Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park
| Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park | |
| Kentucky State Park | |
 McHargue's Mill
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| Named for: Levi Jackson and the Wilderness Road | |
| Country | United States |
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| State | Kentucky |
| County | Laurel |
| Elevation | 1,152 ft (351 m) |
| Coordinates | 37°04′59″N 84°02′30″W / 37.08306°N 84.04167°WCoordinates: 37°04′59″N 84°02′30″W / 37.08306°N 84.04167°W |
| Area | 896 acres (363 ha) |
| Founded | 1931 |
| Management | Kentucky State Parks |
 Location in Kentucky
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| Website: Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park | |
Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park is a state park located just south of London, Kentucky in Laurel County. The park encompasses 896 acres (363 ha) and includes a section of the Wilderness Road that early settlers used to reach Kentucky. The park is named for Levi Jackson, an early Kentucky pioneer. It serves as both a recreational and historic park.
The historic Wilderness Road was the main route used by settlers for more than 50 years to reach Kentucky from Virginia. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. It was later lengthened, following Native American trails, to the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. The Wilderness Road was rough and steep. In the early days of the trail, it could only be traveled on foot or horseback. As more travelers passed, the road improved and horse-drawn wagons were able to follow the trail. In spite of the conditions, thousands of people used it. Many of their descendants still live in Kentucky including members of the McNitt Company, a group of pioneers who were attacked by Native Americans on October 3, 1786.
The park is crossed by portions of the Wilderness Road and Boone's Trace, another pioneer trail blazed by Daniel Boone. It is still open today to hiking and while the Wilderness Road has since been paved as part of Kentucky Route 229.
Levi Jackson was one of the first settlers in Laurel County. He arrived in 1802 with his partner, John Freeman, who claimed a large tract of land along the Wilderness Road as payment for Freeman's services in the American Revolutionary War. Jackson built a large two-story house which he licensed as a tavern in 1803. He and John Freeman ran the Wilderness Road Tavern and Laurel River Post Office. The surrounding area became known as "Jackson's Farm" and remained in the Jackson family until 1931 when the land was donated to the state to honor the pioneers of Kentucky.
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