Kenlake State Resort Park
Encyclopedia
Kenlake State Resort Park is a park located on the western shore of Kentucky Lake
. The park's main entrance and most of its facilities are located in Marshall County
; the park also extends into Calloway County
. The nearest town of substantial size is Murray
. The park encompasses 1795 acres (7.3 km²) of land, 160300 acres (648.7 km²) of water, and features climate-controlled indoor tennis courts. It was Kentucky's first state resort park.
Along with Lake Barkley State Resort Park
and Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
, Kenlake State Resort Park is part of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
, originally organized by the Great Depression
-era Tennessee Valley Authority
. The area that became Kenlake State Resort Park was purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority while building the Kentucky Dam
, the building of which created the man-made lake with the most beach area in the world: Kentucky Lake. Originally called Aurora Landing, when the Tennessee Valley Authority transferred control to the state of Kentucky it was renamed Kentucky Lake State Park.
Kenlake State Resort Park's 48-room hotel, the Kenlake Hotel, is the only hotel in a Kentucky State Park that has interior room doors. The property also includes 34 cottages, some of which belonged originally to the defunct Cherokee State Park
, which was nearby. A 90-site camping-ground is also available for overnight stays.
Kenlake State Resort Park contains what was originally the aforementioned Cherokee State Park, the Southern United States (including Kentucky's) first blacks only state park.
There are several activities available at the park. Fishing is a popular pastime; crappie
are the most popular fish at the park, with bluegill
, catfish
, sauger
, and various types of bass
also available. Unlike other state parks, there is only .7 miles of hiking trails at the park. It is also the premier place in Kentucky for big boat sailing.
Kentucky Lake
Kentucky Lake is a major navigable reservoir along the Tennessee River in Kentucky and Tennessee. Created in 1944 by the Tennessee Valley Authority's impounding of the Tennessee River by Kentucky Dam, the lake is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the United States east of the...
. The park's main entrance and most of its facilities are located in Marshall County
Marshall County, Kentucky
Marshall County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 30,125. The 2007 Census Bureau population estimate was 31,258. Its county seat is Benton. It was a dry county until 2004, when residents of Calvert City voted to allow sales of liquor by the drink in...
; the park also extends into Calloway County
Calloway County, Kentucky
Calloway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1823. As of 2010, the population was 37,191. Its county seat is Murray, Kentucky. The county is named for Colonel Richard Callaway, one of the founders of Boonesborough...
. The nearest town of substantial size is Murray
Murray, Kentucky
Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky...
. The park encompasses 1795 acres (7.3 km²) of land, 160300 acres (648.7 km²) of water, and features climate-controlled indoor tennis courts. It was Kentucky's first state resort park.
Along with Lake Barkley State Resort Park
Lake Barkley State Resort Park
Lake Barkley State Resort Park is a park located on the eastern shore of Lake Barkley just west of Cadiz, Kentucky in Trigg County. The park encompasses , and is one of three Kentucky parks located on Land Between the Lakes, a 170,000-acre isthmus between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.-References:...
and Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park is a park located on the northern shore of Kentucky Lake in Marshall County, Kentucky. The park encompasses , and excellent accommodations make it one of Kentucky's most popular resorts....
, Kenlake State Resort Park is part of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
The Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located in Kentucky and Tennessee between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. The area was designated a national recreation area by President John F. Kennedy in 1963...
, originally organized by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
-era Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
. The area that became Kenlake State Resort Park was purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority while building the Kentucky Dam
Kentucky Dam
Kentucky Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Tennessee River on the county line between Livingston County and Marshall County in the U.S. state of Kentucky...
, the building of which created the man-made lake with the most beach area in the world: Kentucky Lake. Originally called Aurora Landing, when the Tennessee Valley Authority transferred control to the state of Kentucky it was renamed Kentucky Lake State Park.
Kenlake State Resort Park's 48-room hotel, the Kenlake Hotel, is the only hotel in a Kentucky State Park that has interior room doors. The property also includes 34 cottages, some of which belonged originally to the defunct Cherokee State Park
Cherokee State Park (Kentucky)
Cherokee State Park was a blacks-only state park located in Marshall County, Kentucky, near Hardin, Kentucky. It was a complement to the then-whites-only Kentucky Lake State Park , which was nearby. It was built by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which went along with the concept of the "separate...
, which was nearby. A 90-site camping-ground is also available for overnight stays.
Kenlake State Resort Park contains what was originally the aforementioned Cherokee State Park, the Southern United States (including Kentucky's) first blacks only state park.
There are several activities available at the park. Fishing is a popular pastime; crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
are the most popular fish at the park, with bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, sauger
Sauger
The sauger is a freshwater perciform fish of the family Percidae which resembles its close relative the walleye. They are members of the largest vertebrate order, Perciforms. They are the most migratory percid species in North America. Saugers obtain two dorsal fins, the first is spiny and the...
, and various types of bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
also available. Unlike other state parks, there is only .7 miles of hiking trails at the park. It is also the premier place in Kentucky for big boat sailing.