help support our VISION for AN APPALACHIAN RENAISSANCE
Boone’s Ridge is being built on a 12,000-acre site in Bell County, Kentucky, near Cumberland Gap National Park. Nearly 4,000 acres are reclaimed coal mines, showcasing the economic transformation AWF aims to achieve. The 81,000 square foot, $23 million visitor center is complete, and Boone’s Ridge will open to the public in 2026. Learn more.
A VISION TO FUND AN APPALACHIAN RENAISSANCE:
Economy, Education, Environment.
our Story
Central Appalachia is renowned for its stunning landscapes and rich resources but faces challenges like generational poverty and environmental degradation.
The Appalachian Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is addressing these issues through Boone’s Ridge, a tourism destination aimed at revitalizing Kentucky’s Appalachian communities by promoting economic growth, educational enhancement, and environmental renewal–known as The E3 Strategy–and focuses on sustainable growth that harmonizes conservation with economic development. Boone’s Ridge is central to this vision.
Boone’s Ridge aims to draw over 990,000 visitors yearly and generate $202 million in new spending, boosting the local economy with 200 jobs averaging $54,263 in a county with a median income of $23,558.
AWF will use tourism revenue for educational programs benefiting over 100,000 K-12 students, scholarships for local youth, establishing Boone’s Ridge as an educational hub, and collaborating with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Boone’s Ridge also highlights ecological restoration efforts, featuring the largest wild elk population east of the Rockies, over 260 bird species, and various mammals, while AWF is committed to habitat preservation and enhancing water quality in Eastern Kentucky.
