Visitors Guide to Attractions
in Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky consists of the four rural counties of Ballard, Carlisle, Hickman, and Fulton. Visitors to this region can explore history at the Carlisle County History Museum and the Barlow House Museum. Columbus-Belmont State Park, on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, was the site of a Confederate fortification built during the Civil War. Today the park features a Civil War Museum, hiking trails, picnicking and camping opportunities. The Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross is a 95-foot memorial that stands high upon a bluff at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers that was the site of a 18th-century fort. Wickliffe Mounds is the archaeological site of a prehistoric Native American village of the Mississippian mound builders. Visitors can ride the river by crossing the Mississippi River to Missouri on the Dorena-Hickman Ferry.
Ballard Wildlife Management Area
Ballard County, KY
Ballard Wildlife Management Area is part of the Mississippi River floodplain and contains approximately 8,200 acres comprised of bottomland hardwoods, interspersed with numerous oxbow lakes, tupelo and cypress swamps, grasslands, and agricultural fields. Most of the area is closed to visitation from October 15 to March 15 annually. It contains 25 miles of maintained gravel roads where visitors may access the area March 16 to October 14 to view wildlife. There is a 2 mile driving loop that is open year round that takes visitors to elevated viewing platforms and a photography blind located on Goose Trap Slough. Ballard Wildlife Management Area offers numerous fishing and hunting opportunities.
Barlow House
Barlow, KY
The Barlow House Museum is a turn-of-the 20th century 11-room Victorian home classic residence. One of the original owner’s sons spent 50 summers traveling the world with the American aristocracy, gradually assembling a unique collection of 20th century artifacts, memorabilia and art. On display in the house are many wonderful examples of Mr. Barlow's varied and valued collections. Amidst the home's turn of the century architecture are family mementoes, vintage personal items, delicate China collectibles from around the world and period furniture that has been meticulously restored to its original grandeur.
Columbus-Belmont State Park
Columbus, KY
Columbus-Belmont State Park sits on bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. The park is the site of a Confederate fortification built during the Civil War to prevent Union forces from using the river. Some of the artillery and the six-ton anchor that held the great chain stretching across the river are on display in the park. In 1934 the Civilian Conservation Corps built a stone monument to hold the chain. The park hosts an annual Civil War Days reenactment that includes battle re-enactments, living history exhibits and military encampments in October. There is a 2.5-mile self-guided hiking trail in the Park. The park features seasonal facilities that include a Civil War Museum, a snack bar, gift shop, and miniature golf course. A river cliff campground is open year round utility hookups and grills.
Dorena-Hickman Ferry
Hickman, KY
The Dorena-Hickman Toll Ferry is one of the few remaining riverboat ferries in the United States and the only operating ferry crossing the Mississippi River between Missouri and Kentucky. A ride on the ferry provides a unique opportunity to experience the wonder and beauty of the Mighty Mississippi. The Dorena-Hickman Toll Ferry can be accessed at the end of State Highway A near Dorena, MO or Hickman Ferry Crossing off Kentucky State Highway 1354. The ferry operates during daylight hours seven days a week year round except Christmas Day.
Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross
Wickliffe, KY
The Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross is a 95-foot memorial that stands high upon a bluff at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. The history of the cross began in 1937 when a small wooden cross was erected on a hill at the Wickliffe Mounds site. When Murray State University purchased the Wickliffe Mounds site in 1981, it became necessary to seek another location for the cross. The new site chosen was Fort Jefferson hill, the highest point along the river where visitors can view Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois and the new cross was completed in 1994. The site offers a very good view of the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers and is also a Lewis and Clark Expedition historic site.
Wickliffe Mounds
Wickliffe, KY
Wickliffe Mounds is the archaeological site of a prehistoric Native American village of the Mississippian mound builders. Located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi river, the village was occupied from about 1100 AD to 1350 AD. The site features a museum consisting of 3 excavated mounds with archaeological features, Mississippian burial practices, displays of artifacts from the site and a mural of a Mississippian village. The Ceremonial Mound is intact and can be accessed for a beautiful bird’s eye view of the park. A Hands-On Activity Touch Table rounds out the museum tour where visitors can use prehistoric tools and learn about Mississippian artifacts, technology and their environment. Wickliffe Mounds is also one of the certified interpretive centers along the Great River Road that have been selected to showcase and connect the historic stories of the Mississippi River.
Nearby Attractions
Mississippi County, Missouri
Missouri starts to take on a Deep South flavor in Mississippi County. The Moore House and a museum dedicated to former Governor Warren E. Hearnes can be found in the town of Charleston. The past can be explored by seeing what the region looked like before being drained for farmland at Big Oak Tree State Park or by visiting the site of a prehistoric Native American village at Towosahgy State Historic Site. Visitors can ride the river by crossing the Mississippi River to Kentucky on the Dorena-Hickman Ferry.
Alexander County, Illinois
Alexander County is the southernmost county in Illinois and is the site of the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The rivers played a major role in the history of Alexander County and these aspects can be explored at the Cairo Custom House Museum and Magnolia Manor. Horseshoe Lake State Fish & Wildlife Area contains a 2,400 acre shallow oxbow lake which reminds visitors of the Deep South with its abundance of bald cypress, tupelo gum, swamp cottonwood trees, and wild lotus.
For Travelers Heading Up the River
French Colonial Country
Up river of the Meeting the Ohio River region is French Colonial Country. This five county area was heavily influenced by the French fur traders who inhabited the region from 1700 to 1840. Attractions include the town of Ste. Genevieve with the largest concentration of French Colonial architecture in North America, Forts de Chartre and Kaskaskia in Randolph County, and the Cahokia complex in St. Clair County.
For Travelers Heading Down the River
The Upper Delta of the Mississippi River
The cypress swamps associated with the southern Mississippi can be experienced at Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge and Reelfoot Lake. New Madrid’s riverfront district has several interesting museums and historical sites. Although inland, the high country along Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway is actually the natural western boundary of the Mississippi and features a number of state parks.
