About
Welcome to Powell County, Kentucky!
Powell County Tourism Commission
Welcome to Powell County, Kentucky! Clay City, Stanton, Bowen, Slade, and several other unofficial towns make up the county. We are the home of the beautiful Natural Bridge State Resort Park and a portion of the Red River Gorge. Our county also houses the Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve and the wild and scenic Red River.
Powell County has miles and miles of hiking trails, lots of kayaking and canoeing options and boasts thousands of climbing routes. The Red River Gorge is currently the #2 climbing destination in the world – next only to Utah. Kentucky’s only wild and scenic river welcomes you to canoe or kayak for miles along its’ beautiful routes. The outdoor adventures are endless!
If adventure isn’t for you, we have even more to offer! You can listen to world class Bluegrass music at the Meadowgreen Music Park or take a look back in time at the Red River Historical Museum in Clay City. You may even want to spend your weekend clogging at Hoedown Island in Slade. Take a day trip through the Daniel Boone National Forest by driving the Scenic Byway and visiting the Gladie Cultural & Environmental Learning Center for information from the United States Forest Service. You can even learn about our reptile friends in one of the world’s largest collections of venomous snakes at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo in Slade. Exciting motorsports and racing can be found in Clay City with a family owned IHRA sanctioned Drag Strip. Don’t forget to shop at our local shops and eat at our local eateries!
Want to stay awhile? Choose from our wide range of hospitality companies including cabins, tree houses, motels, lodges, and more! Bring your RV and camp at one of the beautiful RV parks. Grab your tent and camp in the Red River Gorge after purchasing a camping pass/permit at one of the local shops in Slade.
With so many attractions, lodging options, and adventure, there is something for everyone in Powell County, KY. With so much to do and see you may not ever want to leave!
The Red River Gorge Visitor Center at Slade
The Red River Gorge Visitor Center at Slade is owned and operated by the Powell County Tourism Commission. The commission consists of 7 board members and meetings are held every Fourth Wednesday of each month at 5pm at the visitor center.
For a list of current board members and for any other information regarding the PCTC, please reach out to info@gopoco.org or call 606-663-1161.
Our Mission
Here at the Powell County Tourism Red River Gorge Visitor Center at Slade, our Mission Statement is to deliver the best hospitality service in the industry to the visitors of this region of Kentucky. We strive to improve the quality of life for our county by promoting visitors to our unique area while marketing and supporting economic growth. We respect the integrity of our beautiful area and seek to promote it in a meaningful and sustainable manner.
THIS MORNING! Head on over to Natural Bridge State Resort Park from 8am-11am for breakfast with the big man himself 🎅
CHAUTAUQUA! Don`t miss this opportunity to see "Mem`ries of a Coal Miner`s Daughter" as performed by Lisa Woods at Meadowgreen Appalachian Music Park in partnership with Red River Museum! Tomorrow, Saturday December 13th at 1pm. FREE!
NEW YEARS EVE at Natural Bridge State Resort Park! Make your NYE plans NOW to make sure you snag a spot at the NYE bash! There is a pretty sweet package deal that includes a room, entertainment, and food/drink! Call 606-663-2214 for more info! 🥂🍾
UGLY SWEATER CHRISTMAS PARTY AT Mushroom Grove Shopping Village at the Red River Gorge! This Saturday the 13th from 3pm-6pm! Lots of specials and deals, plus live music, a live nativity scene, and maybe even a bigfoot sighting! 🎅👣🎄
BLUEGRASS MUSIC! Meadowgreen Appalachian Music Park has another stellar lineup for some live bluegrass music this coming Saturday, December 13th! Meadowgreen is truly a special place and everyone needs to check it out! Tickets available online or at the door. Make sure to get there early for some delicious food from the concession booth before the show! 🎻🎵
PIT HOUSE CHRISTMAS SHOW! Head on over for one last hurrah for the season at Pit House next door to Thatcher Barbecue Company tomorrow night! Doors open at 7pm and tickets available at the door! 🎄⛄
JINGLE AND MINGLE! TONIGHT! It`s that time of the year for the annual Blessings Floral Design Jingle and Mingle across Stanton! This Thursday the 4th from 6-9pm at these participating shops! Head on out and SHOP LOCAL this holiday season!🎁🎅
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA! Head on over to Natural Bridge State Resort Park Saturday December 13th for the annual shindig with the big man himself 🎅
The event runs from 8am-11am with breakfast being from 8am-10am and crafts going until 11am!
Southeast Mountain Guides VIA FERRATA! Powell County Tourism staff took the opportunity to check out the Via Ferrata (cabled climbing system) before they close down for the winter season. They will reopen in March, so mark your calendars for when they reopen. We LOVED it!
If you`re new to climbing or just wanting a different style of adventure, this place is highly recommended. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and will teach you everything you need to know before hitting the course! There are 6 sections ranging from easy to expert. You can do all 6 sections in one fell swoop, or you can get down to the ground after each section if you`re needing breaks. This is self-guided with a thorough orientation and training course with an instructor. You will be monitored from the ground throughout the entire course though.
ALSO! Did you know that if you work in the Red River Gorge area, you can do this course once a year FOR FREE?! That`s right! Make your plans for the spring now! 🧗♂️
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM POWELL COUNTY TOURISM! We hope you enjoy your holiday! The Red River Gorge Visitor Center at Slade will be CLOSED 11/27-11/30 so that our staff can enjoy time at home with their families. We will reopen regular hours Monday 12/1.
Monday - 9am-3pm
Tuesday 9am-3pm
Wednesday 9am-3pm
Thursday 9am-3pm
Friday 9am-5pm
Saturday 9am-5pm
Sunday 9am-3pm
THANKSGING IN THE RED RIVER GORGE! Are you here visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday? Still wanting your turkey fix? Look no further than Miguel`s Pizza and Natural Bridge State Resort Park! Miguel`s is $15/plate (if you are lower income and need assistance, just tell them at the register and they will provide you a plate for FREE). Natural Bridge is a buffet and you can call 606-663-2214 for more info and for reservations! 🦃😍
2nd Annual NO TRASH NOVEMBER WAS A SUCCESS! A MASSIVE thank you to everyone who came out and helped us pick up trash all throughout Powell County! We had over 40 volunteers and were able to pick up 120+ bags of trash, that`s over 2500 pounds of trash off our streets!
Thank you to Powell County Transfer Station for partnering with us and helping coordinate all of this!
Thank you to Miguel`s Pizza for the donation of pizzas!
Thank you to Citizens Guaranty Bank and Stanton Dairy Queen for the breakfast sandwiches!
Thank you to Stanton ACE Hardware for donating the trash bags!
Thank you to Ale-8-One for donating Ale8 to keep us going!
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR AWESOME VOLUNTEERS!! Keep your eyes out for more community trash cleanups in the future! Go ahead and make plans to join us next year! We want 100 people!🚮
(I forgot to take any photos, so thank you to Donnie Lawson, Brian Mckinney, and Jennifer Meunier for the photos!)
