A DREAM THAT DEVELOPED IN THE 1990’S to have a scenic roadside overlook on KY 160 has come to fruition. The road traverses Black Mountain from Appalachia, VA to Lynch, KY and is noted to be the highest elevation in Kentucky at 4,145 feet.

The project was overseen by the Harlan County Tourism Commision and the Harlan County Fiscal Court with a large portion of funding from the State of Kentucky. That 90’s dream in part was fostered by group of citizens made of up of individuals from towns on both sides of the mountain. That group, formerly known as “Hands Across the Mountain” disbanded quite a few years ago and funds in the organization were divided. Harlan County Tourism received the Kentucky portion and used that money toward the signage at the new overlook.

“Following the formation of our tourism group in 2016, we wanted to make an overlook on KY 160 a reality,” said Jeff Wilder, chairman of Harlan County Tourism. “Repair of a slide area made a suitable road side pull off,” he stated.

Just as the project gained some speed, the COVID pandemic hit and sideline the project. In 2023, the late Senator Johnnie Turner approached Wilder and offered to help get some state funding for the project. In 2024, $125,000 was appropriated for the Black Mountain Overlook.

The overlook is located approximately 2 miles from the top of the mountain on the Kentucky side. Designed by Kyle Hogue, PE, a Cumberland native and owner of Mizu Engineering in Lexington, KY, the overlook has majestic views of the top of Black Mountain where the FAA radar tower is located and where the actual highest point is.

The entrance to the overlook is flanked by information signs about the habitat on Black Mountain as well as introducing the animals that are found on the mountain. Another information sign highlights some of the innovations of Black Mountain other than coal mining and the radar dome – a doomed ski slope that is now an apple orchard.

The overlook is in a half moon shape and features three separate binocular stations in which visitors can get a closer look at the mountain vistas. The binoculars, manufactured by SeeCoast, are powered  by EnChroma Lens Technology for Color Blindness to enable those with red-green color blindness to experience a broader spectrum of clear, vibrant, distinct color. Users with regular color vision will notice that colors appear more vibrant.

More tourism development is slated for Black Mountain, said Harlan County Judge Executive Dan Mosley. The county has been awarded federal AML grant funds and an overlook tower is in the design stages and will be located at the peak of the mountain near the KY-VA state line.

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