within a few years of 1855, and its neighbor Paradise, a Green River landing, was bought out by the Tennessee Valley Authority after it built a coal plant on the site; the last residents left in 1967.

Federal projects emptied other places. When TVA created Land Between the Lakes in the 1960s it bought or condemned all the land in the recreation area, and Golden Pond, a town since 1882, was gone by 1969. In Crittenden County, Alcoa bought much of Bells Mines in the 1950s; the land is now a state wildlife area.

What survives ranges from a furnace stack on private land to a rebuilt camp and a National Park Service outdoor museum. Blue Heron, in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, is the one you can walk on any day.

30Sites indexed
19Counties
22Mapped
7Featured
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Other sitesCity
Select a dot to see the site. 22 of 30 sites have reliable coordinates so far.

Where to start

Kentucky's best-known ghost towns

Open attractions, living towns and true ruins, with their current status.

The metal-sided coal tipple at Blue Heron with coal hopper cars beneath it, 2009

Blue Heron

36.67, -84.55

McCreary County

Stearns Coal and Lumber's Mine 18 camp, worked from 1937 until December 1962, then abandoned. It was re-created in the 1980s as an outdoor museum of open metal "ghost structures" with audio programs, which the park says is open year-round. The park scheduled its Blue Heron Ghost Mine evening there for October 17, 2026; drive in, or ride the scenic railway from Stearns. The tipple bridge has been closed for repairs since October 2023.

NPS outdoor museum · Oct 2026
USGS topographic map around Barthell

Barthell

36.69, -84.53

McCreary County

The first Stearns coal camp, opened in 1902 and dismantled from 1952 to 1961. The Koger family bought it in 1984 and rebuilt the company store, school and 15 miners' houses as a museum with lodging. Its website has said it is closed until further notice for construction and renovations since at least October 23, 2024 (Internet Archive copy), and still said so when we checked on October 28, 2026.

Closed per its website · Oct 2026
The Golden Pond and St. Joseph's Parish historical markers at a pullout on US 68 and KY 80, December 2021

Golden Pond

36.79, -88.02

Trigg County

Timber and farm town of 1882, burned and rebuilt in 1898 and 1936, known in Prohibition for its moonshine. TVA acquired it for Land Between the Lakes and the last residents left in 1969. State marker 1308 stood at a pullout on US 68 and KY 80, beside Land Between the Lakes welcome signs, in a photo of December 26, 2021.

Marker at the site · Dec 2021 photo
Three cooling towers and the stacks of TVA's Paradise plant, built on the townsite, 2010

Paradise

37.27, -86.98

Muhlenberg County

Green River landing of the early 1800s. TVA built its Paradise coal plant, pictured, on the townsite from 1959 and bought out the residents, the last of whom left by December 30, 1967; John Prine's 1971 song is about it. A visitor found two cemeteries near the plant, the McDougall (Paradise) and Weir cemeteries, on May 22, 2016.

Gone · cemeteries · May 2016 report

Airdrie

37.28, -86.99

Muhlenberg County

Iron town Robert Alexander built around 1855 for Scottish workers on the Green River, just north of Paradise; the furnace failed within a few years. The stack and stone arches still stand, but a Kentucky Educational Television report of February 2015 says the site is private land. Our map point is the USGS summit Airdrie Hill, so it is approximate.

Private · Feb 2015 report
USGS topographic map around Kyrock

Kyrock

37.26, -86.26

Edmonson County

Company town of the Kentucky Rock Asphalt Company on the Nolin River, with hotels, a hospital, a theater and a school, until the company closed in 1957. Wikipedia lists the water tower and a footbridge foundation as what is left. A state marker dedicated in 2014 at Kyrock Elementary School says the company town stood on that site; we found no dated report on the remains.

Not verified
USGS topographic map around Bells Mines

Bells Mines

37.51, -88.02

Crittenden County

Coal town near the Ohio River named for John Bell's mining company, scene of an 1864 skirmish. Alcoa bought much of it in the 1950s and its church was torn down in 2002. The land is now in the Big Rivers Wildlife Management Area and State Forest, opened to the public on November 1, 2013; the state's map lists Bells Mine Road, off KY 365, as an access.

Townsite in a WMA · Nov 2013

Near a city

Ghost towns near Louisville, Lexington and Bowling Green

Driving distance and time from downtown, routed over OpenStreetMap roads. Dirt roads are usually slower than the estimate.

Near Louisville drive

  1. Tomtown45 mi1 h 01 min
  2. Ripyville58 mi1 h 11 min
  3. Hilltop72 mi1 h 35 min
  4. Kyrock94 mi1 h 55 min
  5. Paradise135 mi2 h 38 min
  6. Airdrie136 mi2 h 43 min

Near Lexington drive

  1. Sodom19 mi27 min
  2. Ripyville24 mi33 min
  3. Rice Station40 mi58 min
  4. Hilltop47 mi1 h 06 min
  5. Barthell115 mi2 h 32 min
  6. Blue Heron116 mi2 h 36 min

Near Bowling Green drive

  1. Chaumont29 mi38 min
  2. Elko29 mi43 min
  3. Kyrock34 mi54 min
  4. Paradise43 mi1 h 16 min
  5. Airdrie44 mi1 h 21 min
  6. Golden Pond95 mi1 h 56 min

Directory

All 30 Kentucky sites

Every town, camp and settlement in our Kentucky index, with its county. A ◦ marks sites already on the map.

30 sites

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Plan a trip

Visiting Kentucky's ghost towns

01

Plan Blue Heron around the park and the train

Blue Heron is in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, about 9 miles and 20 minutes by road from Stearns by the park's directions, with free parking. The park says the outdoor museum is open year-round; its interpretive center and bookstore open Wednesday to Sunday from Memorial Day weekend through October 31 (NPS, June 2025). The tipple bridge has been closed since October 2023 for structural repairs. The Big South Fork Scenic Railway runs from the Stearns depot: 45 minutes each way with an hour and a half at Blue Heron, three hours in all. Its 2026 fares were $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and $18 for children 3 to 12, and its standard schedule ran from May to November 3. The park is keeping Blue Heron Campground open from December 2026 through March 2027 as a winter trial; call the park at 423-569-9778 before a winter visit.

02

Land Between the Lakes is public, the old towns are not marked

Golden Pond and the other communities between the rivers were cleared for Land Between the Lakes, a national recreation area run by the Forest Service. The Golden Pond Visitor Center, at 238 Visitor Center Drive, listed hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day, when we checked on October 28, 2026. Its exhibit room has photographs of the people who lived between the rivers. The townsite is marked by state marker 1308 at a pullout on US 68 and KY 80.

03

Ask before you cross private land

Several Kentucky ghost towns sit on private or company land. Airdrie's furnace was private in the most recent report we found (February 2015), Barthell is a private museum that its website says is closed, and Paradise's cemeteries lie near TVA's working power plant. Kyrock Elementary School stands on the old Kyrock town site. Stay on public roads unless an owner says otherwise.

04

Leave artifacts where they lie

Kentucky law (KRS 164.720) forbids exploring, digging or removing archaeological sites or objects on land owned or leased by the state or any local government without a permit, which the Office of State Archaeology issues. On federal land, including Big South Fork, Land Between the Lakes and the Daniel Boone National Forest around the Stearns camps, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act makes digging or removing artifacts without a permit a federal crime.

FAQ

Common questions

How many ghost towns are in Kentucky?

We found no official count. Wikipedia's list, which calls itself incomplete, named 21 places in its June 3, 2025 version. Our index lists 30 sites in Kentucky, 22 of them with coordinates. Many are small rural communities rather than towns with ruins.

What is the best ghost town to visit in Kentucky?

Blue Heron, in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, is the easiest: a National Park Service outdoor museum with the coal tipple and open metal frames where the camp's buildings stood. You can drive in or take the scenic railway from Stearns.

Can you visit Barthell Coal Camp?

Not at the moment, as far as we can tell. The camp's website has said it is closed until further notice for construction and renovations since at least October 2024, and still did when we checked on October 28, 2026; it gives 888-550-5748 for news of its reopening. Blue Heron, about a mile and a half away in a straight line, is open.

What happened to Golden Pond?

The Tennessee Valley Authority acquired it, with all the other land in the recreation area between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, to make Land Between the Lakes. The last residents left in 1969. The name lives on in the recreation area's mailing address and the Golden Pond Visitor Center and planetarium.

Is Paradise, Kentucky from the John Prine song real?

Yes. Paradise was a Green River town in Muhlenberg County. TVA built a coal plant on the townsite from 1959, the first unit started in 1963, and the last residents were bought out and gone by December 30, 1967. Prine's 1971 song "Paradise" recalls it. The plant now burns natural gas.

Sources

  1. Coordinates: Wikipedia articles for each site (GNIS); Airdrie's from the USGS GNIS summit "Airdrie Hill" (feature 485797).
  2. Photos: Wikimedia Commons; the Golden Pond marker photo by TheCatalyst31, December 26, 2021 (CC0), shows the marker standing.
  3. Drive times: OSRM routing on © OpenStreetMap contributors data (ODbL), October 28, 2026.
  4. Wikipedia, "List of ghost towns in Kentucky", version of June 3, 2025, read October 28, 2026: an incomplete list of 21 places.
  5. Wikipedia, "Blue Heron, Kentucky", revision of September 16, 2026: Stearns Coal and Lumber company town, mines 1937 to December 1962, the 1980s outdoor museum and "ghost structures", coordinates.
  6. National Park Service, "Blue Heron Ghost Mine 2026", updated October 1, 2026: the October 17, 2026 event at the Blue Heron Outdoor Museum, 8249 Mine 18 Road, Strunk, and the park phone. NPS, "Blue Heron Campground Will Remain Open During 2026-2027 Winter Season", August 25, 2026: the December 2026 to March 2027 trial. NPS news release, April 3, 2014: "re-created" in the 1980s, free parking. NPS, Big South Fork "Visitor Centers", updated June 1, 2025: directions from Stearns (9 miles, 20 minutes), the outdoor museum open year-round, interpretive center season and days. NPS, "Big South Fork Announces Temporary Closure of Blue Heron Tipple Bridge", October 19, 2023, still listed among the park's alerts on October 28, 2026.
  7. Big South Fork Scenic Railway and its information page, read October 28, 2026: the 2026 trip (45 minutes each way, 1.5 hours at Blue Heron), 2026 fares, standard schedule May to November 3.
  8. Wikipedia, "Barthell, Kentucky", read October 28, 2026: the first of 18 Stearns camps, 1902, dismantled 1952 to 1961, the Koger family purchase of 1984 and the rebuilt buildings, coordinates. Barthell Coal Camp, read October 28, 2026: "CLOSED until further notice for construction and renovations", phone 888-550-5748. Internet Archive copy of the same page, October 23, 2024: the closure notice already posted (the copy of August 28, 2024 still gave an April 1 opening).
  9. Wikipedia, "Golden Pond, Kentucky", read October 28, 2026: 1882 town, fires of 1898 and 1936, Prohibition moonshine, TVA acquisition for Land Between the Lakes, last residents 1969, coordinates. Kentucky Historical Society, marker 1308 "Golden Pond", read October 28, 2026: "A town from 1882-1969", location at US 68 and KY 80.
  10. Land Between the Lakes, "Visitor Center and Welcome Stations", undated page read October 28, 2026: Golden Pond Visitor Center address, daily hours and holiday closings, the exhibit room.
  11. Wikipedia, "Paradise, Kentucky", read October 28, 2026: Green River landing, the TVA plant from 1959 and its first unit in 1963, the last residents gone by December 30, 1967, John Prine's 1971 song, conversion to natural gas, coordinates. "Paradise Lost", Cape Central High blog, June 4, 2016, photos of May 22, 2016: the McDougall (Paradise) and Weir cemeteries near the plant.
  12. Wikipedia, "Airdrie, Kentucky", read October 28, 2026: Robert Alexander, the 1855 furnace and Scottish workers, Don Carlos Buell, the remaining stack. Kentucky Educational Television, "Airdrie, Kentucky", February 8, 2015: the stack, furnace and arches standing, the site private.
  13. Wikipedia, "Kyrock, Kentucky", read October 28, 2026: the Kentucky Rock Asphalt Company, its 1957 closing, the water tower and footbridge foundation, Kyrock Elementary in use for the 2026-27 school year, Kyrock Road, coordinates. Kentucky Historical Society, marker 2415 "KYROCK", dedicated May 23, 2014: the company town's hotels, hospital, theater and school "on this site", the marker at Kyrock Elementary School, Sweeden.
  14. Wikipedia, "Bells Mines, Kentucky", read October 28, 2026: John Bell's coal company, the 1864 skirmish, the church torn down in 2002, Alcoa's 1950s purchase, the wildlife area opened November 1, 2013. Kentucky Division of Forestry, "Big Rivers Wildlife Management Area and State Forest", read October 28, 2026: 6,732 acres in Union and Crittenden counties, acquired in 2012 and 2013, open for hunting, fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing. Kentucky Division of Forestry, Big Rivers WMA and State Forest map, undated, read October 28, 2026: "Additional Crittenden County access is available on Bells Mine Road off KY 365."
  15. KRS 164.720, 2025 Kentucky Revised Statutes: no exploring, excavating or removing archaeological sites or objects on state or local public land without a permit. 16 U.S.C. 470ee, Archaeological Resources Protection Act: no excavating or removing archaeological resources on federal land without a permit.
  16. Site index: ghosttowns.com Kentucky lists and Wikipedia, October 2026. County outlines: US Census via us-atlas (public domain).

Photo credits

  1. Blue Heron: Brian Stansberry, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
  2. Golden Pond: TheCatalyst31, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
  3. Paradise: TVA Web Team, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0