Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park

Kentucky’s Wonderful State Parks: Four Honored in Kentucky Living 2023 Best in Kentucky

October 30, 2023 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park Lodge

While we haven’t, recently, visited as many Kentucky State Parks as we used to, we still have a great, great deal of love for them as well as a great sense of pride that our much loved home state has such phenomenal parks.

If you’re a regular reader of Genuine Kentucky (we very much appreciate you!), you know that we used to blog about the Kentucky State Parks regularly. The past few years, what with the pandemic and the fact that I have to follow a very strict diet for my health (dairy free, gluten free, and red meat free.. I eat a lot of catfish and potatoes, y’all), we haven’t been able to enjoy the Kentucky State Resort Parks and their amazing restaurants like we used to.

If only they offered grilled catfish and dairy and egg-free sides! I’d love to dine in their beautiful restaurants again.

We do visit Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Kenlake State Resort Park, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Lake Barkley, John James Audubon State Park, and Pennyrile State Park regularly. They’re scenic, beautiful, and always so relaxing and peaceful to visit.

We absolutely love them!

Rough River Dam State Resort Park: Gorgeous Lake for Boating!

Four of Kentucky State Parks were recognized as part of this year’s Kentucky Living 2023 Best in Kentucky awards. I always love reading these and greatly appreciate the spotlight they shine on these beautiful parks.

“We are blessed to have so many incredible state parks across Kentucky for our families and visitors to enjoy, and I am thrilled to see four recognized by Kentucky Living Magazine. These four parks offer outdoor adventure, history and more – but most importantly, they offer a fun escape for families to create memories. As a dad who takes my own kids to our Kentucky State Parks, I recognize just how special these places are and I am glad to see others do too.” ~ Gov. Andy Beshear

Green River Lake State Park in Campbellsville claimed a first place showing in the category of the best camping or RV spot in this year’s Best of Kentucky awards.

In addition to winning first place, Green River Lake State Park also received second place rankings for best public hunting/fishing and water tourism spots! It’s a gorgeous state park and well worth the drive from anywhere to visit!

The Beautiful and Historic Lodge at Kenlake State Resort Park

My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown also received the second-place award for best historic attraction. This is one of my personal favorite parks – I absolutely love visiting it any chance we get.

Two Kentucky State Parks claimed a third place showing in the categories for best road trip and water tourism spot:

Cumberland Falls at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, Corbin Third Place, Best Road Trip
Rough River Dam State Park, Falls of Rough Third Place, Best Water Tourism Spot

While I can’t argue with the inclusion of these wonderful parks, I do have to say I’m surprised that Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park and Kenlake State Resort Park aren’t on the list. Both sit on one of Kentucky’s crown jewels, the extraordinary Kentucky Lake.

I hope you’ll visit as many of the Kentucky State Parks as possible soon – they’re as lovely and beautiful in the fall and winter as they are other times of the year. In fact, there are extra qualities that come out during the colder months…

They’re even more cozy… imagine escaping to a beautiful Kentucky State Resort Park lodge with dinner followed by sitting by the fire.
They’re less crowded in the colder months. I love people as much as anyone, but sometimes the key to “getting away” is as few humans as possible!
The coffee in the Kentucky State Resort Parks is always outstanding.
Photo opportunities! You can light social media up but good with pictures you can take at any and all of our Kentucky State Parks.
They’re especially festive during the holidays! I always love seeing the Christmas and Thanksgiving decorations – the parks really get into the spirit and make it extra fun for kids of all ages.
Very often, the lodge, itself, is the most spectacular draw of all! Take for example the stunning lodge at Lake Barkley’s State Resort Park. It has to be seen to be believed.

Lake Barkley State Resort Park Lodge: An Absolute Work of ART

Kentucky is home to 44 state parks, including 17 resort parks and 13 golf courses. For more information about Kentucky State Parks, visit parks.ky.gov.

Bamboo Kentucky-Shaped Cutting Board (Amazon Affiliate link)

Groundbreaking for Recreational Trail at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park

January 19, 2017 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park Lodge

I love Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park – I always have. Even the beautiful lodge, alone, fascinates me. See the picture at the top and the one below? Unless you’ve spent time at the Park, you probably wouldn’t guess that these are pictures of the same Lodge. The fascinating entry to the lodge (below) with its beautiful columns is beautiful in its own right, but the back view really takes your breath away – the way it sits up on the hill overlooking Kentucky Lake? Stunning.

What can I say, I just love photographing and spending time at this Park.

In fact, I actually wrote something once titled Why Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park Fascinates Me. Simply put, it’s a wonderfully relaxing place to spend a beautiful afternoon.

Below is some exciting news from the Kentucky Sate Parks and it concerns KDV, one of the state’s most popular parks.

A groundbreaking for a new recreational trail at beautiful Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 1 p.m.

The 8.5-mile trail will be open to hikers, runners, mountain bikers and wildlife enthusiasts. The groundbreaking will take place at the park’s horse stables, where the trail starts and ends.

The work has been carried out by volunteers and is expected to be completed in the spring. Natural obstacles will await mountain bikers along with easier routes designed for novice riders and those on foot.

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park has a lodge, cottages, campground, restaurant, 18-hole golf course, marina, gift shop and many other recreational opportunities. The resort is 21 miles southeast of Paducah. Take Interstate 24 to Exit 27. For information, call 270-362-4271 or visit www.parks.ky.gov.

Friends of Pollinators Weekend at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park

August 11, 2016 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

One of Kentucky’s most popular State Parks is Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park. Located right on Kentucky Lake, the setting couldn’t be more beautiful. The lodge, itself, is a historically beautiful sight. Anytime you have a chance to visit this park is one you should take advantage of. I could, literally, spend an entire day there – visiting the guest shop, walking along by the lake, enjoying a cup of coffee in the restaurant, sitting and reading an Agatha Christie book on the back patio… It’s just a beautiful place to spend some time.

If you love bees, gardens, and butterflies, Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park has something that’ll be of interest to you. The Park will host the Friends of Pollinators Weekend Aug. 19-21.

The weekend, co-sponsored by the Garden Club of Kentucky, features workshops on container gardens, native trees and shrubs, bees, rain gardens, photographing pollinators and creating a monarch waystation. The workshops begin Friday evening and run through Sunday morning.

For more details about the workshops, visit: http://parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/ky-dam-village/

The cost is $30 per person. Lodging packages are also available. Call 1-800-325-0146 to register.

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park features a lodge, cottages, campground, golf course, marina, convention center and full-service restaurant.

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park Pictures

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park’s Golf Course

Picture of the Day: Cannas at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park’s Golf Course

Kentucky News: New Boat Ramp Open at Kentucky Dam Village

March 3, 2016 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Kentucky Department of Parks News Release:

The boat ramp at Kentucky Dam Marina on Kentucky Lake has reopened to boat launching following a reconstruction project.

The ramp, located within Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park in Marshall County, closed Nov. 30, 2015. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ Engineering Division, working on behalf of the state’s Department of Parks, replaced the old ramp with a new five-lane ramp featuring 14-foot wide lanes.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife maintains a database of fishing and boating access sites on its website at fw.ky.gov. On the department’s homepage, click the “Fish” tab and choose “Where to Fish” from the dropdown menu.

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park has a lodge, cottages, campground, restaurant, 18-hole golf course, marina, gift shop and many other recreational opportunities. The resort is 21 miles southeast of Paducah. Take Interstate 24 to Exit 27. For information, call 270-362-4271 or visit the park webpage.

Beautiful Evening at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park’s Lodge

June 4, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Beautiful Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park: The View from the Back is Breathtaking.

Michael and I were in the Land Between the Lakes area Saturday. We did something we always do when in the area, stop by Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park.Ã?Â Sometimes we stop for lunch or breakfast and other times we stop to check out the scenery.Ã?Â Ã?Â Since we had eaten supper already, we made one of our favorite evening stops at the lodge…. we stopped by for pie and coffee!!!

The State Parks, somehow, manage to have some of the best coffee in the world. Take it from me, I know my coffee. I single-handedly keep not 1, not 2, but 3 Starbucks in business here in Owensboro.Ã?Â I can, at any given time, tell you which restaurants have the best coffee (Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, State Park restaurants, Waffle House) and which ones have coffee that’s not so fantastic (why oh why does McDonald’s coffee smell so much better than it actually tastes?)

The coffee served in Kentucky’s State Parks is, unless I miss my guess, John Conti coffee and you can taste the quality in every sip. On this particular trip, I told our server that we’d just be having dessert and coffee. She achieved instant hero status when she brewed us a fresh pot then set the kettle on the table with us.Ã?Â I guess she knew of my reputation.Ã?Â At any rate, I loved her at that moment.

I ordered a little slice of Heaven they call Chocolate Fudge Pie. Man oh man, this pie is the most chocolate-y thing you’ve ever tasted. It’s the sort of dessert that you feel compelled to say “Mmmmm…” after every bite.Ã?Â As you can imagine, with my Kentucky Restaurant Reviews, I visit A LOT of restaurants. Allow me to tell you, as an expert, there is no better dessert in the entire state than the Chocolate Fudge Pie served at our Kentucky State Parks.Ã?Â The pie is warm and delicious and it causes the wonderful vanilla ice cream to melt ever so slightly when it comes into contact with it.Ã?Â Ã?Â Mmmmmmm! My mouth is watering just from the memory. When I post the picture in a second, I”m not sure what’s going to happen. I might just pass out.

Michael had gone out to the car for his wallet while I got us a table and ordered, so I ordered him one of his favorite desserts of all time: Chess pie.Ã?Â The chess pie served at our State Parks is better than most chess pie. It’s uncommonly delicious.Ã?Â The secret may just be the ridiculously perfect crust.Ã?Â As he ate his piece of pie, I think he mentioned the crust 3 or 4 different times.Ã?Â Then again, it was hard to hear over all of my Mmmmmmmms

Before going inside for pie and coffee, we sat on the patio behind the lodge and just soaked up the beautiful view.Ã?Â I love the gorgeous view of Kentucky Lake and never get tired of watching (or photographing) boats, sailboats, birds, and trees.Ã?Â It’s just a beautiful and relaxing little escape from the hustle and bustle of life… especially when you top it off with pie and coffee!

The people at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park do an uncommonly wonderful job keeping the grounds and lodge looking spotless and beautiful. Everything is always 100 percent perfect inside and out. I love the friendliness of the people, too. As I told my husband, the hostess at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park’s Harbor Lights restaurant is one of the warmest, friendliest hostesses at any restaurant we’ve visited.

I also noticed as I walked through the lobby a few times how extra friendly the ladies behind the desk were with visitors. It always does my heart proud to hear upbeat, happy, and oh so charming voices with their distinctive Kentucky accent – proving why the phrase “southern hospitality” ever came into existence in the first place.

Browse through the pictures of Kentucky Lake, Kentucky Dam Marina, and Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park below. Better yet, take a trip and experience it for yourself! Then YOU can be the one posting pictures on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter bragging about where YOU are.

All of the pictures were taken within walking distance from the lodge.Ã?Â Look at how beautiful everything is. I’m in love with the patio area. And the lake… and the chocolate fudge pie… and the lady who brewed me a fresh pot and sat it on my table…