78 official trails lie within 25 miles of Monticello — 332 miles in total, 47 rated easy and 7 hard or expert. Every distance and elevation figure below is computed from the agency centerline and a 10 m elevation model, not crowd-sourced.
The biggest climb nearby gains 662 ft; the median trail gains 265 ft.
| Trail | Miles | Climb | Difficulty | Drive from town |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheltowee Trace | 36.1 | 662 ft | Expert | 1 h 04 min · 30 mi |
| Cotton Patch Loop | 7.8 | 551 ft | Hard | 1 h 15 min · 55 mi |
| Blue Heron Loop Trail | 6.8 | 540 ft | Hard | 1 h 12 min · 37 mi |
| Sheltowee Trace (Segment A) | 7.0 | 623 ft | Hard | 45 min · 36 mi |
| Little South Fork of Cumberland River | 25.6 | 179 ft | Hard | 36 min · 17 mi |
| Middle Ridge | 6.5 | 534 ft | Hard | 40 min · 32 mi |
| Kentucky Trail (Segment C) | 5.3 | 404 ft | Moderate | 1 h 19 min · 39 mi |
| Kentucky Trail (Segment E) | 5.6 | 428 ft | Moderate | 1 h 11 min · 32 mi |
| Lee Hollow Loop | 3.6 | 553 ft | Moderate | 1 h 05 min · 34 mi |
| Lake Bluff Hiking Trail | 4.1 | 217 ft | Moderate | 1 h 10 min · 41 mi |
| Gobblers Arch | 3.2 | 567 ft | Moderate | 1 h 10 min · 25 mi |
| Kentucky Trail (Segment G) | 3.7 | 629 ft | Moderate | 1 h 25 min · 29 mi |
| Buffalo Canyon | 5.0 | 335 ft | Moderate | 46 min · 36 mi |
| John Muir Trail | 6.3 | 153 ft | Moderate | 1 h 25 min · 27 mi |
| Lick Creek | 3.0 | 603 ft | Moderate | 53 min · 43 mi |
| Sheltowee Trace (USFS) | 2.9 | 553 ft | Moderate | 55 min · 28 mi |
| Laurel Branch Horse Trail | 2.8 | 473 ft | Moderate | 1 h 20 min · 39 mi |
| Parker Mountain | 2.6 | 495 ft | Moderate | 41 min · 22 mi |
| Sheltowee Trace Trail | 2.2 | 595 ft | Moderate | 1 h 08 min · 25 mi |
| Bear Creek Loop | 2.3 | 504 ft | Moderate | 1 h 17 min · 37 mi |
| Alum | 2.1 | 572 ft | Moderate | 55 min · 43 mi |
| Upper Bowman | 2.9 | 369 ft | Moderate | 54 min · 34 mi |
| K & T Railroad R.O.W. | 4.9 | 96 ft | Moderate | 46 min · 25 mi |
| Wash Ridge Spur | 3.1 | 292 ft | Moderate | 1 h 10 min · 44 mi |
Waterfalls: Sheltowee Trace to Cumberland Falls
Summits: Cotton Patch Loop to Cottonpatch Knob; Parker Mountain to Parker Mountain; Watson Branch Trail to Stepping Rock; Bald Knob-Hill Cemetery Trail (aka Ledbetter Road) to Bald Knob
Viewpoints: Blue Heron Loop Trail to Blue Heron Overlook; Laurel Branch Horse Trail to Devils Jump Overlook
Mountain passes: Kentucky Trail (Segment E) to Dick Gap; Buffalo Canyon to Big Cutoff
Rock formations: Buffalo Canyon to Natural Arch; Cumberland River Tailwater to Rock House Natural Bridge; Natural Arch to Natural Arch; Blue Heron Road (Mine 18 Road) to Natural Bridge
Springs: Sheltowee Trace to Koger Spring; Lick Creek Trail to Koger Spring
Nearby towns: Somerset (22 mi) · Corbin (42 mi) · La Follette (52 mi) · Lebanon (55 mi)
All Kentucky trail guides · Hiking by city · Dispersed camping rules