Editing Estill County, Kentucky (section)

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|256|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|253|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|2.5|sqmi}} (1.0%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_21.txt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812210847/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_21.txt |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |access-date=August 14, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> Estill County is located at the contact of two Kentucky regions: the Bluegrass and the Cumberland plateau, because of this the county is known as the location where the "Bluegrass kisses the Mountains."<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://www.estillcountyky.net/history.html |access-date=January 16, 2019 |website=Estill Development Alliance |language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Fitchburg Furnace.jpg|thumb|[[Fitchburg Furnace]] located in Estill County. Legacy of 19th century iron industry. Largest charcoal furnace in the world.]]
[[File:Knobs in Estill County.jpg|thumb|[[Knobs region|Knobs]] viewed from the Lilly Mountain Nature Preserve in southwestern Estill County]]
Estill County contains two important rivers. With the [[Red River (Kentucky River)|Red River]], famous for its [[Red River Gorge|gorge]] in neighboring Powell County, forming the northern border. And the [[Kentucky River]] bisecting the county. Much of Estill County's development, including the towns of Irvine and Ravenna, is located in the fertile bottomlands of the Kentucky River. Additionally, due to the Kentucky River's deep valley and Estill County's location at the edge of the Cumberland plateau the county's topography is striking. The [[Pottsville Escarpment]] is prominent in the county, marking the divide between the Bluegrass and the mountains. Because of this topography total relief is nearly 1000 feet in the county, with the highest point being Zion Mountain, located about {{frac|6|1|2}} miles southwest of Irvine at 1,511 feet, and the lowest point being the confluence of the Kentucky River and the Red River at 566 feet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Groundwater Resources of Estill County, Kentucky |url=http://www.uky.edu/KGS/water/library/gwatlas/Estill/Topography.htm |access-date=February 7, 2019 |website=www.uky.edu}}</ref> Other high points include Happy Top Mountain, 1,500 feet; Preacher Estes Mountain, 1,475 feet; Peter Mountain, 1,454 feet; Low Knob, 1,450 feet; and Big Round Mountain, Buzzard Roost, and McKinney Mountain, each at 1,420 feet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Groundwater Resources of Estill County, Kentucky |url=http://www.uky.edu/KGS/water/library/gwatlas/Estill/Topography.htm}}</ref>

===Rivers and streams===
{{expand section|date=January 2024}}
*[[Drowning Creek (Kentucky)|Drowning Creek]]<ref>{{cite gnis|491129|Drowning Creek|November 23, 2020}}</ref>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Clark County, Kentucky|Clark County]]  (north)
* [[Powell County, Kentucky|Powell County]]  (northeast)
* [[Lee County, Kentucky|Lee County]]  (southeast)
* [[Jackson County, Kentucky|Jackson County]]  (south)
* [[Madison County, Kentucky|Madison County]]  (west)

===Protected areas===
* [[Daniel Boone National Forest]] (part)
* Lilly Mountain Nature Preserve<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lily Mountain Nature Preserve |url=http://www.estillcountyky.net/lily-mountain-nature-preserve.html |access-date=January 29, 2019 |website=Estill Development Alliance |language=en}}</ref>