Barren River Lake State Resort Park – You’re Going to Love Everything About This Kentucky State Park
Michael (aka husband) and I went to Barren River Lake State Resort Park Saturday. It was the first time either one of us had visited this gorgeous state park, but it certainly won’t be the last. As a matter of fact, he and some of his friends are going this Thursday to take their chances with Barren’s 18 hole golf course.
Barren River Lake State Resort Park was a pretty short drive from Owensboro. It’s located in Kentucky’s world-famous cave area
We ate dinner in the Driftwood Restaurant inside the Louie B. Nunn Lodge. The beautiful lodge overlooks the even more beautiful 10,000-acre Barren River Lake. Our server (Taylor) was exceptional. You know how great it is when you have a server who never lets your sweet tea (or whatever your favorite drink may be) run out? Well, this young lady never even let our glasses get half empty. She was on her toes and was also very warm and friendly. Come to think of it, so was the adorable young lady who showed us to our table. Her smile lit up the room.
And the food? Holy cats, I’m not sure where to begin. Driftwood Restaurant serves three meals a day (click HERE for their breakfast menu and HERE for the lunch/dinner menu). The majority of the diners when we were there were eating off of the impressive looking buffet, but the husband and I ate off the menu. You know me, I had to try out their catfish. I also had pinto beans, onion rings, and hush puppies. Michael, uncharacteristically, ordered a meatless meal with fried potatoes, coleslaw, pinto beans, and cornbread. We also had fried green tomatoes and a spicy dip as an appetizer.
For dessert, he vetoed my choice (Chocolate Fudge Pie – what can I say, 
chocolate’s an obsession) and said that he’d really like to try the chess pie, so we shared a slice of chess. At least it was drizzled with chocolate.
The pinto beans, the catfish, and his fried potatoes were, in my opinion, the stars of the show. The beans were extremely flavorful and seasoned just right. The catfish was fantastic and the fried potatoes were scrumptious. They were thinner than most fried potatoes and there was just something extra delicious about them. Whatever oil they’re fried in was ideal for potatoes. If I had to guess, I’d guess it was peanut oil – but I really can’t say for certain.
Have you ever heard the country song, “She’s Got Whatever IT is?” These potatoes most definitely had whatever IT is, and I’d climb the tallest tree in town right now, at 9:30 at night no less, if I were promised a bowl of them when I came back down.
Barren River Lake State Resort Park has 22 very handsome cottages with remarkable views. Each cottage has two baths and two bedrooms. Tableware, cooking utensils, and linens are provided, with fresh linen available daily. The cottages are available year round and I can’t think of a single season when the view wouldn’t take your breath away – as quickly as Driftwood Restaurant’s food will take your willpower away. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for activity, so you can burn the calories you’ll greatly enjoy consuming.
This State Resort Park offers:
- Camping
- Cottages
- Meeting Rooms
- Louie B. Nudd Lodge with 56 rooms
- High Speed Wireless Internet Service in the Lodge
- Boating
- Fishing
- Golf (18 holes)
- Nature Trails
- Horse Trails
- Horse Stables
- Swimming
- Playgrounds
- Beach Area
- Picnic Shelters
- Driftwood Restaurant (!!!)
From the Brochure:
Barren River Lake State Resort Park is a water-lover’s paradise, surrounded 
by forested, folling hills. The resort is located near Kentucky’s famous cave area, which includes Mammoth Cave National Park, the longest cave system in the world!
Interesting Places to Visit:
- Mammoth Cave National Park, with the longest recorded cave system in the world, is located 27 miles northwest of Barren River.
- Old Mulkey Meeting House State History Site, the oldest log meeting home in Kentucky, is located in Tompkinsville, 44 miles southeast of Barren River.
- Dale Hollow State Resort Park, which offers a conference center, is 70 miles southeast of Barren River.
Getting There: The resort is located 44 miles southeast of Bowling Green. Take I-65 to the Louie B. Nunn Parkway east, to US 31E south.
Barren River Lake State Resort Park
1149 State Park Road
Lucas, Kentucky 42156
Phone: 270.646.2151
Lodge Reservations: 1.800.325.0057
The images in this post are clickable and will lead you to larger images. Photo Credit goes to Michael, the King of Chess Pies… but we’re getting Chocolate Fudge next time.
Be sure to check out our Barren River Lake State Resort Park Video. I was thrilled that Michael caught an adorable little squirrel with his camera. While we were sitting on a balcony oohing and ahhing over the scenery, the little guy hopped right up on a heating (cooling?) unit and entertained us.
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