The Kentucky

The Kentucky. The Commonwealths Own River.. The headwaters of the Kentucky River are in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. Its two main branches-the North and South Forks of the Kentucky River-come together at Beattyville. From there, the river flows about 255 miles to Carrollton, where it empties into the Ohio River. Between Beattyville and Carrollton, the river descends about 200 feet. For much of its length, the Kentucky River has carved a deep channel through the hilly Bluegrass region of Kentucky. On either side of that channel stand spectacular cliffs called the Palisades. For many thousands of years, the Kentucky River was much shallower than it appears today. Before the construction of a series of dams across the river in the 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the river's course was made up of rocky rivulets and rapids connecting occasional deep pools. The Kentucky River flows entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. , Photo caption: 19th Century photograph of the Kentucky River at Frankfort. Photo courtesy of the Capital City Museum; City of Frankfort Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites.