Lake Barkley State Resort Park

Location :

Established in 1964

Lake Barkley State Resort Park is located near Cadiz in Trigg County. On December 1, 1964, the Kentucky Parks System added Lake Barkley to the list of Kentucky’s state parks. The Secretary of the Army had approved the leasing of 1,800 acres of land along the shores of Lake Barkley for a public park and recreation facility. The state purchased 1,400 acres of surrounding land for a total of 3,200 acres. Presently the park has 3,600 acres. The U.S. Corps of Engineers constructed the earth and concrete dam completing it in July 1966. The dam and reservoir are part of a comprehensive plan for flood control and the development of water resources along the Cumberland River. Lake Barkley covers 58,000 surface acres and is a part of the vast “Land Between the Lakes” development area that includes 170,000 acres located on a peninsula between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. The area has more than 1,004 miles of shoreline.

In Kentucky the reservoir covers portions of three Kentucky counties, Caldwell, Lyon, and Trigg. A canal between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake allows access to both lakes. The Tennessee Valley Authority developed several improvements in the area including a road network, beaches, picnic sites, and other facilities. The potential to make the region one of the premier visitor attractions in Kentucky seemed limitless.

In the spring of 1966 the Economic Development Administration approved the Lake Barkley State Park project and granted $3,987,500 to the Kentucky Department of Parks. This amount covered about half of the proposed amount to complete one of the most elaborate state parks in Kentucky.

Named for United States congressman, senator and vice president, Alben Barkley (1877-1956), Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake make up the largest man-made body of water in the world. Park amenities are plentiful

• Anynomous

  18 April 2019

  Just a few seats left for May 10th , 2019 .

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• Anynomous

  14 April 2019

  The Fitness Center will reopen on April 15th , 2019 at 8 a.m.

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• Anynomous

  13 April 2019

  Lake Barkley showers the fields with over 3,000 eggs in our Egg-ceptional Egg Hunt! The Easter Bunny arrives at the fitness center at 2:30 p.m. And the egg hunt starts at 3 p.m. at the fitness center. From toddlers to teenagers, bring your baskets and gather some egg-ceptional goodies. The egg hunt is sponsored by The Friends of Lake Barkley SRP, Inc. The Easter egg hunt will move indoors to the convention center if the weather does not permit us.

  Contact Nick.Edmonds@ky.gov for any questions

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• Anynomous

  09 April 2019

  Visit KY parks in 2019

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• Anynomous

  28 March 2019

  We are hosting a blood drive on March 28th 2019 from 10 am to 2pm.

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• Anynomous

  08 March 2019

  The committee met today and agreed that lake levels are too high. Afterward they enjoyed a nice meal of sushi in our flooded marina parking lot.

  Did you know that a group of vultures resting on the ground is called a committee?

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• Anynomous

  23 February 2019

  Come and check out our gift shop. We have just put out a new spring order. We even have color changing umbrellas.

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• Anynomous

  20 February 2019

  Are you, or someone you know looking for employment? We are hosting a job fair tomorrow at 1pm for our seasonal positions. Looking for experienced cooks, servers, housekeeping, landscaping and maintenance positions starting at $10.35/hr. Come join the team at Lake Barkley State Resort Park if you are an energetic and customer service driven individual, we have a spot for you!

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• Anynomous

  16 February 2019

  UPDATE!!!!

  Power has been restored at the park, excluding the Fitness Center, and we are back open.

  Due to ice accumulation several powerlines in the area are currently down. This leaves Lake Barkley State Resort Park and the surrounding area without power and closed to the public until power is restored. Please check back frequently for any updates regarding our status.

  ...

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