Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail - Archiving Soon

12/10/2025

Did you know that end to enders from 7 countries and 24 states have completed the Trace. Today we add Spain as our 8th country. Carlos Lopez Class of 2024 is our first Spaniard. For the complete list of countries and states visit our webpage, click on Class Registry and Awards page. If we need to add your state, and you to the registry please let us know.

12/02/2025

We are just days away from the 14th Annual Gathering. Are you registered. Click the link below to register. Over 130 have already register. In addition to some great music, chances to renew old hiking friendships, purchase memorabilia, we will have an amazing selection of items from our Silent Auction. You have to attend to bid. Here are a few of the items donated by our partners, friends and members:

Classic Biplanes of Bardstown - 30-minute ride for 2
2-night stay in a cabin at Lake Herrington - Cheryl Anderson/Hal Miles
Overnight stay at a cabin in Charit Creek Lodge
2-night stay in historic Rowan County Fire Towers -Morehead Tourism
2 nights in a Couples Cabin at Sheltowee Trace Adventure Resort
Gift Basket from Ale 8 - the official drink of the Hiker Challenge
Gift Basket from Morehead Tourism
Gift Basket from Somerset-Pulaski County Convention and Visitors Bureau
Gift Basket Lake County Tourism
Gift basket from Haney's Appledale Farms
STA Hiker Painting by artist John Gaddis
Honeybee product basket
Shaker Village annual family pass
Southeast Mountain Guides 2 passes for our Via Ferrata

These are just a few of the over 40 items donated to the Silent Auction. Remember you must attend to bid. Click this link to register today. Check back tomorrow for more items up for bids.

12/01/2025

After reviewing recent changes to Facebook’s Page features, we’ve learned that visitor posting is no longer supported for Pages like this one under Meta’s new system. Because of this, the Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail Page (facebook.com/SheltoweeTraceNRT) can no longer serve as an open, community-sharing space for hikers as we had planned.

To provide a single, consistent place where trail users can ask questions, share stories, and connect with one another, we will be consolidating all community interaction into our Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/STABigTurtle). The current trail Page will eventually be archived and then taken down once the transition is complete.

The Group will remain the primary hub for trail users to:
• share photos and experiences
• ask for planning help
• discuss conditions
• connect with other hikers

Our goal is to make community engagement clearer and easier to find. Thank you for your patience as we adapt to Facebook’s changes and continue supporting the Sheltowee Trace community.

10/29/2025

Be on the lookout for Bill who started his through hike Monday. He said he wanted to avoid people but kept talking my ears off. Seems like a good guy and his trail name should be TB a.k.a Talking Bill. Last seen six mikes from the northern terminus.

10/27/2025

Have you completed the Trace as a thru hike or a section hike? We would like to add you to our registry and send you some swag (patch, End 2 End Rocker, certificate and 343 decal to honor your achievement. All you need to do is send your name, address, date you completed to Trace and the direction you hiked to [email protected]. Congrats in advance.

05/31/2025

The path of the recent tornado that went through Laurel County took it through the Daniel Boone National Forest in the Cane Creek - Sinking Creek areas of the Boone. The one mile wide path downed numerous trees, blocking roads and blocking access to the Sheltowee Trace. Crews from the Forest Service are currently working to reopen the roads. Once the roads are open a more detailed assessment of the conditions of the trail will be made. At this time a closure order is in effect, restricting access to the Trace in the closure area.

For the purposes of planning a thruhike or weekend adventure you should plan on bypassing the Trace from Highway 80 to Highway 192. You should plan ahead and arrange a shuttle around the area if you are thruhiking.

We appreciate those who have reached out to us and volunteered to help with the clean up. We will let you know when we are able to get into the area and plan a trail maintenance day or two in the area.

05/14/2025

Today is the last chance to give to the Sheltowee Trace Association for Ky Gives Day .
Donate at https://www.kygives.org/organ.../sheltowee-trace-association
Thank you to everyone who donated over the last few days. We appreciate your support to help the association protect the Sheltowee Trace.
Membership is highly encouraged and helps support the STA in a sustainable manner. For more information visit sheltoweetrace.org .

Giving Day is here! But the page you seek is not. Perhaps it moved? Perhaps it no longer exists? Or maybe someone gave you the wrong URL? Let us be your guide.

05/09/2025

Congratulations to George Helf from Glen Ellyn, IL who is the first thruhiker to notify us that he completed the Trace on April 27, 2025. We will send George a patch, end to end rocker, and certificate to recognize this achievement.
If you have completed the Trace by section or thruhike, please let us know and we will send you the patch, rocker and certificate as our way of saying thanks. Send your name, address, direction you hiked and the date you finished the hike to [email protected].