An access road inside Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area in Kentucky and Tennessee is temporarily closed due to a mineral extraction leak near the Joe Branch area.
According the National Park Service, the totality of the gas well access road from where it splits from Joe Branch Loop Trail to where it ends near the bank of the Clear Fork River will be closed effective today, July 8th, 2025. The Joe Branch Loop Trail will remain open for public use.
The closure is necessary for the safety of park visitors, employees, and contract workers. It will continue to remain in place until the well leak is remedied and the site is cleaned up.
Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area makes up 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, protecting the the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries. Visitors can explore miles of gorges and sandstone bluffs while participating in a range of recreational activities.
