Breaks Interstate Park
Breaks Interstate Park, also known as "the Breaks," is a bi-state state park located partly in southeastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia in the George [Washington and Jefferson National Forests|Jefferson National Forest], at the northeastern terminus of Pine Mountain. The land is managed by an interstate compact between the states of Virginia and Kentucky. It is one of two interstate parks in the United States operated jointly under a compact rather than as two separate state park units. The Virginia [Department of Conservation and Recreation] and the Kentucky Department of Parks are still major partner organizations.
Breaks Interstate Park has been called the "Grand Canyon of the South". Russell Fork river and Clinchfield Railroad both pass through it. It is accessed via Virginia [State Route 80|Virginia 80] and Kentucky 80 between Haysi, Virginia, and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, and passes through the community of Breaks, Virginia, east of the park.
History
This area was previously covered by a vast inland sea around 180 million years ago. Over subsequent millennia, the Russell Fork gradually carved through the rock to form the spectacular valleys. Early human activity saw the area serve as hunting grounds for Shawnee and Cherokee people. In 1767, American frontiersman Daniel Boone passed through the area looking for an easier westward passage through Pine Mountain. Boone subsequently gave the area its current name, The Breaks.Preparations have been made to provide elk viewing areas. Elk were seen near the park in 2023 for the first time since the 1800s.