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“Mining Show” at Carter Caves State Resort Park – April 2, 2016

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Carter Caves State Resort Park Creek
Carter Caves State Resort Park is absolutely beautiful and if you’ve never been, make this the year you go. Trust me, once you do, you’ll count the days until you can go back. It’s gorgeous and fun for people of all ages.

From the Kentucky State Parks

Mining Show at Carter Caves
The Eastern Mining Collectors Association will hold its fifth annual Spring Meet and Show at Carter Caves State Resort Park on April 2. Help celebrate this special event and the rich history of coal mining in Eastern Kentucky!

Vendors from across the country and as far away as Alaska will be at the show to sell, buy and trade mining artifacts used in the mining of coal, gold, silver and copper. The artifacts include lamps, mine signs, photos, posters and other items. They will also be available to give free appraisals of mining-related items that you might have hidden in your attic, basement or barn.

Visitors will have an opportunity to talk about coal mining and understand the work that it takes for a miner now, and years ago, to produce coal used for electricity.

The show is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2. The show is free. Contact Colin Gatland at cgatland29@gmail.com for more information.

Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill. The park has a lodge with a restaurant, cottages and campground. Besides cave tours, activities include hiking, horseback riding, swimming, boating and fishing. For more information about the park, call 1-800-325-0059.

Directions: From Interstate 64, Exit 161, take U.S. 60 east. Go approximately two miles and turn left on KY 182 north. The park entrance is three miles from the left turn onto KY 182 north.

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Winter Adventure Weekend at Carter Caves State Resort Park: January 28-31, 2016

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Carter Caves State Resort Park Sign
Carter Caves State Resort Park
 

There’s nothing about this that doesn’t sound like fun!

Carter Caves State Resort Park will present a weekend of outdoor adventure with its seventh annual Winter Adventure Weekend Jan. 28-31, 2016.

Guests will be able to enjoy hiking, kayaking, recreational tree climbing, cave tours including wild cave trips, winter survival, rappelling, archaeological field trips, ice climbing a zip line and other adventures.

Guests can select from a list of trips they want to take – for beginners and advanced winter adventurers alike. All of the trips and events are led by guides.

Each trip level is based on the difficulty and skills required. The higher the level, the more skills and special equipment are needed. Guests will be responsible for appropriate dress, water, snacks and other items.

The list of the trips, along with registration information and other details for the 2016 event are available at www.winteradventureweekend.com. All participants must register online at this site. The site can be viewed now and registration starts Dec. 16.

The nonrefundable fee for adults (age 18 and older) is $40, teenagers (age 13-17) is $30, and the nonrefundable fee for children ages 6-12 is $20.  Some of the trips have additional fees.  (All participants must be at least 6 years old. Some trips have additional age requirements.)

Some new trips have been added for this year’s event, including a series of beginner wild cave trips called Caving: Do it Right.  Another favorite past Crawlathon trip, Carter City Connection, comes back to the table.   Other wild cave trips being offered include a Cascade Gone Wild Trip, a Lantern Trip, and a 5-hour trek into Tar Kiln Cave.

The weekend will start with programs and workshops on Thursday afternoon.

Evening programs and entertainment each night includes a self-defense workshop on Thursday night and campfire social along with local Bluegrass music on Friday night. On Saturday night, there will be a silent and live auction by the Friends of Carter Caves, a squeezebox competition and Kentucky’s own Heath & Molly will perform.

Participants will be able to submit photos in the Winter Photo Salon competition. Categories include winter adventure, caving and local nature-adventure photos. The images will be shown during the Saturday night program, and winners will be awarded ribbons.

 Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill. The park has a lodge with a restaurant, cottages and campground. Besides cave tours, activities include hiking, swimming, boating and fishing.

The park is off Interstate 64 at exit 161. Take U.S. 60 east. Go approximately two miles and turn left on KY 182 north. The park entrance is three miles from the left turn onto KY 182 north.

For more information, call the park at 1-800-325-0059.

Fraley Mountain Music Gatherin’ at Carter Caves State Resort Park

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Carter Caves State Park Ampitheater

Carter Caves State Park Ampitheater: Beautiful Setting!

Carter Caves State Resort Park will host the annual Fraley Mountain Music Gatherin’ for the 46th year from Sept. 9-12.  Any reason to visit this beautiful park is a good one, but a music festival is pretty darn hard to beat.

The festival that began as a family reunion honors old-time music and eastern Kentucky traditions as well as the late master fiddler J.P. Fraley. Musicians will be jamming in parking lots and sharing music around the campfires of Carter Caves State Resort Park. Musical instruments such as dulcimer, fiddle and guitar are used to tell stories about life long ago in the eastern Kentucky foothills.

On Wednesday, Sept. 9, there will be a free “Jamming in the Round” get-together in the campground starting at 8 p.m. On Thursday, Sept. 10, starting at 7 p.m., enjoy an open stage concert in the park’s amphitheater.

At 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, the amphitheater will come to life with an open stage, a banjo gathering and a dulcimer gathering.  Friday’s activities will be capped with a 7 p.m. concert in the amphitheater.

Starting Saturday morning, Sept. 12, there will be a kid’s jam session in front of the lodge.  Late morning into the afternoon the amphitheater will resound with sessions devoted to ballads, storytelling, and Carter Family songs, and conclude with a fiddle gathering and guitar gathering. Saturday night’s concert in the amphitheater begins at 7 p.m.

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Carter Caves State Park Ampitheater

Carter Caves State Park Ampitheater 

Paid admission is required for concerts and jam sessions Friday afternoon through Saturday night. Fees range from $4 to $10. A festival pass for all programs costs $25 per person. The Friends of Carter Caves will be providing refreshments during the event.

For more information, including a list of invited musicians, contact Coy Ainsley at 606-286-4411 x2543 or festival organizer Barb Kuhns at  bkuhnsfiddle@yahoo.com. Visit the festival website at www.fraleyfestival.com.

Carter Caves State Resort Park features a lodge, vacation cottages, RV campsites and primitive campsites. The lodge restaurant offers a variety of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. There’s also hiking, golf, mini-golf, fishing, horseback riding and swimming. The park is located in northeastern Kentucky, 4 miles off Interstate 64 between Grayson and Olive Hill (exit 161).

See more pictures of Carter Caves State Resort Park on Genuine Kentucky.

Cave Tours at Carter Caves this Summer

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Carter Caves State Resort Park
 

Carter Caves State Resort Park is one of Kentucky’s most beautiful parks. The entire region is just gorgeous – spring, summer, winter, and fall.

Carter Caves gives you an opportunity to literally get off of the beaten path and have extra special fun this summer! Enjoy walking (or even crawling) cave tours and make memories that’ll last a lifetime.

The park offers daily cave tours and more tour times will be added starting June 13.

The cave tours include:

Cascade Cave

Cascade Cave is one of the largest of over 200 caves in Carter County and is noted for its large chambers and numerous cave formations. Highlights of the tour include the reflecting pool in the Lake Room, the unique cave formations in the Cathedral Room and an underground waterfall over 30 feet high. The tour lasts about 75 minutes and covers a distance of about ¾ mile.

Ticket sales stop 15 minutes before Cascade Cave tours. A short drive from the welcome center is required and transportation is not provided. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 3-12. Children under 3 are free.

X-Cave

The tour begins at the welcome center. Some of the highlighted features include turkey rock, the pipe organ, and the giant column which is the largest cave formation found at the park. Be aware of your surroundings and you will discover how this cave became known as “X-Cave.” The X-Cave tour covers about ¼  mile and lasts about 45 minutes. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children ages 3-12. Children under 3 are free.

Saltpetre Cave

Saltpetre Cave is considered by many historians to be the site of the earliest industry in the area. The cave was used during the War of 1812 as a source of the major ingredient in making gunpowder and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lantern tours are also offered throughout the summer. Saltpetre Cave covers about ½ mile, and the tour last about 60 minutes.  Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children ages 3-12. Children under 3 are free.

Carter Caves also offers wild cave tours which are more challenging and offer more adventure for guests. They include:

Saltpetre Kids Crawl

The Saltpeter Kid’s Crawl is a great way to introduce your child to the
adventurous sport of caving. Your child will be crawling on hands and knees in small dark passages that will be lit by only the flashlight provided. The kids will get dirty as the passages are rocky and dusty. To participate in the tour your child must be between 6-12 years oldand wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. Guardians must sign waivers for the children. Helmets, headlamps and kneepads are provided. Tickets are $10 per child.

Bat Cave Walking Tour  

Bat Cave is the longest cave found within the park.  The Bat Cave Walking Tour is a wild cave, so the trip is considered rugged and strenuous. The cave is  undeveloped, it is not electrically lit and there are no handrails or steps. Plan to get wet and muddy on this tour. You must pass a squeeze test before you purchase your tickets. You must be at least 6 years old and an adult must accompany those under 15 years old. Guardians must sign waivers for children under 18. Helmets and flashlights are provided. Tickets are $12 per person.

Bat Cave Crawling Tour

The Bat Cave Crawling Tour is considered the most strenuous and most adventurous tour offered at Carter Caves. You will be crawling and walking through muddy and wet passages. You must be at least 12 years old and an adult must accompany those under 15. Guardians must sign waivers for children under 18. Coveralls, helmets, headlamps and knee pads are provided. Tickets are $30 per person.

A crawling tour of Saltpetre Cave

A crawling tour of Saltpetre Cave!

Saltpetre Crawling Tour

You will be crawling on your hands and knees and even doing some belly crawls during this tour. The cave is cold, rocky and dusty. This is considered a strenuous and rugged caving trip and may not be a good choice for some folks.  You must pass a squeeze test before you purchase your tickets. You should be wearing shorts and a T-shirt under the coveralls and closed-toed shoes with good tread. You must be at least 12 years old and an adult mustaccompany those under 15. Guardians must sign waivers for children under 18. Coveralls, helmets, headlamps and knee pads are provided. Tickets are $30 per person.

For more information about cave tours and the park, be sure to visit the Kentucky State Parks’ Carter Caves State Resort Park section.

Besides the cave tours, Carter Caves offers canoe trips, hiking, golf, swimming, gem mining for kids, mini-golf, and fishing. Carter Caves also has a lodge, cottages and restaurant. For more information, call the park at 1-800-325-0059 or 1-606-286-4411

To get to Carter Caves State Resort Park from Interstate 64 East, take Exit 161 (Olive Hill exit). Turn left off the exit onto U.S. 60 east. Go approximately 2 miles and turn left on KY 182 north. Park entrance is 3 miles from the left turn onto KY 182 north.

More Carter Caves State Resort Park on Genuine Kentucky:

Carter Caves Wildflower Pilgrimage Weekend is April 17-19

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Deer at Carter Caves State Resort Park
I associate certain things with Kentucky’s different state parks – people, sights, food, animals, etc that I identify with each beautiful park. One of the things I think of when I hear the words Carter Caves State Resort Park is the picture above. It’s actually one of my favorite photographs that I’ve ever taken. The fact that this beautiful deer showed up, so poignantly, beside the “Prevent Forest Fires” sign could be considered a major stroke of luck.

The fact that she stayed in place, posing, for several minutes (not even flinching when I dropped my camera), reminded me that God is always with me… even when I’m super clumsy.

In addition to this picture, I also think of the gorgeous scenery at Carter Caves. Absolutely stunning.

The following event has passed, but you can find up-to-the-minute Kentucky Events on our Events Page. Also, check out some of the best things to do in Kentucky… most importantly, just get out there and enjoy our beautiful state!

Beautiful Carter Caves State Resort Park will host its Wildflower Pilgrimage Weekend April 17-19, 2015.

I can only imagine the beautiful show Carter Caves (with its blooms of many shapes and colors decorating the forest floor) puts on each Spring!

From the Kentucky State Parks: Guests can experience the beauty of the area during wildflower and wildlife walks, van tours and canoe trips throughout the weekend.

Admission to field trips and workshops is $15 for adults and $10 for children (ages 6-12). Guests will sign up for programs at the park Friday night or Saturday morning. Evening programs will also be scheduled. Registration is required since space is limited.

There will be trips focusing on wildflowers, birds, ferns and tree identification, a canoe trip on Smoky Lake and more. Whether you are an experienced wildflower enthusiast, a beginner bloomer or just someone who enjoys being in the woods, this is the perfect weekend to get outside and experience the natural beauty of spring.

For a detailed agenda, click here.

An overnight package including two nights’ lodging and registration for two is $169.95 (plus tax).  The campground also will be open. Call the park at 606-286-4411 to register.

Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill, Kentucky. The park has a lodge with a restaurant, cottages and campground. Besides cave tours, activities include hiking, horseback riding, swimming, boating and fishing.

Directions: From Interstate 64, Exit 161, take U.S. 60 east. Go approximately 2 miles and turn left on KY 182 north. The park entrance is 3 miles from the left turn onto KY 182 north.

Crested Dwarf Iris at Carter Caves

A Crested Dwarf Iris at Carter Caves

(Iris Photo Courtesy of the Kentucky State Parks)

Also on Genuine Kentucky:

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