1. Kentucky Vacations in our own Backyard Kentucky State Parks include more than 50,000 acres and provide a wealth of both natural beauty and historic preservation. Kentucky State Parks maintain more resort parks than any other state park system. Kentucky parks receive more than 7 million visitors each year. Shouldn’t you be one too?

2. Goal: Participants in this program will develop an appreciation of the rich cultural, historic and heritage resources found in Kentucky and in their local communities.

3. OBJECTIVES 1. To become aware of the history and significance of Kentucky State Resort Parks, historic sites and recreation parks; 2.To learn more about the history of Kentucky, from prehistoric times to the modern era; 3.To become interested in historic locations in the local community; 4. To encourage parents and grandparents to spend time with children and grandchildren, for economical vacations close to home at nearby State Parks and other historic sites;

4. OBJECTIVES 5.To bring families together for economical vacations close to home. 6. To provide experiences for appreciation of the beauty of Kentucky and preservation of the cultural and historic heritage through study and visits to the Kentucky State Parks, local historic sites, the Kentucky History Center and other locations.

5. ACTIVITIES 1. Visit Kentucky state parks, including state resort parks, recreational parks and historic sites. Visit the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort. Visit other Kentucky historic locations throughout Kentucky, which are not part of the State Park system. Have members report back to club on the locations they have visited. 2.Invite a speaker to share information about a local historic site. 3. Learn about local historic locations. Learn the age of the building or home. If it is a home, research who lived there and what kind of life they had there. If it is a business, learn what kind of businesses the building housed previously.

6. Activities 4. Visit the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort; 5.Some individuals and community organizations contribute to nearby parks and other locations by decorating state park lodges or other sites for the holidays, planting and maintaining flower gardens or helping highlight and beautify local parks anytime of the year. Consider offering assistance to locate facilities; 6. Consider holding county programs, workshops and classes open to the public, at the park lodges and/or camp grounds. Encourage participation from park visitors.

7. What are State Parks? State Parks are protected areas managed by the states. They are usually established to preserve a location because of its natural beauty, historic interest or recreation potential. When were State Parks established? Establishment of State Parks followed the development of national parks in the United states. Prior to this great areas of land with natural beauty and historic significance had only been set aside for the wealthy, such as kings and noblemen. Many state parks were developed in the 1930s when the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration assisted in the building of structures and facilities. What led to the development of State Parks in Kentucky? In 1924 the Kentucky Legislature created the Kentucky State Park Commission. The commission was instructed to examine all available park sites and to make recommendations how those sites might be secured. No state money was used to acquire the locations — all were acquired by gift or donations of money for purchase. History of Parks in United States and Kentucky

8. Kentucky State Parks by Date of Establishment 1924 Pine Mountain Jefferson Davis Monument 1926 Natural Bridge 1927 Old Fort Harrod Blue Licks Battlefield 1931 Dr. Thomas Walker General Butler Butler-Turpin Cumberland Falls Old Mulkey Meeting House Levi Jackson 1934Columbus-Belmont John James Audubon 1936My Old Kentucky Home Perryville Battlefield Lincoln Homestead 1937 Constitution Square 1938William Whitley House 1946Carter Caves 1948Kenlake 1949Kentucky Dam Village 1951Lake Cumberland 1954Jenny Wiley Pennyrile Forest Breaks Interstate 1958General Burnside Kincaid Lake 1960 Big Bone Lick 1961Buckhorn Lake Kingdom Come Rough River 1962Lake Malone 1963Fort Boonesborough 1964Lake Barkley 1965Barren River Lake 1968White Hall 1969Green River Greenbo Lake 1970Grayson Lake E.P. Tom Sawyer 1971Waveland 1978Dale Hollow 1983Taylorsville Lake 1986Paintsville Lake 1991Mineral Mound 1992Yatesville Lake Boone Station 1997Carr Creek 2001 Nolin Lake 2003Fishtrap Lake 2004Wickliffe Mounds

9. Types of State Parks in Kentucky  RESORT PARKS – Kentucky offers more state resort parks than any other state. This wealth of resort parks, each featuring a full-service lodge and dining room, has given rise to our reputation as "the nation's finest state park system."  RECREATION PARKS – T he Kentucky State Parks operate recreation parks that offer a variety of activities for visitors, whether you have a few hours, a day or a week to spend. You can visit these parks and enjoy camping, fishing, golf, boating, hiking, picnicking, tennis, mini-golf, horseback riding, historic sites and much, much more.  HISTORIC SITES – Kentucky’s state historic sites is where the unique and colorful history and heritage of the Commonwealth comes alive. You can also visit many of the State Resort Parks and the State "Recreation" Parks, many of which have their own history to tell.  Interstate Park – A state park that covers one or more states.

10. RESORT PARKS  Blue Licks *  General Butler *  Rough River  Barren River Lake  Dale Hollow Lake  Lake Cumberland  Buckhorn Lake  Carter Caves  Cumberland Falls  Greenbo Lake  Jenny Wiley  Natural Bridge  Pine Mountain  Kenlake  Kentucky Dam Village  Lake Barkley  Pennyrile Forest Kentucky offers seventeen state resort parks, more than any other state. This wealth of resort parks, each featuring a full-service lodge and dining room, has given rise to our reputation as "the nation's finest state park system." * Parks with Historic Significance

11. Blue Licks General Butler Rough River Barren River Dale Hollow Lake Cumberland State Resort Parks

12. Buckhorn Lake Carter Caves Cumberland Falls Greenbow Lake Jenny Wiley Natural Bridge

13. State Resort Parks Pine Mountain Kenlake Kentucky Dam Village Lake Barkley Pennyrile Forest

14. HISTORIC SITES  Boone Station  Constitution Square  Perryville Battlefield  Waveland  White Hall  William Whitney House  Old Mulkey Meeting House  Dr. Thomas Walker Home  Jefferson Davis  Wickliffe Mounds Kentucky offers eleven state historic sites, where the unique and colorful history and heritage of the Commonwealth comes alive. You can also visit the many State Resort Parks and the State "Recreation" Parks, many of which have their own history to tell.

15. State Historic Sites WavelandBoone Station Old Mulkey Meeting House Perryville Battlefield White Hall William Whitney House Dr. Thomas Walker Home William Whitney House

16. Jefferson Davis MemorialWickliffe Mounds State Historic Sites

17. RECREATION PARKS  Big Bone Lick *  E.P. Tom Sawyer  Fort Boonesborough *  Kincaid Lake  Lincoln Home Stead *  My Old Kentucky Home *  Nolin Lake  Old Fort Harrod *  Taylorsville Lake  General Burnside  Green River Lake  Carr Creek  Fishtrap Lake  Grayson Lake  Kingdom Come  Levi Jackson Wilderness Road *  Paintsville Lake  Yatesville Lake  Columbus-Belmont *  John James Audubon*  Lake Malone  Mineral Mound The Kentucky State Parks operate 22 recreation parks that offer a variety of activities for visitors, whether you have a few hours, a day or a week to spend with us. You can visit these parks and enjoy camping, fishing, golf, boating, hiking, picnicking, tennis, mini-golf, horseback riding, historic sites and much, much more. * Parks with Historic Significance

18. Big Bone Lick Columbus - Belmont John James Audubon State Recreation Parks Fort Boonesborough

19. My Old Kentucky Home Kingdom Come Lincoln Homestead State Recreation Parks

20. Levi Jackson Wilderness Road Old Fort Harrod Other State Recreation Parks with primarily camping, fishing, swimming and other recreation activities are: EP Tom Sawyer Mineral Mound Kincaid Lake Yatesville Lake Nolin Lake Paintsville Lake Taylorsville Lake Grayson Lake General Burnside Fishtrap Lake Green River Lake Carr Creek

21. A Look at the Historic, Cultural and Heritage Significance of Kentucky Parks  History of Prehistoric Kentucky  History of the Founding of Kentucky  History of the Civil War in Kentucky  History related to the Modern Era in Kentucky

22. Constitution Square State Historic Site Constitution Square was the site of a series of important events in Kentucky’s history: the 10 constitutional conventions that led to Kentucky’s statehood. Frontier statesmen who lived in what was then the Kentucky County of Virginia struggled more than eight years for independence. Finally, on June 1, 1792, Kentucky became the 15th state in the Union and Isaac Shelby, a Revolutionary War hero and convention delegate, was named the first governor of the new Commonwealth. (This park is due to leave the Kentucky Park System in 2012.)

23. Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site Wickliffe Mounds is the archaeological site of a prehistoric Native American village of the Mississippian mound builders. Located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, the village was occupied from about AD 1100 to 1350. The Mississippians built a complex settlement with permanent houses and earthen mounds situated around a central plaza. Today, the museum exhibits the excavated features of the mounds, outstanding displays of Mississippian pottery, stone tools, bone and shell implements, the architecture of Mississippian mounds and houses, burial practices of the Mississippians and a bird’s eye view of the bluff atop the ceremonial mound.

24. Columbus-Belmont State Park The site was considered a critical strategic location for control of the Mississippi River during the Civil War, and the struggle to control the river led to the Battle of Belmont on November 7, 1861. Today, you can still see the massive chain and anchor used by the South to block passage of Union gunboats and the earthen trenches dug to protect over 19,000 Confederate troops. The farmhouse that served as a Civil War hospital is now a museum.

25. Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park Kentucky Dam Village Resort Park is one of the most popular resorts in Kentucky. With the largest marina in the park system, on the largest lake in the state, Kentucky Lake, Kentucky Dam Village is the perfect haven for water sports enthusiasts! A feature attraction of this area is Land Between the Lakes, a 40- mile long nature conservation area bordered by Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.

26. Adapted for use by Kentucky Extension Homemakers from the Kentucky State Parks. Photographs used with permission. Connee Wheeler, MS Extension Associate March 2012 Copyright © 2012 for materials developed by University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. This publication may be reproduced in portions or its entirety for educational or nonprofit purposes only. Permitted users shall give credit to the author(s) and include this copyright notice. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people Regardless of race, color, age, sex religion, disability, or national origin. Questions?