Department of Parks
Barren River Will Stage Geocaching, "Boot Camp" and Halloween Events for Adventurous Spirits

LUCAS, Ky. -- Barren River Lake State Resort Park has planned some stimulating activities for young and older adventurous spirits, including geocachers, young “recruits” for a simulated boot camp, as well as trick-or-treaters.

The park’s 3rd Annual Geocaching Weekend will be held Oct. 24-26, 2008. Set your GPS system to N 36 51.907 W 086 04.141 and head out to Barren River Lake.  Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

The event at Barren River is great for beginners or experienced “cachers”.  There will be a Meet and Greet on Friday evening, along with a session on “How to use your GPS” and “What is Geocaching?”  Saturday will be spent looking for event caches and caches in the area.  There will be First to Find prize claim tickets located in some of the caches.  Saturday evening will consist of a chili dinner and a “spooktacular” night cache hunt.  Cachers can continue to hunt on Sunday and will be able to vote on their favorites that will become permanent caches until next year’s event.  Please bring a GPS unit.  The park will have a few units available to those trying the activity for the first time. 

A registration form and copy of the itinerary are available at www.parks.ky.gov under Barren River’s events.  Registration fee is $20.00 per couple and includes two event t-shirts, travel bugs, chili dinner and more.  For more information, please contact Lisa Deavers at 1-800-325-0057 or at lisa.deavers@ky.gov.

On Saturday Nov. 1, Barren River will stage a unique “Youth Boot Camp.” Bring your young soldier, age 6 to 12, to this fun morning of “boot camp”.  “Drill sergeants” will have the troops in line in no time.  “Soldiers” will learn a lot of fun skills such as PT, paint ball gun, obstacle course, drill and hand signals.  The morning will wrap up with drill followed by a healthy lunch.  This camp is a fun way for “recruits” to gain more information about what soldiers go through in boot camp and an opportunity to thank them for their service.

“Recruits” should dress in comfortable clothing and athletic shoes (no flip flops or sandals). This fun boot camp is free to all participants.  You may preregister by contacting Lisa Deavers at 1-800-325-0057 or at lisa.deavers@ky.gov.  Registration on Nov. 1 will begin at 8:30 a.m. CST at the Highland Games field (signs will be posted), and the camp will begin promptly at 9 a.m.  Lunch will be served at noon following the presentation of the participation certificates.   
Registered boot camp participants who spend the night will receive a $50.00 coupon (lodge room only) for the evening of Saturday Nov. 1. 

You can make a weekend of it by bringing your young goblins to Barren River Lake on Friday night for a Halloween package for only $68.99 (tax included).  This package, for a family of 4, includes 1 night accommodations (lodge room only), trick or treat bag, hot dog roast with s’mores, youth activities offered by the recreation department and a to-go breakfast on Saturday morning.

For more information about geocaching weekend, youth boot camp and the Halloween package contact Lisa Deavers at 270-646-2151 or 800-325-0057.

Barren River Lake State Resort Park near Glasgow has a lodge, cottages, Driftwood Restaurant, golf course, fitness center, gift shop, fishing, picnic areas and hiking trails. The resort is located 44 miles southeast of Bowling Green. Take I-65 to the Cumberland Parkway east, to US 31E south.

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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 & 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.