The Kamelands Trail is part of Highlands Nature Sanctuary in Highland County, the largest and oldest of Arc of Appalachia’s preserve regions. This moderate, two-mile loop is mostly level and passes through rolling meadows to the wooded corridor bordering the high bluffs of Rocky Fork Creek. This trail boasts immense ancient oaks, interesting rock formations, and an optional spur trail down to the canyon floor. The area is also known for its pristine habitat and wildflowers.

The entire area is under birded with only 33 hotspots in all of Highland County. The Kamelands Trail is ripe with potential with 93 species in just 33 checklists recorded in its two-year history. The highlight is the abundance of Prairie Warblers whose rising, buzzy song can be heard throughout the meadow in late spring and summer. As many as 45 Prairie Warblers have been reported at once at this location. Yellow-breast chat and White-eyed Vireo (as many as 8 and 22, respectively, in one checklist) are also easy to find in the scrubby brush. Other species of warblers and vireos have also been reported in good numbers as well as other songbirds, such as Scarlet Tanager, Henslow’s Sparrow, and Eastern Towhee.

The trails are open daily dawn to dusk. The nearest restrooms are located at The Appalachian Forest Museum, 1.8 miles away, open daily March 15 – Nov 15, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm. Nearby hotspots include Highlands Nature Sanctuary, Miller Sanctuary State Nature Preserve, and Paint Creek State Park. Standard outdoor perils exist, such as ticks, poison ivy and treacherous footing in the winter or after a rain. The area is remote, so cell service may be spotty.

2-mile loop, mostly level. This trail leads through rolling meadows to the wooded corridor bordering the high bluffs of Rocky Fork Creek across from the Forest Museum. This trail boasts immense ancient oaks, interesting rock formations, and an optional spur trail down to the canyon floor.

To reach the Kamelands trailhead, follow Cave Road north to U- 50 and turn left (west). The parking lot is exactly a .5 miles from the turn and will be on your right. Park near the old barn and walk back towards Hwy-50. On the right, you will see a trail sign leading you underneath the US-50 through an old cattle tunnel and onto the Kamelands Trail.

The Highlands Nature Sanctuary is the Arc of Appalachia’s oldest and largest preserve. The heart of the 2900-acre preserve is the breathtakingly beautiful Rocky Fork Gorge, a 100-foot high steep-walled canyon renowned for its stunning rock formations, ancient white cedars, spectacular wildflower displays, grottoes, springs, and stone arches.

The Appalachian Forest Museum features large artistic murals depicting the world significance of our backyard forests for those of us living anywhere in the Eastern third of the United States. The Museum strives to raise our appreciation for America’s Great Eastern Forest and the many ways our “home-sweet-biome” influences and inspires our lives.

Sixty acres of the 2600-acre Highlands Nature Sanctuary was once home to the 20th-century nature and children’s theme park known as 7 Caves. Opening in 1930, 7 Caves was a beloved family destination for generations, reaching the peak of its popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, the same era that America was infatuated with family camping vacations. After the 70s, attendance began a steep decline alongside children’s theme parks across America, reflecting a shift in our culture’s vacation preferences.

The Arc of Appalachia purchased the 7 Caves land and buildings from its owners when the business was closed in 2005, at which time the land became part of the Highlands Nature Sanctuary. Some of 7 Cave’s historic trails, with their beautiful rock work and stunning geologic vistas, still serve visitors today at the Sanctuary, along with 15 miles of additional trails. The old 7 Caves gift shop has been transformed into what is known today as the Appalachian Forest Museum.

Seven larger caves that were illuminated for decades with 1930-era push-button lights are now returned to darkness. Although small by world standards, the caves are on the mend as natural communities; so much so that today the caves give refuge to four species of bats, three of them imperiled and one federally endangered. Although most of the caves are closed to visitors to minimize disruption to the caves’ ecosystems, the gorgeous cliffs and rock formations of the Rocky Fork Gorge which made 7 Caves such a memorable destination remain open to the public, now without charge. One of the original seven caves, known as Marble Cave, can still be viewed on the Valley of the Ancients Trail which begins at the Appalachian Forest Museum.