Explore Paducah, Kentucky

Paducah was settled in 1821, plotted out by famous explorer William Clark in 1827 and incorporated as a city in 1838. Its position on the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers made it ideal for steamboat trade; multiple railroads also came through Paducah. In the early 20th century, Paducah became a manufacturing hub for trains and rails. The city was able to weather the replacement of steam locomotives with diesel ones by converting their shops to service the new engines. Today, river and rail shipping remain big-time industries in Paducah. More than 27,000 people live in this dynamic city in northwestern Kentucky.

Many of Paducah's top attractions are located in its downtown area. One fascinating place to visit in Paducah is the National Quilting Museum, which contains some of the loveliest quilts made by the best contemporary quilters in the world. In order to learn more about the railroad's presence in Paducah, you can stop by the Paducah Railroad Museum. The Lloyd Tilghman House & Civil War Museum is an excellent place to discover more about Paducah's role in the Civil War. Paducah's most popular art exhibit is the "Wall to Wall" murals, which is a set of more than 50 life-sized murals detailing events from Paducah's past.

Some quality restaurants in downtown Paducah are Gold Rush Cafe, Paducah Beer Werks and Doe's Eat Place. Great places to shop downtown include the Paducah Antique Mall, the PAPA Gallery, and the Troutt Old Time General Store & Market.

Campgrounds Near Paducah, Kentucky

In Tennessee, an hour and half southeast of Paducah, is Bumpus Mills Campground. This campground is on Harris Branch, which leads to the Columbia River and the outskirts of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Laundry facilities, a playground, a public marina and a dump station are all available at this campground in Bumpus Mills, Tennessee.

Just across the Kentucky/Tennessee border is Clarksville RV Resort by Rjourney, which is an hour and 25 minutes southeast of Paducah. Some of the amenities you'll find at this campground are bathrooms, showers, a pool and free Wi-Fi.

Another place you could choose to camp is Cheatham Lock and Dam Campground, which is also in Tennessee, two hours southeast of Paducah. This campground is on Cheatham Lake and the Cumberland River, so it provides boating and fishing options. Big rigs are welcome here as are pets. 

National Sites Near Paducah, Kentucky

The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is in Indiana, a little more than two and a half hours northeast of Paducah. President Abraham Lincoln spent part of his childhood in Lincoln City, Indiana, so you'll be able to learn more about this dynamic American president at this national site. At the Memorial Visitor Center, you can watch a short film about Lincoln's boyhood and learn more about the site's two miles of trails.

In Indiana, three hours northeast of Paducah, is George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. This national historical park in Vincennes, IN is dedicated to the soldiers who helped open the Trans-Appalachian frontier in 1779 by defeating the British. When you visit the visitor center, you can spend half an hour watching a documentary about this important event in American history. You can also check out the Clark Memorial, which has a statue of Colonel Clark and seven murals that tell the story of this victory.

The Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site is another of those great attractions in St. Louis that you can visit after exploring Gateway Arch National Park. This Missouri national historic site, which is two hours and 55 minutes northwest of Paducah, contains the house in which General Grant and his family lived before the Civil War. You'll be able to walk on the wide, paved Walking Tour Trail, which is a quarter-mile trail that will take you around the property. If you want to go for a 10-mile walk through St. Louis, then you can check out the Grant Trail. Another interesting place to visit is the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site Museum, which has half a dozen exhibits dedicated to Grant's life.

National Forests Near Paducah, Kentucky

The entrance to Shawnee National Forest is in Illinois, 25 minutes northeast of Paducah. Within this national forest's 289,000 acres are numerous woodlands, prairies, streams, lakes and more. The fishing is excellent here thanks to the forest's more than 60 separate bodies of water. Hundreds of miles of trails through diverse ecosystems provide plenty of awesome places to hike and ride. Some fascinating places to visit in Shawnee National Forest include the Garden of the Gods, the Pomona Natural Bridge and Lusk Creek. If you're interested in history, you should check out Sand Cave, which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. 

Mark Twain National Forest is three hours west of Paducah in Missouri. This national forest is 1.5 million acres large and is divided into nine sections. More than 750 miles of trails are available for use by hikers, mountain bikers, horseback riders and drivers. Over 350 miles of streams are ideal for kayaking and canoeing. Several high-quality RV campgrounds in Mark Twain National Forest provide a variety of hookup options and amenities. Some sections of this forest allow dispersed camping as well.

If you drive four hours south of Paducah, then you'll reach Holly Springs National Forest in Mississippi. Within this park's 155,000 acres are many lovely locations to hike, fish, camp, swim and more. The streams and lakes of Holly Springs National Forest are full of trout, bluegill, crappie and other types of fish. Plenty of trails ranging in difficulty from easy to difficult take visitors through pine and hardwood forests, wetlands and lakeside environments. Whether you want to walk on the easy Baker's Pond Trail or the difficult Tanglefoot Trail, you'll have plenty of opportunities to see the best that this Mississippi national forest has to offer.