Situated on the border of Virginia and Kentucky, Breaks Interstate Park is one of only two interstate parks in the nation. The 5,000-acre park was originally created in 1954 to protect the Russell Fork “Breaks” Gorge, where the Russell Fork River breaks through Pine Mountain, creating the largest canyon east of the Mississippi. “The park offers an immense array of outdoor activities, including hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, fishing, swimming, and other pursuits,” says park superintendent Austin Bradley. Most of the land is undeveloped, but there is a hotel and restaurant on the rim of the gorge, log cabins overlooking a mountaintop lake, woodland cottages, an amphitheater, a waterpark, kayak/canoe rentals, and a full-service campground. And Bradley adds, “We are the only park in Virginia where guests can consistently see wild elk.” BreaksPark.com
This article originally appeared in the Best of Virginia 2025 issue.
