Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve
Encyclopedia
Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve is a 2639 acres (10.7 km²) nature preserve in Letcher County, Kentucky
. Originally dedicated by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission
on September 26, 1985, the preserve was 435 acres (1.8 km²) and included Bad Branch Gorge, a forested gorge with a sixty foot waterfall tumbling over sandstone
cliffs on the south face of Pine Mountain
. Subsequent acquisitions have expanded the preserve west into the Presley House Branch watershed, northeast into the upper reaches of the Bad Branch watershed and a small portion of the north face of Pine Mountain
. The preserve also protects Kentucky’s only known nesting pair of common raven
s (Corvus corax). Bad Branch has been designated a Kentucky Wild River. There is 7.4 miles (11.9 km) of foot trails and bridges over uneven strenuous terrain
.
Letcher County, Kentucky
Letcher County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 25,277. Its county seat is Whitesburg. The county is named for Robert P...
. Originally dedicated by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission
Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission
The Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission is an agency of the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States dedicated to the protection of Kentucky's natural heritage...
on September 26, 1985, the preserve was 435 acres (1.8 km²) and included Bad Branch Gorge, a forested gorge with a sixty foot waterfall tumbling over sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
cliffs on the south face of Pine Mountain
Pine Mountain
Pine Mountain may refer to:Place names*Pine Mountain, Georgia , the name of a number of locations in the U.S. state of Georgia*Pine Mountain Club, California, a populated area in Kern County...
. Subsequent acquisitions have expanded the preserve west into the Presley House Branch watershed, northeast into the upper reaches of the Bad Branch watershed and a small portion of the north face of Pine Mountain
Pine Mountain
Pine Mountain may refer to:Place names*Pine Mountain, Georgia , the name of a number of locations in the U.S. state of Georgia*Pine Mountain Club, California, a populated area in Kern County...
. The preserve also protects Kentucky’s only known nesting pair of common raven
Raven
Raven is the common name given to several larger-bodied members of the genus Corvus—but in Europe and North America the Common Raven is normally implied...
s (Corvus corax). Bad Branch has been designated a Kentucky Wild River. There is 7.4 miles (11.9 km) of foot trails and bridges over uneven strenuous terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
.