11 Fun Ideas for Your Next Family Get-Together

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1) GO HORSEBACK RIDING

Bring your own horses and stable them at one of our cabins with stalls or rent from Larry McMillan, owner and operator of Southeast Pack Trips, either way you'll have an unforgettable experience horseback riding The Big South Fork!

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2) SING AROUND A CAMPFIRE

Weather your family is talented or not :) you can gather around a nice warm fire and sing a campfire song while roasting marshmallows over the fire.

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3) TAKE A FAMILY HIKE

Hiking is a great way to strengthen family bonds.  Evening hikes are a great time to get some fresh air and digest the day’s events along with that huge potluck dinner you just ate. ( Did you know that the Big South Fork is a Hiker's Paradise?!)

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4) HAVE A FAMILY GAME NIGHT

After your family hike, you could come back to the cabin and enjoy a game of monopoly or life.  There's nothing better than sharing laughs through some light (or heavy depending on your family!) game competition!

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5) GO WHITEWATER RAFTING

The Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area is recognized as one of the region's best whitewater paddling destinations, with late winter and spring being the primary paddling season on the river.

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6) GO ATV RIDING

Pickett State Forest OHV Area also known as Blackhouse Mountain is a beautiful scenic ATV riding area located just 7 miles from Laurel Fork Rustic Retreat.  Blackhouse Mountain offers more than 100 miles of trails, some which even connect as far away as the well-known Royal Blue Area.

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7) HAVE BREAKFAST TOGETHER

A lot of families have morning breakfast traditions like pancakes or cinnamon rolls.  Here in the south, we like to go big or go home so you could prepare a breakfast feast for your family in one of our well stocked cabin kitchens. We also love our biscuits, gravy, eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns, fried apples and other tastes of the south!

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8) HAVE A METEOR SHOWER PARTY

Our guests can enjoy the perfect view from their cabin porches.  The rustic cabins at Laurel Fork Rustic Retreat provide a comfortable way to stay up late, stay cozy, and watch amazing meteor showers throughout the year.

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9) TAKE A TRAIN RIDE

Big South Fork Scenic Railway is located 35 miles from Laurel Fork Rustic Retreat.  You can take a train ride through the scenic mountains of Southern Kentucky and stop at the historic Blue Heron Mining Camp for a coal miners lunch.

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10) GO MOUNTAIN BIKING

The Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area is quickly gaining recognition as a destination for mountain bikers.  In fact, the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) gave the park its prestigious "Epic" designation for mountain biking in 2012.

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11) HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT

There's nothing more classic than letting the kids take turns picking movies to watch while gathered in the living room in front of the television with a nice warm fire and loads of popcorn!