Big Clifty, Kentucky

Big Clifty is a small unincorporated community in Grayson County, Kentucky, United States. Located near the Hardin County line, the community lies primarily along U.S. Route 62. Children from the Big Clifty area attend Clarkson Elementary.

History of Big Clifty

Big Clifty grew up around the P & L (Paducah and Louisville) railroad. Clifty Creek crosses HWY 62 and the P & L railroad several miles to the southwest of Big Clifty. Its said that travelers named the town due to the limestone cliffs that arose on the sides of Clifty Creek. Vocal accounts of residents from the past report that Big Clifty was a "boom town" that at one time had a post office, bank, feed mill, several dry goods stores and restaurants. The Ben Goodman school was the local "country school" and the town had numerous Churches. One resident recounted a story of the circus coming to town on the train. One of the circus performers had a trained bear which climbed the posts outside the barber's office. In yesteryear nearby Clarkson, KY was a tourist destination due to the numerous hotels near Grayson Springs, KY which were visited so hotel guests could experience the sulpher water's curative properties. Big Clifty benefited from the traffic going to Clarkson. Spurrier Mill was a grist mill on the Nolin River several miles from Big Clifty which was a benefit to the economy. Like many rural Kentucky communities, as passenger rail-use decreased and transportation and commercial shipping routes changed, Big Clifty's boom town status disappeared.

Geography of Big Clifty

The town itself is on flat land. The surrounding terrain is flat to rolling with 20 to 40 foot cliffs surrounding Petty Branch of Meeting Creek and Meeting Creek in the Northeast. Clifty Creek runs to the west of Big Clifty with high ridges and cliffs surrounding it. The small Catholic community of St. Paul is nearby Big Clifty and Rough River runs west of it. The geography around Rough River is rugged with very high ridges and sheer 40-60 foot cliffs bordering the river in many areas.