In KY, You Can Travel from ‘Heaven’ to ‘Hell’ in Under 90 Minutes

I have seen something close to what people envision when they hear the word “hellscape.” I was in eastern Arizona in 2015 and saw what was left from the devastating wildfires that had happened in 2011—dead, barren trees as far as the eye could see.

It was humbling AND beautiful at the same time…in a weird way. I hope against hope our beautiful eastern Kentucky never suffers the same fate; no hellscapes allowed in the Commonwealth. But there is a “Hell” and a “Heaven,” and they’re not even 90 minutes apart.

You do not see it, but there is a tiny, tiny community in Leslie County–in the vicinity of Dryhill, Hyden, and Thousdandsticks–called “Hell for Certain,” and it is as unincorporated as unincorporated can be, hence its invisibility on this map.

In 2014, a wonderful writer named Coleman Larkin chronicled his journey to the dust-speck town along the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River and then submitted it for publication to KY For KY. He learned that the most common explanation, among locals, for the community’s name came from a missionary.

Hell for Certain, or sometimes Hell-Fer-Sartin, is a few miles north of Hyden along the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River. The most common story for how it got its name involves a missionary who took a trip to the area long ago. When asked where he’d been he said something to the effect of, ‘I don’t know, but it was Hell for certain!’

If you travel to Leslie County and try to find it, the only thing you’ll find, in terms of a “photo souvenir,” will be a road sign.

And, as you can see, Hell for Certain is just under 90 minutes away from “Heaven, ” or Kingdom Come State Park. It’s long been a joke in Kentucky Appalachia, and I appreciate that it lives on. Who knew it was such a short drive from Hell to Kingdom Come? By the way, here’s what THAT gorgeous patch of land looks like:

Look, finding Hell for Certain KY simply comes under the heading of “novelty.” Except for a few houses–maybe a church–there’s nothing there but a very cool name. But the region? Spectacular. Having traveled to eastern Kentucky this summer, I know how beautiful it all is, and no vacation to that neck of the woods will disappoint.

(Unless you’re visiting relatives you’d rather not, but that’s a story for another day.)

Funny Kentucky Town Names