This state park has so much to offer! The trails are well maintained and easily accessible, the…read morelodge is beautiful with a delicious restaurant inside, and there are even cave tours! Some caves only run seasonally, but I took two tours on a Sunday, and it felt like a good amount at a time. Tickets for tours are purchased at the Welcome Center, day of. There's a self explore cave, too, but you need two adults minimum in your party and each with a flashlight. The arches and natural bridges in this park were amazing sites, scattered along the park. I took on the challenge of hitting each arch / bridge, and it was doable in under 5 miles if you move between accesses.

I started visiting Carter Caves State Park when I was young. Fast forward to 2024. I planned a…read morevisit with my nieces and their kids when I was in town. None of my great nieces and nephews had been inside a cave. We arrived at roughly 11:15 AM. I purchased tickets at the Welcome Center for everyone to tour Saltpetre (AKA Saltpeter) Cave at 11:30 AM. It was $54 for three adults and four children. We followed our tour guide across the street, up a hill, then down the stairs and into the earth we went. This cave was used in the War of 1812 to make gunpowder. We got a history lesson from our tour guide who was so patient with the kids. This cave was the driest of all the caves at the park, so no stalactites hanging from the ceiling. But bonus was, no water on our shoes. If you want to see bats, this is not the cave. The cave used to have thousands of bats. The park conservationists are working to increase bat living in this cave. After the tour, we had to turn up our feet, one at a time, so the tour guide could spray the bottom of our shoes with soap and water. He told us this was done to prevent carrying germs/bacteria out of the cave that could harm the bat population at the park. The tour lasted roughly 45 minutes. It was worth the time and money! The kids had a blast. Only one was scared when the lights were turned off momentarily so we could experience total darkness and silence. My nephew Cooper lasted about 3 minutes, then, in his little whimpering voice, he asked if the lights could be turned back on. I can't say enough great things about our cave guide. We left the Welcome Center and headed to the public pool. The pool was free for those camping and staying in cabins. We went on a Monday, so everyone was $3. Pretty good deal! The pool was clean. Only light snacks available, icecream, chips and soda. I highly recommend you add Carter Caves to your summer fun list!

This will have been our 2nd time to Red River Gorge, except we took our fam plus some. I love…read moreviews, mountains, family, and good food! We rented out thee most cutest cabin. We took a hike one day and rested another. When we go again, the itinerary will look different, trying other places we didn't get a chance to experience.

Please go visit these wonderful parks and trails - I highly recommend a long with hiking poles…read more Happy trails!!!

Comfy and clean. Staff is great and a nice buffet for dinner. It's older but has all the amenities…read moreyou need and the rooms are huge! Best thing, a balcony... And the most peaceful sleep.

Very pretty park with lots of different activities available. There is the pioneer museum,…read moreshelters, boat ramp to the Licking River, Lodge and Restaurant. There are also several trails including the short Buffalo Trace trail. Lots of history amid a beautiful setting. We hiked a couple of trails and visited the museum. The museum covers a wide range of history of the area- from fossils to mastodon tusks to Native American artifacts and pioneer life. There is no entrance fee for the park, but there was a small Museum fee- which was definitely worth it.

Mhmhm...maybe…read more Unfortunately we found Yuko-en On The Elkhorn to be a bit underwhelming. The water in the ponds were either this unnatural blue color, or completely covered in a mossy algae film, and there were no fish of any kinds in the ponds. The pathway to walk was okay, pretty over grown. However the worst part of it all was the smell. The entire area smelled so strongly of sewage and bathroom smell, it was so unpleasant. Pretty disappointed in our lack of experience here but I'm sure with a little TLC the place could become much better.

We visited midmorning Wednesday and enjoyed an hourlong walk along the meandering pathway through…read morethe property. It would easily take more time to explore each nook and cranny of this beautiful space. We parked in the large gravel lot and stopped to check out the info board, entrance plaques, and admire the large doors in the entry gate. The path wound through the property past many interesting sculptures and trees marked with identifying tags. The largest feature is the large koi pond and has a pleasant waterfall feature at one end and large landscaped beds at the opposite side. There are also smaller ponds and water pathways (dry beds in August) with multiple bridges to allow for great views. One of the pathways wound down to a creek area and another rose up to a higher overlook point on an abandoned train trestle. This garden park was showing a bit of stress with the extended timing of late August heat for the past few weeks. Many of the hydrangeas were beyond salvaging for late blooming, which is just nature having its way. Would like to return next spring to explore further since there are multiple paths and limited time during this visit. Location is approximately an hour's drive from Louisville.

We hiked the fern valley trail. It was pretty easy. Well suited for little ones and adults. There's…read morea few spots near the lake where you might have to help smaller kids but our daughter and her friend managed well enough. Saw a lot of little toads on the trail. Lots of butterflies and squirrels. We managed to see a Heron fishing and flying. That made the trip in my opinion. We walked around the lodge. Not too much to see in there. Looks like a decent enough place to stay. Staff wasn't very friendly but I guess you can't expect much out of government employees having to work a holiday.

I've been going to Greenbo Lake since I was a kid. I've camped, boated, stayed in the lodge, ate at…read morethe restaurant, and this week, I went to the community pool for the first time. The lodge has several rooms available. Nothing fancy, but clean and affordable. The restaurant has never disappointed me. There used to be a pretty good buffet, but not sure if that is still available. It's been too long since I've camped, so I can't speak of the campgrounds. I enjoyed an afternoon at the community pool, $8, adult admission. The pool was clean and had plenty of lifeguards on duty. The water slide looked fun. There are several lockers if you want to store anything. On the road close to the pool, there are several picnic shelters you can reserve with grills, restrooms and a playground. There is also an outdoor pavilion where concerts are held. There is lots to do at Greenbo, and it is a gorgeous Kentucky State Park.

WOWWW!!!! I could have spent forever here! Who knew? This park looks very small and possibly…read moreun-inviting, however I like a good adventure. This place is ginormous! Spectacular! *NKY doesn't offer the "oh the places I can go" any season of hiking! Loveeee this place! It's def a hidden gem! Serene and peaceful - this is it! Perfect for family fun & an escape to nature! I can't wait to go back!

Pretty park. Moderate to heavy use. Multiple playgrounds and shelters. Two Frisbee golf courses…read more Pretty well maintained.

My husband and I sort of spontaneously decided to camp at Wayne National Forest this past weekend…read morebecause 1) it was going to be 90+ degrees all weekend 2) we were seeking an adventure for our 3rd anniversary From northeast Ohio, this has got to be the farthest you can go without leaving the state, yet all four hours of this drive were worth it. Due to our last minute decision to to make this trip, reservations online were unavailable. We were left with the non-reservable walk-in only sites. When we got there, I assumed the Pine Knob Loop was where we would stay since it was, according to the website, first come-first serve tent only sites. But when we got there, all the sites were already reserved and all had campers! What??? The nearby Oak Hill campground was also taken. Feeling discouraged, I tried Iron Ridge campground. Only at the very end of the campground where cars turn around, we found our spot! There were only a handful still available. The site we chose had a parking spot on the road with stairs descending into your site. Actually, it was the perfect little spot for us. We proceeded to stuff $30 in an envelope ($15/night) and into the drop box to pay. For those of you who aren't used to camping, this is how you reserve a walk-in site. Luckily we had cash when we usually do not! Once we got settled in, we went to the beach which was in the most beautiful wooded setting. The water was the perfect temperature for cooling down and even on this hot weekend, the beach never felt overpopulated. There were many families there enjoying themselves, playing with floats and cooking out. But please be aware of the long winding road to get there. You'll fall off a cliff if you don't stay on the road. Also, there was a sign saying you have to pay $3 to access the beach (you're supposed to put money in an envelope like with camping) but we didn't because we already had a hang tag permit on our car from the campsite. The next day we braved the 8 mile Lakeshore Trail. This trail takes you around the entire perimeter of Lake Vesuvius. The views are stunning and the hike isn't too strenuous (unless of course you're me and decide to hike in the blazing heat). Take several bottles of water and some food! Even with the aid of the woods shading us, it took us four hours to complete. It was so rewarding though. My husband and I usually opt for several shorter hikes as opposed to one big one, but when I read about Lake Vesuvius, this trail kept coming up as one of the popular things to do, and I gave in to curiosity. The beach is even on the trail for a cool off spot. We saw many kayakers enjoying themselves as well. Before I close this out, I want to say that this is the first time that camp nazis didn't bother us on a camping trip. The park does have county sheriffs patrolling it so don't be alarmed. The negatives, why was Pine Knob falsely advertised? Why doesn't the website say cash-only for walk-ins? Why was there a glass vial in the fire pit? I disposed of it...but still. I won't even take stars off because I had such a fantastic weekend and would return again. There are trails we haven't hiked yet and I would return to that beach in a heartbeat. PS there is a helpful ranger station just around the corner for maps and tips, as well as a couple corner stores for camping needs!

Trails were not bad. The lake was empty due to repairs on the Damn. Parking was easy. The trails…read moreare marked but not well. No map at trail head to indicate trails and highlights of the area.

Very rude, was asked to leave because of my leashed very well behaved dog. I can pay thousands in…read moreproperty taxes and the city of Richmond can give out free Narcan but I can't go for a walk with my dog. Mind you there was one car in the parking lot which was the security guards car.

So many rules. New To Richmond, I went here looking for a relaxing place to put my hammock up. I…read morewalked into the visitors center To ask questions and get info. I was told by a man that I wasn't allowed to hang a simple hammock because it kills the trees. I understand the passive perspective, but What is the point of a beautiful park if you don't want anyone to use it. I've found several better, more friendly, places that don't mind a quiet lady with a hammock and a book.