We give thanks & honor the land, the water, all the life & ancestors of this place: Cherokee, Shawnee, all those who came before whose wisdom and connection persists.  We engage with this place in the work of collective healing and transformative action necessary for all of us to live in harmony with nature and with one another.

The SITE

The place we call home is on Clear Creek in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  We're situated in Rockcastle County just over the first "Big Hill" where the bluegrass farmlands & horse fields of Central Kentucky give way to the rising ridges of East Kentucky.

The energetic center of this place is an ever-flowing natural spring that seeps from mountain shale and provides water throughout the site.  Over time, we have gradually built infrastructure to make a home and studio-office for ourselves as well as to accommodate community gatherings and events.  All power on the site is provided by the sun via a sophisticated off-grid photovoltaic system.  We use composting outhouses to recycle our waste.  An outdoor timberframe kitchen, a cob oven, spring showers, a performance stage, camping platforms & cleared woodland sites as well as a lofted barn provide the rustic infrastructure to host outdoor gatherings.

VISITING Clear Creek CREATIVE

We are located in an area once known as Disputanta along the ridge of Clear Creek in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, 40456.  Included lower on this page are driving directions from the nearest interstate and from Berea, Kentucky as well as some valuable information to know about visiting our off-the-grid site.

If you are traveling from afar, the Bluegrass Airport (LEX in Lexington, KY) is our nearest regional airport, a 75-minute drive. We are about 2 hours from the international airports serving Northern Kentucky / Cincinnati (CVG) and Louisville (SDF).

If you are not staying on site, we recommend the following local accommodation for overnight visits:  Homegrown Hideaways for eco-friendly glamping options (20-minute drive), Happiness Hills Farm for a nearby rural location with multiple indoor guest spaces (10-minute drive), Boone Tavern in Berea for a classic hotel experience (20-minute drive) and -- a little further from us, though definitely worth the journey -- Snug Hollow Farm Bed & Breakfast (35-minute drive).

preparing to be on site & Off-grid

Off-the-Grid:  We are off-the-grid with no cell phone service and limited internet access.  Your last reliable place for cell service when you’re coming from the interstate or the Berea area is the Big Hill Food Mart where Hwy 21 and 421 meet. Please don’t rely on GPS to get to us as it often misleads people or cuts out before your arrival so be sure to have access to the directions here before you get out of range!

Flashlight: If you're arriving and/or leaving after dark, we suggest bringing a flashlight to see your way.

Getting Back to Us: We’re tucked back in the woods on the side of a little mountain. Once you’ve pulled up into the cleared field, park there if there are lots of other people on site or if it's just you visiting, drive on through the field past the barn and the red farm gate into the woods and follow the road back to where it opens up into the festival grounds. As you pull in to the clearing, the composting outhouses are to your left and the solar / office building is up the hill to your right. Get parked in this area in a way that will be easy to get back out and not block others from getting in & out.  

Road Conditions: The county road leading up to our place is gravel and is not well-drained which can make for a bumpy ride. Our own road back into our place is a dirt-gravel combo and in wet conditions, will have some watery holes and rocky places that you’ll want to drive slowly over. If you have an all-wheel drive option or a vehicle with a higher wheel base, it will make the trip back to our place easier though it’s not necessary. Heads up that your vehicle will almost certainly be dirtier after coming to our place than it was when you arrived. And if you’re visiting in winter, plan to check in with us about the ice or snow status as the roads are occasionally impassable.  

The Facilities: We try to make use of every resource that finds its way to our place.  This principle extends to what is often considered “waste” and what we have learned to call “humanure.” (!) We thus invite you to use our composting outhouses which are a couple hundred yards from our home and right across from our solar building.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

We are a 25-minute drive off I-75 and GPS often misleads people — take the routes below for a lovely ride.  

Driving South on I-75 / Exit @ Duncannon Lane (#83)

1. Take I-75 to Exit 83, the last of 3 Richmond exits when you’re driving from the north.

2. Off of the interstate ramp, turn left onto Duncannon Lane. Drive 3.7 miles.

3. Turn right at the stoplight onto US-25/US-421 South. Drive 1.1 mile and watch for the split which comes up quickly.

4. Make a slight left to stay on US-421 where it splits. [If you miss this left turn, you can still get to us by following US-25 into Berea and then pick up the directions below from the town center.]

5. Drive 12.8 miles along Highway 421 which will involve some tight turns at moments and then in those last 2 miles will wind its way up “Big Hill.” As you approach the top of this steep climb, watch for the sign that says “Rockcastle County” and the “Right Lane Ends” sign and prepare to turn from the right lane.

6. Turn right onto Burnt Ridge Road and drive a tenth of a mile. (This street sign and others are occasionally missing, so please watch the mileage. If you go over the crest of Big Hill without making this turn onto Burnt Ridge, you’ve gone too far).

7. Turn left at the first street, Hammond’s Fork Road, and travel 2 miles into the hollow of Clear Creek.

8. Turn right onto Wood Betony, a gravel road which will lead you up to us.

9. Wood Betony makes an S curve and immediately as you come out of the “S,” take a sharp left (if you continue straight, you’ll arrive at our awesome neighbors’ home — hit the left!). We recommend driving carefully and at a steady pace up the hill and not slowing down much when you make that left turn — you’re likely to spin out the gravel if you hesitate. Park in the field please if you’re here for an event or drive on back past the barn & gate to park near the solar structure if it’s just a few of us!

Driving North on I-75 / Exit @ Mt. Vernon (#62)

1. Take I-75 to Exit 62 for US-25 toward Mt Vernon/Renfro Valley.

2. Turn right onto US-25 / Richmond St. Continue to follow US-25 for 4.7 miles.

3. Turn right onto KY-1617 / Scaffold Cane Road. You’ll immediately make a left turn to stay on Scaffold Cane Road. You’ll drive about 6.5 miles on Scaffold Cane. Watch the mileage as the next turn is at an unusual intersection.

4. Watch for the sign for KY-1787, Disputanta Road — it is going to be a sharp switch-back turn on the right. You can drive just past it if you prefer and turn around in the little parking area of the old building on the corner so you can make the cut more easily. Drive 2.3 miles on Disputanta Road — very curvy at first, be careful!

5. At the fork in the road, you’ll be facing the old Disputanta post office. Turn left onto Hammonds Fork Road and travel 2.3 miles.

6. Turn left onto Wood Betony Road, which is a gravel road and follow #9 above!

Driving From Berea

These directions will guide you from I-75 Exit 77.  Start from #4 if you are in the town center (make sure you are oriented appropriately to head east / southeast out of town on highway 21).  

1. Take I-75 to Exit 77, the first Berea exit when you’re driving from the north, the second when you’re driving from the south.

2. Off of the interstate ramp, turn onto Highway 595 heading south / southeast (from the north it’s a left and from the south it’s a right).

3. Turn right at the stoplight to stay on Highway 595, which is called Walnut Meadow Road and changes to Main Street after you cross the train tracks and near the town center of Berea. You will pass the entrance to the KY Artisan Center on your right shortly after making the turn and travel 2.4 miles on this road through two stop lights to a 4-way stop-sign intersection near a large white hotel, Boone Tavern.

4. At the 4-way intersection in the town center, make a left onto Highway 21 (Prospect Street which becomes Big Hill Road as you head out of town). Travel 4.9 miles until the road ends. Big Hill Food Mart and gas station will be on your right.

5. Turn right onto Highway 421 and travel 2.6 miles up “Big Hill.” As you approach the top of this steep climb, watch for the sign that says “Rockcastle County” and the “Right Lane Ends” sign and prepare to turn from the right lane.

6. Turn right onto Burnt Ridge Road and drive a tenth of a mile. (This street sign and others are occasionally missing, so please watch the mileage--if you go over the crest of Big Hill, you’ve gone too far).

7. Turn left at the first street, Hammond’s Fork Road, and travel 2 miles into the hollow of Clear Creek.

8. Turn right onto Wood Betony which is a gravel road and follow #9 above.

Interested in a visit? Get in touch.

Banner photo at page header by Melisa Cardona.