Mammoth Cave has been an adventure tourism destination for over 200 years. In the 1920s, the supporters of the national park envisioned it as a hub for regional outdoor recreation. Mammoth Cave National Park expands over three Kentucky counties (Edmonson, Hart and Barren) which are within the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) and the Caves, Lakes and Corvette Tourism Region. Regional economic impact of tourism in 2016 was $709M. 

In the fall of 2017, the University of Kentucky Department of Landscape Architecture (UKLA) was asked to collaborate with Cave Country Trails, Inc. (CCT), a private non-profit organization established in 2016. CCT’s mission is to develop a regional trail network in South Central Kentucky centered around Mammoth Cave National Park, Nolin State Park, Barren River Lake State Park, and nine gateway communities in four counties. Community leaders, tourism officials, and members of stakeholder groups, such as equestrian, road biking, mountain biking and paddling, serve on the 17-member Board of Directors for CCT. The National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program, BRADD, and funding from six tourism commissions have supported the working group’s visions. Through a year-long public input process, CCT identified a regional trail network of 1,500 miles, including 800 miles of bicycle touring routes, 275 miles of water trails, 100 miles of existing trails for hiking and biking, and 300+ miles of proposed trails. 

UKLA students enrolled in LA 324, Design Studio 4: Community Design and Engagement, complemented CCT’s preceding efforts by developing additional conceptual plans and designs that expand and/or connect with the regional vision. UKLA students collaborated with the communities of Brownsville (Edmonson County), Horse Cave (Hart County), Cave City and Park City (Barren County) for this regional endeavor. All four communities were in the process of applying for KY Trail Town certification through the Department of Tourism’s Office of Adventure Tourism in the state’s Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet.  

During a 15-week period, UKLA students researched, analyzed, planned, designed, and presented appropriate design suggestions for the four communities. They also organized and facilitated a design workshop to engage members from the four communities during the information gathering input process. Students presented a range of proposals for a variety of project ideas to CCT members which addressed small to large-scale goals, objectives, and designs complementing the long-term regional objectives. In the short-term, the ideas students seeded in the community were well received and complimented. In early 2018, the Kentucky Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (KY ASLA) recognized one pair of students for their project submission. In the long-term, the UKLA design proposals will help support KY Trail Town applications and further community engagement efforts to enhance and revitalize their built environment.