Summer at Kentucky State Parks

UPDATED: June 13, June 22, July 3, July 8, July 12, July 19, August 10, August 24

A nice wet spring left Kentucky's State Parks green, lush and beautiful for the high season. Don't miss them.

• Kentucky Chatauqua Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park will host a Chautauqua presentation of “Colonel” Harland Sanders, the creator of Kentucky Fried Chicken, on Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Lodge Meeting Room.

• Survival Skills Weekend Join the park naturalist for a full weekend of prehistoric-based survival training at Big Bone Lick State Historic Site for our 2013 Lick the Wild: Survival Skills Weekend.

• 2-for-1 Camping Enjoy some cooler temperatures with a special camping offer for September from Kentucky State Parks. The parks are offering two nights for the price of one for campers from Sept. 2-29.

• Elk and Hunting Show Jenny Wiley State Resort Park will host the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Eastern Kentucky Elk and Hunting Show, Sept. 6-8.

• Ghost Hunt If you have an interest in history and are curious about hunting for ghosts, then E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park wants to invite you to an event Friday, Sept. 13. Attend “Spirits of Sawyer” to explore the history of the park and go on a “ghost hunt” led by S.E.R.I.O.U.S. Paranormal from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

• Elk Tours Two state parks in eastern Kentucky will offer guests a unique wildlife viewing opportunity this fall and winter – elk viewing tours. Visitors to Jenny Wiley and Buckhorn Lake State Resort Parks can choose a weekend, stay at a state park lodge or cottage and arise early to enjoy one of these unique tours.

• Wickliffe Mounds September is Kentucky Archaeology Month, and the significance of Kentucky’s archaeological sites will be celebrated across the Commonwealth with special events, programs and presentations. Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site will feature special exhibits about archaeology and the importance of preserving sites as part of the Friends of Wickliffe Mounds Appreciation Day on Sept. 28.

• Beach Blast he beach closes after Labor Day weekend, so Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park is inviting you to its “End the Summer Beach Blast” on Saturday, Aug. 31.

• Fraley Mountain Music Carter Caves State Resort Park will host the annual Fraley Mountain Music Gatherin’ for the 43rd year, Sept. 4-7. The festival that began as a family reunion honors old-time music and eastern Kentucky traditions as well as the late master fiddler J.P. Fraley. Musicians will be jamming in parking lots and sharing music around the campfires of Carter Caves State Resort Park. Musical instruments such as dulcimer, fiddle and guitar are used to tell stories about life long ago in the eastern Kentucky foothills.

• Tenth Anniversary Golf Tournament Eagle Ridge Golf Course at Yatesville Lake State Park is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a golf tournament Sept. 14.

• Healthier Options for Kids The 17 restaurants operated by the Kentucky State Parks are now offering healthier options on their kids' menus. The Kentucky State Parks have joined "Better Bites: Restaurant Edition," a project of the Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition in Lexington. The coalition focuses on making healthy eating and regular physical activity popular and accessible for children ages 9-13.

• For Horse Lovers With the opening of the Dawkins Line Rail Trail, horseback riders have another 18 miles of trails to enjoy the beautiful Kentucky scenery. The Kentucky State Parks, which will manage the Dawkins Line that runs through Johnson and Magoffin counties, have several other equine opportunities available to guests. “The Kentucky State Parks have some excellent trails, campgrounds and riding opportunities throughout the state,” First Lady Jane Beshear said. “Even if you don’t own a horse, several state parks have horses available so all visitors have the chance to enjoy a trail ride on a safe and comfortable mount.”