Department of Parks
Adventure Tourism Conference and Expo Planned For Prestonsburg June 7-8

PRESTONSBURG, Ky. – Two state agencies will be participating in the Big Sandy Adventure Tourism Conference & Expo June 7-8 in Prestonsburg.

The Kentucky Department of Parks and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources will be hosting events or providing information related to adventure tourism opportunities during the conference at the Mountain Arts Center.

The conference, sponsored by the Big Sandy Area Development District, also includes several events in the region on Saturday, June 6, as part of National Trails Day, National Fishing and Boating Week and Free Fishing Weekend.

Jenny Wiley State Resort Park will host a hike June 6 at 9 a.m. along the 4.5 mile Jenny Wiley Trail. The park is also conducting pontoon boat trips and an overnight canoe trip on June 6. (There is a fee for the pontoon and canoe trips. Call 1-800-325-0142 for details and reservations.)

Other free events planned for June 6 include mountain biking, horseback riding, ATV rides and bike tours. For more information, call Denise Thomas or Terry Trimble with the Big Sandy Area Development District at 606-886-2374.

The expo at the Mountain Arts Center starts Sunday, June 7, with sessions on outdoor activities such as archery, bird watching, wildlife photography, bicycle maintenance, and dutch-oven cooking. One of the sessions on reptiles and amphibians will be presented by Natural Bridge State Resort Park Manager Ron Vanover and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park Naturalist Trinity Shepherd.

There will also be vendor booths inside and outside the arts center. The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is assisting with a fishing pond that will be set up at the arts center on Sunday for children. The department is transporting 200 bass.

The sessions and displays on Sunday are free and open to the public.

The conference continues on June 8 with sessions on adventure tourism. First Lady Jane Beshear is scheduled to be the keynote luncheon speaker. Registration is required for these presentations. For more information on the expo and conference, visit www.bigsandy.org or call 606-886-2374.

For more information about Kentucky State Parks, visit www.parks.ky.gov. For information about fishing and hunting, as well as boating safety, visit the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources website at www.fw.ky.gov

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 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. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov