FRANKFORT, Ky. – Several Kentucky State Parks will be participating in “Second Sunday” on Oct. 12, an event aimed at offering physical activities to Kentuckians.
“Kentucky is known for its high obesity rates and other health problems,” said Parks Commissioner Gerry van der Meer. “This statewide event shows that we are aggressively fighting back against those negatives that have held our state back in quality of life issues and workforce development.”
Kentucky is consistently ranked among the top 10 states for obesity and obesity-related diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. According to Janet Kurzynske, chair of the Nutrition and Food Science Department in the University of Kentucky School of Human Environmental Sciences, two thirds of Kentuckians are overweight or obese.
UK College of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, the event organizer, plans to make 2nd Sunday an annual event. For more information about 2nd Sunday, visit www.2ndsundayky.com.
Kentucky State Parks have more than 250 miles of hiking trails with various levels of difficulty. Visit www.parks.ky.gov for more details. Here is a list of the state parks with activities planned for Oct. 12:
Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Lucas
Barren River will be leading an interpretive hike along the 1 mile Connell Nature Trail on Oct. 12. This hike will take approximately 1.5 hours and goes through a heavily wooded area of the park. Participants will see a wide variety of trees and possibly some of the wildlife in the area, which could include our triplet and twin white tail deer fawns. Participants should wear comfortable clothes, hiking boots or tennis shoes (no flip flops). Bring along drinking water and apply sunscreen. Hikers should meet in front of the lodge at 1 p.m. CST. Terrain is easy to moderate.
Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park, Mount Olivet
Blue Licks is encouraging residents in the surrounding communities to come to the park to walk, run, blade, bike, or push a stroller -- just get moving! As part of the “Second Sunday” effort, this one day is meant to send a message for Kentuckians to change their health (physically, environmentally, and economically). Blue Licks is going to close a major portion of the park to vehicle traffic on Oct. 12 from 2 to 6 p.m. Children and adults can enjoy walking the park roads or even riding bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, etc. on the pavement without worrying about vehicle traffic. Blue Licks has miles of easy to moderate walking and hiking trails open all year long.
Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, Buckhorn
Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park’s first “Back to Nature Walk” will occur on Oct. 12. This event will kickoff in front of the lodge at 2 p.m. with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Then we’ll take a 2-mile walk around the park. Most of the walk will be on blacktop, with a small portion on gravel. Hikers should be able to see a spectacular view of the fall foliage. In addition, local health departments and clinics will provide services and tips. It is all free and open to the public.
Columbus-Belmont State Park, Columbus
The second Sunday in October is the weekend of the Civil War Days event at Columbus-Belmont State Park. The festivities will include a “ghost walk” on Friday night, Oct. 10, that goes through park trails, which are earthworks built by the Confederates during the Civil War. Come and enjoy the weekend and walk our historic trails. Hikers might want to stop by the gift shop for a walking stick made from vintage Kentucky tobacco sticks.
Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, Burkesville
Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park will be offering a guided hike to Eagle’s Point on Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. This is a moderate 1.6 mile hike out to a beautiful overlook of the lake. Learn about park and lake history, native wildlife, and see the fall foliage of colors along the journey.
Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, Greenup
Get out and enjoy the multi-use trails of Greenbo Lake State Resort Park. There is hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding for the beginner to the expert. Enjoy the back country of one of Kentucky's Parks. There will be a Fern Valley Hike for those who want to be a part of Second Sunday on Oct. 12. Meet at the trail head at the Jesse Stuart Parking Lot at 2 p.m. The walk will be easy going and last about an hour.
Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Gilbertsville
Kentucky Dam Village invites you to come by our park and walk along the shoreline below our lodge and across the foot bridges to our paddle boat area. While enjoying strolling through our park on Sunday, Oct. 12, stop by the Arts & Crafts show and enjoy the craft demonstrations, food, and music.
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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 53 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. Each year, Kentucky parks draw 7 million visitors and contribute $317 million to the economy. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov