The Beech Fork, or Beech Fork River, is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed May 13, 2011 river in central

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is a tributary of the Rolling Fork of the Salt River, with its waters flowing eventually to the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

and ultimately the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. The Beech Fork begins in eastern Marion County and heads northwest into Washington County, where the Chaplin River enters. The Beech Fork then turns southwest to go through Nelson County. At the end of the river's journey, near

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, the Beech Fork flows into the Rolling Fork of the Salt River. The Beech Fork at

Bardstown Bardstown is a home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 13,567 in the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Nelson County. Bardstown is named for the pioneering Bard brothers. David Bard obtained a ...

has a mean annual discharge of 964 cubic feet per second. The Beech Fork is a winding river that can be used for

whitewater rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

and

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

. Most of the river is Class I and suitable for canoes and other entry level paddlers. A collapsed boulder dam one-quarter mile past the US 31E bridge constitutes a Class III+ run with an overall drop of five feet. The

Beech Fork Bridge, Mackville Road Beech Fork Bridge, Mackville Road, near Springfield, Kentucky, is a Pratt truss bridge which was built in 1884. It was built by the King Iron Bridge Co. and crosses the Beech Fork of the Salt River. It was listed on the National Register of Hi ...

, a truss bridge spanning the river since 1884, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. It is spanned by the Mount Zion Covered Bridge.

References

External links

605 Bridge to 49 Bridge (Manton Section)49 Bridge to 31E Bridge (Bardstown Section)
Rivers of Kentucky Landforms of Marion County, Kentucky Landforms of Washington County, Kentucky Landforms of Nelson County, Kentucky Salt River (Kentucky) {{Kentucky-river-stub

See also

References

External links