Jenny Wiley State Resort Park
Eastern Kentucky
Thanks to its proximity to Prestonsburg, Jenny Wiley State Resort Park is a popular attraction for locals and tourists alike. The park is named after an 18th-century frontierswoman who was famously abducted by Native Americans and kept captive for nearly 11 months before escaping back home on foot.
For a leisurely afternoon on the water, guests can rent pontoons or paddling equipment like canoes and kayaks from the marina. Families often stop by the park’s playground and picnic; outdoor enthusiasts gravitate toward the park’s 10 miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails.
May Lodge was thoroughly renovated last year following a fire that occurred near the restaurant and lobby; it just reopened in June. Though the lodge’s 49 guest rooms were unaffected by the accident, the brand-new lounge area is much larger than the previous one and offers a great view of Dewey Lake.
“You can stop in for a drink after spending a day on the lake boating or fishing,” said Lawson. “It’s very nice. The work allowed us to redesign that building and make it a little more customer friendly.”
In the evening, visitors can grab a bite to eat at the Music Highway Grill and then close out the night with a musical under the stars at the Jenny Wiley Theatre, which hosts outdoor performances throughout the summer.
Beginning each September, groups can take advantage of one of Jenny Wiley’s more unusual offerings: guided elk tours. Early in the morning, participants follow a resident park interpreter on a brief hike to common wild-elk locations, providing some rare photo opportunities.
www.parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/jenny-wiley
Natural Bridge State Resort Park
Eastern Kentucky
Conveniently located just off the Mountain Parkway, Natural Bridge State Resort Park is one of the state’s most distinctive parks, characterized by a 65-foot-tall and 78-foot-long natural sandstone bridge. To reach the arch, visitors can follow a half-mile trail from Hemlock Lodge. Wooden and stone stairways lead to the top of the bridge, where hikers can relish an unparalleled view of the Daniel Boone National Forest, especially in fall when bright reds and yellows cover the treetops.
“It’s a hiker’s paradise because there are so many trails and interesting things to visit,” said Lawson.
In addition to the park’s campground and 11 cottages, Hemlock Lodge provides 35 rooms with private balconies, which overlook a descending slope of trees that leads to a 60-acre lake. Guests can follow a short boardwalk down to this area to canoe in the lake or swim in the adjacent outdoor swimming pool. During the warmer seasons, weekly square dancing takes place at an event space near the lake known as Ho-Down Island. Meeting groups often make use of the 2,500-square-foot Woodland Center.
Natural Bridge State Park offers the only sky lift in the Kentucky parks system, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. There are 19 miles of hiking trails in the park, and the neighboring Red River Gorge Geological Area offers hundreds of miles of trails through breathtaking and mountainous terrain, along with more than a dozen natural arches, though none as large as Natural Bridge.
The park’s geological features lend the area to a variety of interesting nature programs throughout the year, such as a wildflower weekend in spring and a herpetology program where naturalists teach groups about native reptiles and amphibians.
www.parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/natural-bridge
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
Southern Kentucky
Cumberland Falls State Park is not only home to the largest waterfall in the state; it is also the only place in the Western Hemisphere where a regular moonbow appears. Weather permitting, the phenomenon occurs during the full moon each month when moonlight reflects through the mist of the falls to create a faint arch of light above the water. Groups can find updates about the best viewing dates and times on the park website.
Visitors will hear the low rumble of water as soon as they park near the gift shop and visitors center by the river. Within a minute’s walk, they can lean against the railing by one of the viewing decks and feel mist gushing from the 125-foot-wide natural treasure sometimes called the Niagara of the South.
Less than a mile away down Cumberland Falls Road, DuPont Lodge is a beautiful, rustic building overlooking the Cumberland River and characterized by sturdy hemlock beams and stone fireplaces. Lodging options include 51 guest rooms, 25 cottages and a 50-site campground. The Riverview Restaurant seats up to 200 guests and features delectable menu items like bourbon-glazed salmon, barbecue pork chop sandwiches and sweet hush puppies.
Among the park’s 17 miles of hiking trails, Moonbow Trail intersects with several notable backpacking trails in the Daniel Boone National Forest, and Eagle Falls Trail provides an excellent view of the falls from the opposite bank of the river. A few other popular park activities are rafting, horseback riding, tennis, shuffleboard and fishing.
One of the area’s hidden gems is an old fire-lookout tower called the Pinnacle Knob Tower that is situated on the edge of the park. Guided tours are offered throughout the year; seasonal campout events, during which groups can spend the night in the tower under full view of the night sky, are also offered.
