Department of Parks
Ky. State Parks Are Always "Fee Free"

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The National Park Service recently scheduled a “fee free” weekend to entice visitors to explore federally-owned parks that are located throughout the country.  The weekend was a nice deal but remember:  most of Kentucky’s state parks – which number 52 from one end of the state to the other – are always “fee free,” welcoming visitors to enjoy unique landscape and scenery without admission charge to the park.

Some Kentucky state parks do charge fees to tour historic sites and museums. But gaining access to park grounds is in almost all cases free. 

“We pride ourselves as a state for being able to have our parks open to visitors without charge,” said Gerry van der Meer, Parks Department Commissioner.   “Come and visit once and we’re absolutely sure that you’ll come back again or visit another park in our beautiful system. We’re a perfect place for an end of the summer playcation for the whole family.”

Just when families are packing kids back to school with clothes, books and supplies, each park provides a different experience in the great outdoors.  Most offer special events and are great for end of the season weekend escapes since they are located in every area of the state.  

The 17 resort parks in the system, which feature lodges providing overnight accommodations, dining rooms and other amenities, are even more economical this fall with a special $55.00 per night room rate from Sunday through Thursday. You can obtain a coupon for this special rate at the parks department web site, www.parks.ky.gov, or the Kentucky Department of Travel web site, www.mykentuckybackyard.com.

Dwindling daylight hours and cooler weather make for a great time to plan a get-away-from-it-all escape to a park or two without travelling long distances or breaking the budget. The promotion is designed to encourage visits to state resort parks by providing an economical way to stretch your vacation dollars during one of the most beautiful times of year to travel in Kentucky.

There’s plenty of time left for hiking, swimming, boating, fishing and other summer recreational opportunities available at Kentucky’s parks. Special activities and events like star gazing programs, wildlife hikes and nature trails as well as plenty of musical presentations and photography workshops, are frequently on the weekend docket at many parks.

Besides the lodges at the state resort parks, there are numerous campgrounds around the state, all economically priced. This is a great time of year to pitch a tent and light a campfire.  Many resort parks feature rental cottages with kitchens that can comfortably accommodate the whole family. 

A listing of park locations, amenities, activities and events is available on the Kentucky State Parks Web site at www.parks.ky.gov.  Get moving and take advantage of year-round “fee free” admission while warm weather is still here.  Reservations for campsite, cottage or lodge are just a click away. 

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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.
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