16 Best State Parks In Kentucky For Any Adventure

Natural Bridge State Resort Park — Photo:
Kentucky State Parks

Kentucky’s state parks are filled with natural beauty and magnificent views, but there’s nothing one-size-fits-all about them. From tent and RV campsites with plenty of elbow room and cabins tucked away in the woods to resort lodging, a stay at one of the state's 45 parks (and six National Parks)—17 of them classified as resorts with lodges and restaurants—is all about possibilities. Each park has its particular charms, such as nature preserves with rare flowers, and there are many opportunities for adventure: hiking, biking, horseback riding, miniature golf, championship golf, disc golf, caving, boating, fishing, and swimming at the beach or pool—even an indoor pool complex. As a bonus, Kentucky state parks offer a 10% discount on lodging and camping fees for visitors age 62 and older.

The best time to visit Kentucky for outdoor fun is spring, when bright colors emerge in the landscape, and fall when temperatures cool and colorful foliage peaks. Choose your adventure, then pick your park or vice versa; either way is a win when planning a vacation at one of the state parks in Kentucky.

01 of 16

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park

Corbin

Known for its namesake Cumberland Falls—the Niagara of the South—expect commanding views from the water that crashes down this 68-foot sandstone cliff. You can see it most spectacularly from the Eagle Falls Trail. Plan your visit to catch that rarest of phenomena: the ghostly white arc of a moonbow. Also called a white rainbow or a lunar rainbow, it occurs less than 10% as often as a regular rainbow.

parks.ky.gov/explore/cumberland-falls-state-resort-park-7786, 7351 Highway 90, Corbin, KY 40701

Explore Corbin

02 of 16

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park

Greenup

Scuba lovers—this park’s for you. Bring your gear and suit up for adventure (May through November) at the 10-acre scuba refuge, the only one among Kentucky’s state parks. Not quite that adventurous? Rent a kayak or pedal boat or zip down the waterslide at the park’s community pool. Visit for Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre or a quilt show. Or simply enjoy 33 miles of scenic multi-use trails set within 3,300 acres of forestland.

parks.ky.gov/explore/greenbo-lake-state-resort-park-7790, 965 Lodge Road, Greenup, KY 41144

03 of 16

Natural Bridge State Resort Park

Slade

The geologic stunner for which this park is named is a natural sandstone arch that stretches out across 78 feet and sits 65 feet above the ground. Hike the Original Trail directly to the 30-foot-wide “sidewalk” known as Natural Bridge or ride the Sky Lift for treetop views. This park offers stunning views year-round but is truly breathtaking during fall foliage season. Don't miss the scenic pool complex with a zero-entry pool, stone bathhouse, and wading pool with a fountain and floor bubbles.

parks.ky.gov/explore/natural-bridge-state-resort-park-7796, 2135 Natural Bridge Road, Slade, KY 40376

04 of 16

Big Bone Lick State Historic Site

Union

Their 1804 expedition got more press, but explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark also visited Big Bone Lick, Birthplace of American Vertebrate Paleontology, at the behest of Thomas Jefferson. See active salt springs, bison herds roaming the fields year-round, a wooly mammoth and other Ice Age animals trapped in the mud edging a salt lick at the Megafauna diorama pit, and a full Harlan’s Ground Sloth replica skeleton among the museum’s colorfully presented exhibits.

parks.ky.gov/explore/big-bone-lick-state-historic-site-7807, 3380 Beaver Road, Union, KY 41091

05 of 16

Pine Mountain State Resort Park

Pineville

Most U.S. state park systems date to the 1930s, developed with assistance from Great Depression-era federal programs including the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration—but Pine Mountain was ahead of the curve. Established a century ago in 1924, Kentucky’s first state park is known for gorgeous sweeping vistas and is especially scenic in the spring when the mountain laurel and red buds bloom. Hike to Honeymoon Falls, the largest in the park at 25 feet. Enjoy the views overlooking the Kentucky Ridge State Forest from the mountaintop resort. Come for festivals, concerts, delicious down-home cooking, and those Instagrammable views.

parks.ky.gov/explore/pine-mountain-state-resort-park-7799, 1050 State Park Road, Pineville, KY 40977

06 of 16

Carter Caves State Resort Park

Olive Hill

Hike to a softly illuminated underground waterfall on the scenic Cascade Cave tour at this resort park—one of only two state parks with guided and wild cave tours. Learn about a key ingredient used in making gunpowder found in one of the caves that links Carter Caves to the War of 1812. Strap on the (provided) headlamp and helmet to muck about on the wild Bat Cave tour. Warning: Waddling is required as cavers need to duck walk for approximately 130 feet through this rugged subterranean world. Visitors to the park can also mine for gems, hike, rappel, and rock climb, and discover its five natural bridges.

parks.ky.gov/explore/carter-caves-state-resort-park-7785, 344 Caveland Drive, Olive Hill, KY 41164

07 of 16

Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park

Burkesville

Dale Hollow’s Lodge and Island View Restaurant are perched atop a bluff overlooking the lake and forests beyond. It is home to a nationally ranked golf course and a nautical-themed, ADA-accessible 18-hole mini golf course where putters cross over streams to sink their putts. Get wet and muddy at a wild cave named Cindy, hike to Eagle Point Trail overlook for a bird’s-eye view of Tennessee, and rent a boat and go island exploring. The best time to catch sight of eagles? December through February.

parks.ky.gov/explore/dale-hollow-lake-state-resort-park-7787, 5970 State Park Road, Burkesville, KY 42717

08 of 16

General Butler State Resort Park

Carrollton

Enjoy one of Kentucky’s most famous (and delectable) culinary sensations—the oh-so-cheesy Hot Brown—at Two Rivers Restaurant, overlooking the confluence of the Kentucky and Ohio Rivers. Canoe, kayak, or pedal boat on Butler Lake or drop a line in for bass, crappie, and bluegill (and if you didn’t bring a fishing pole, the park will lend you one for free). Catch the sunset from the overlook on the Butler Lake Trail and visit the 1859 Greek Revival-style Butler-Turpin Home Museum.

parks.ky.gov/explore/general-butler-state-resort-park-7789, 1608 Highway 227, Carrollton, KY 41008

09 of 16

Green River Lake State Park

Green River state park campground — Kentucky State Parks

Campbellsville

The entire campground at this nature lover’s paradise—all 167 RV campsites and 60 primitive tent sites—sits along the shoreline of Green River Lake. Go horseback riding on nearly 30 miles of all-purpose trails. Wriggle your toes in the sandy beach fronting the 8,210-acre lake. Visit the marina to rent jet skis, a ski boat, a fishing boat, or a pontoon. Create your own wildlife safari and look for eagles, turkeys, hawks, deer, and more.

parks.ky.gov/explore/green-river-lake-state-park-7814, 179 Park Office Road, Campbellsville, KY 42718

10 of 16

John James Audubon State Park

Henderson

One of the few places in the world to see a rare double-elephant folio edition of John James Audubon’s masterwork, The Birds of America (1827-1838), which showcases the artist/ornithologist’s life-sized watercolors of North American birds, is at this state park. It sits in the three-gallery museum inside a turreted stone chateau, in a fairytale setting surrounded by forest. A wetlands boardwalk, nature center, cottages and campgrounds, fishing lake, and hiking trails within a State Nature Preserve add to the park’s allure.

parks.ky.gov/explore/john-james-audubon-state-park-7815, 3100 US Highway 41, Henderson, KY 42420

11 of 16

General Burnside Island State Park

Burnside

It’s golf, island style, at this serene state park named for Civil War General Ambrose Burnside. Surrounded by Lake Cumberland, the Brian Ault-designed public course—a winner of multiple “Best in Kentucky” awards in the category of golf course—offers gorgeous waterfront views from every hole. Visitors can also pitch a tent at the 102-site campground and launch a boat or fish in Lake Cumberland.

parks.ky.gov/explore/general-burnside-island-state-park-7812, 8801 South Highway 27, Burnside, KY 42519

12 of 16

Lake Cumberland State Resort Park

Jamestown

Enjoy a 60,000-acre lake for houseboating, fishing, water sports, Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery Visitor and Environmental Education Center, and activities including disc golf, mini golf, tennis, and geocaching. The 63-room Lure Lodge lives up to its name with enticing lakeside views from Rowena Landing Restaurant, the lobby's cozy stone fireplace and private balconies, plus an indoor swimming pool complex that includes a hot tub. Newer activities include the Wake Zone bar, 3D archery featuring life-size targets of deer, bear, and turkey, and astronomy in the fall.

parks.ky.gov/explore/lake-cumberland-state-resort-park-7795, 5465 State Park Road, Jamestown, KY 42629

13 of 16

My Old Kentucky Home State Park

Bardstown

America’s first pop star rocks the stage during “The Stephen Foster Story,” the official outdoor musical of Kentucky and the state’s longest-running outdoor drama that includes such timeless tunes as “Camptown Races,” “Beautiful Dreamer,” and Kentucky’s state song, “My Old Kentucky Home.” Take a guided tour of the mansion museum, with 75 percent of its contents original to the home built 200 years ago. Come for an event—a ghost tour, a program about Victorian mourning and funerary customs, or a holiday performance of “An Old Kentucky Christmas Carol.”

parks.ky.gov/explore/my-old-kentucky-home-state-park-7821, 501 East Stephen Foster Avenue, Bardstown, KY 40004

Explore Bardstown

14 of 16

Lake Barkley State Resort Park

Cadiz

Located near Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, this park has plenty of recreational options. Rent a boat from Lake Barkley Marina. Enjoy lakeside dining at Windows on the Water Restaurant, where you can pair Kentucky fare with Kentucky wine and spirits. Swim year-round in the heated indoor pool, part of the park’s fitness center, which also includes machines, a free-weight room, racquetball court, sauna, and wet steam room. Play video games and ping-pong in the game room or 18 holes of championship golf.

parks.ky.gov/explore/lake-barkley-state-resort-park-7794, 3500 State Park Road, Cadiz, KY 42211

15 of 16

Rough River Dam

Falls of Rough

Lounge on the beach, play disc golf on an 18-hole lakeside course, and practice navigational skills on the orienteering course—one of the few state parks with such a course—at Kentucky’s smallest resort park. The park is famous for its live music, with Bluegrass every month and Friday night patio concerts throughout the summer, and spring and holiday craft shows that spotlight Kentucky-made products.

parks.ky.gov/explore/rough-river-dam-state-resort-park-7800, 450 Lodge Road, Falls of Rough, KY 40119

16 of 16

Breaks Interstate Park

Breaks

Known as the Grand Canyon of the South, Breaks Interstate Park lies in the Appalachian Mountains of southeastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia. Explore miles of hiking trails to reveal cliff, forest, and river landscapes, and keep an eye out for some of the 13,000 elk that call the Breaks home. Breaks Canyon is one of the deepest gorges east of the Mississippi River. In the fall, water released from the John Flannagan Dam and Reservoir creates world-class rapids that visitors can whitewater raft through the gorge.

parks.ky.gov/explore/breaks-interstate-park-7829, 627 Commission Circle, Breaks, KY 24607

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