Big Bone Lick State Park and Campground

Big Bone Lick State Park, Kentucky

Big Bone Lick State Park campground is located in Union, Kentucky.  Before I go any further, I feel the need to tell you how the park got its name.  Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “Lick” as a “natural salt deposit (as a salt spring) that animals lick.”  Millions of years ago, very large animals like mastodon, mammoths and bison came to these springs to ingest the salt and minerals they needed to survive. These very heavy animals would get stuck in the soft ground around the springs and ultimately die in the swamp. Natives and early explorers discovered “Big Bones” in the area which had been amazingly preserved…ok, I think you get the picture. Make sure you buy a t-shirt from here, it is the perfect conversation starter!

Big Bone Lick State Park, Site #30

There are 62 sites with hookups, and fire-rings.  There is a pool, playground, flushing toilets, showers, mini-golf and store.  We camped here in a pop-up camper in July. The campground was full but quiet even though I think every site had children.  We stayed on site #30. Nice, wide, long site. Not a whole lot of trees for privacy but the sites were far enough apart to offer some privacy. The only problem was our water hose did not reach the spigot. The spigot was located on the opposite side of our site between our site and the one next to us. To make the connection, we would have needed an obnoxious amount of hose. So we opted to wash our dishes at the spigot instead of inside our camper.

Big Bone Lick State Park

The pool was small, clean and thoroughly enjoyed by my kids. The camp store had the basics but was expensive. A small pint of milk set me back $3. The bathrooms were not convenient to our site. It was a long walk up-hill to get to them from our site. I even drove to them once or twice. The bathrooms were painted dark brown with little natural light. There is only one bath/shower house for all 62 sites. Bathrooms needed to be cleaned more often to keep up with the volume of people camping here. This may sound like I am complaining but I am not... the bathroom was not a deal breaker and I would definitely stay here again!

There are numerous hiking trails throughout the park. We really enjoyed the hike down to the lake. There is also a short trail from the Nature Center to view the bison herd located at this park. The highlight of this trip was defiantly the museum and nature center and should not be missed.

Rabbit Hash, KY General Store

I can’t write about this campground without mentioning a small town about 10 miles from here called Rabbit Hash, KY.  It is something out of a movie! Old antique shops and a general store complete with an old man on the front porch accompanied by a dog. But not just any dog, this Border Collie’s name is Lucy Lou and she is the town’s mayor. That’s right, I said mayor! My kids had a blast playing with the dog and tossing sticks into the river for her. This was an amazing little place full of charm and character.

Lucy Lou, Town Mayor

Rabbit Hash, KY

Inside the General Store at Rabbit Hash, KY

Highlights of this trip:  quiet campground, pool, museum/nature center, and the town of Rabbit Hash.


For more information contact:  Big Bone Lick State Park, 3380 Beaver Road, Union, KY 41091 Phone: 859-384-3522; web-site: http://parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/big-bone-lick/default.aspx

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