Breaks Interstate Park

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State park in Kentucky and Virginia, US

title: "Breaks Interstate Park" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["canyons-and-gorges-of-virginia", "canyons-and-gorges-of-kentucky", "state-parks-of-kentucky", "state-parks-of-virginia", "parks-in-dickenson-county,-virginia", "protected-areas-of-pike-county,-kentucky", "protected-areas-established-in-1954", "1954-establishments-in-virginia", "1954-establishments-in-kentucky", "george-washington-and-jefferson-national-forests", "landforms-of-pike-county,-kentucky", "landforms-of-dickenson-county,-virginia", "transboundary-protected-areas", "united-states-interstate-compacts"] description: "State park in Kentucky and Virginia, US" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaks_Interstate_Park" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary State park in Kentucky and Virginia, US ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox protected area"]

Field	Value
name	Breaks Interstate Park
photo	Breaks.jpg
photo_caption	Breaks Canyon, May 2003
photo_width	250
location	Kentucky and Virginia, United States
nearest_city	Elkhorn City, Kentucky
map	Kentucky#Virginia#USA
map_caption	Location on Kentucky/Virginia border
map_width	250
relief	yes
coordinates
area	4500 acre
established	1954
visitation_num	286,401
visitation_year	2014
governing_body	Breaks Interstate Park Compact
administrator	Austin Bradley
url	http://www.breakspark.com
::

Breaks Interstate Park, also known as "the Breaks," is a bi-state state park located partly in southeastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia in the Jefferson National Forest, at the northeastern terminus of Pine Mountain. The land is managed by an interstate compact between the states of Virginia and Kentucky. It is one of two interstate parks in the United States operated jointly under a compact rather than as two separate state park units. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Kentucky Department of Parks are still major partner organizations.

Breaks Interstate Park has been called the "Grand Canyon of the South". Russell Fork river and Clinchfield Railroad (now the CSX Transportation Kingsport Subdivision) both pass through it. It is accessed via Virginia 80 and Kentucky 80 between Haysi, Virginia, and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, and passes through the community of Breaks, Virginia, east of the park.

History

This area was previously covered by a vast inland sea around 180 million years ago. Over subsequent millennia, the Russell Fork gradually carved through the rock to form the spectacular valleys. Early human activity saw the area serve as hunting grounds for Shawnee and Cherokee people. In 1767, American frontiersman Daniel Boone passed through the area looking for an easier westward passage through Pine Mountain. Boone subsequently gave the area its current name, The Breaks.

Preparations have been made to provide elk viewing areas. Elk were seen near the park in 2023 for the first time since the 1800s.

Geography

Breaks Interstate Park is located about 5 mi east of Elkhorn City, Kentucky. The park covers 4500 acre. The park's main feature, Breaks Canyon, is five miles long and ranges from 830 to deep. The canyon was formed by the Russell Fork river through millions of years of erosion.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, nearby Elkhorn City has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

|location = Elkhorn City, Kentucky |width=auto |single line = Y |Jan record high F = 78 |Feb record high F = 83 |Mar record high F = 89 |Apr record high F = 92 |May record high F = 98 |Jun record high F = 100 |Jul record high F = 101 |Aug record high F = 100 |Sep record high F = 102 |Oct record high F = 90 |Nov record high F = 85 |Dec record high F = 80 |year record high F = 102 |Jan high F = 42 |Feb high F = 47 |Mar high F = 56 |Apr high F = 66 |May high F = 73 |Jun high F = 80 |Jul high F = 83 |Aug high F = 82 |Sep high F = 77 |Oct high F = 67 |Nov high F = 57 |Dec high F = 45 |year high F= |Jan low F = 23 |Feb low F = 26 |Mar low F = 32 |Apr low F = 40 |May low F = 49 |Jun low F = 59 |Jul low F = 63 |Aug low F = 62 |Sep low F = 55 |Oct low F = 43 |Nov low F = 33 |Dec low F = 26 |year low F= |Jan record low F = -14 |Feb record low F = -12 |Mar record low F = -3 |Apr record low F = 21 |May record low F = 25 |Jun record low F = 40 |Jul record low F = 40 |Aug record low F = 45 |Sep record low F = 34 |Oct record low F = 19 |Nov record low F = 9 |Dec record low F = -11 |year record low F= |Jan precipitation inch = 3.19 |Feb precipitation inch = 3.20 |Mar precipitation inch = 3.43 |Apr precipitation inch = 4.06 |May precipitation inch = 4.89 |Jun precipitation inch = 4.50 |Jul precipitation inch = 5.20 |Aug precipitation inch = 3.86 |Sep precipitation inch = 3.14 |Oct precipitation inch = 2.82 |Nov precipitation inch = 2.91 |Dec precipitation inch = 3.27 |year precipitation inch= |source 1 = The Weather Channel.{{cite web |url=http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USKY0866 |title=Monthly Averages for Elkhorn City, KY |publisher=The Weather Channel|access-date=May 23, 2014}} |date=May 2014

Activities

The park provides hiking trails, as well as fishing, paddle boating, canoeing, and hydro biking on Laurel Lake, and white-water rafting on the Russell Fork. Rock climbers encounter sandstone similar to the nearby New River Gorge. A lodge, cottages and a campground are available. The park has a visitor center with exhibits on the area's historical and natural features, a conference center with restaurant, and an amphitheater. Elk viewing opportunities are available through seasonal guided bus tours of the areas where the Rocky Mountain elk was introduced as a replacement for the extinct Eastern elk.

Gallery

File:Breaks Interstate Park sign.jpg File:Breaks Canyon Fall.jpg File:Breaks Canyon; February 2018.jpg File:Cliff at Breaks Canyon.jpg File:Russell Fork- Breaks Interstate Park.jpg|A view of Russell Fork File:Breaks Interstate Park; Russel Fork; February 2018.jpg|Russell Fork while flooded

References

"History of Virginia State Parks".
[http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/documents/14parkattend.pdf Virginia State Parks 2014 Attendance and Economic Impact] {{webarchive. link. (April 2, 2015 Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved 2015-03-17.)
(25 June 2013). "Virginia State Park Locations". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
"About". Kentucky Department of Parks.
"Breaks Interstate Park". Dickenson County Board of Supervisors.
"Our History | Breaks Park".
"Our History". Breaks Interstate Park Commission.
Lee, Murry. (2023-02-10). "Elk spotted in Breaks Interstate Park for first time in more than a century".
(June 27, 2012). "Breaks Interstate Park". Virginia Tourism Corporation.
[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=825251&cityname=Elkhorn+City%2C+Kentucky%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Elkhorn City, Kentucky]
"Things to do". Kentucky Department of Parks.
"Amphitheater Music Events". Breaks Interstate Park Commission.
"Elk Tours".

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