Swimming

Kentucky State Parks are a great destination for swimming! Many parks have swimming pools or sandy beaches waiting for your arrival.

Memorial Day weekend is the official start for swimming season and the opening day for most pools and beaches. Swimming areas are marked and guests are asked to read and follow the safety rules that are posted. These swimming areas are most refreshing after a hike, so save some time for a dip at the beach after you hit the trail.

Browse the list of state parks with swimming spots and find the one that’s closest (or the most interesting) and bring your family or group of friends out for a swim — the water is fine!

***Severe weather and flooding can effect access to beaches-- please call the park for conditions.***

Parks with Beaches

Pennyrile State Resort Park
Lake Barkley State Resort Park
Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
Barren River State Resort Park
Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park
Rough River Dam State Resort Park
Lake Malone State Park
Nolin State Park
Carr Creek State Park
Green River Lake State Park
Lake Malone State Park

The following parks listed below have swimming pools. Community pools that are not associated with a lodge charge admission fees. Lake Cumberland and Lake Barkley state resort parks have indoor pools that are open year round.

Indoor Pool
Outdoor Pool
Community Pool
Lakeside Beach RESET ALL FIELDS SEARCH

Barren River Lake State Resort Park Lucas, KY

Barren River Lake State Resort Park is a water-lover's paradise surrounded by forested, rolling hills. It is located near Kentucky's famous cave area, including the longest cave system in the world. Lounge by the new sandy beach, take a dip in the cool water at the pool, hop on a horse, play tennis or go boating on the lake, however you define vacation fun, it's here at Barren River Lake State Resort Park. PHONE: 270-646-2151

Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park Carlisle, KY

Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park is a picture of rural serenity set above the banks of the Licking River in the rolling hills of northeastern Kentucky. Visit the museum, sit by the pool or bring the kids to the playground. Guests can walk the very grounds where 182 settlers, outnumbered and outgunned, fought for their lives in what is thought to be Kentucky's last battle of the Revolutionary War on August 19, 1782. PHONE: 859-289-5507

Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park Buckhorn, KY

Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, nestled in the Appalachian Mountains, is the perfect combination of charm and seclusion. Every view is a front-row seat to each changing season. Relax at the public beach, complete with a bathhouse complex. Lodge swimming pool available for lodge & cottage guests. From boating to miniature golf, fishing to hiking, Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park has you covered. PHONE: 606-398-7510

Carter Caves State Resort Park Olive Hill, KY

Carter Caves State Resort Park is home to more than 20 caverns winding beneath its forested hills. Adventure awaits you, above ground and below, at Carter Caves! Swimming pool available to lodge & cottage guests. Begin creating family memories by taking a cave tour, hiking a trail, canoeing, horseback riding or gem mining at Carter Caves State Resort Park. PHONE: 606-286-4411

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park Corbin, KY

Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Known as the "Niagara of the South," the waterfall forms a 125-foot-wide curtain that plunges 7 stories into a boulder-strewn gorge. The mist of the falls creates the magic of the moonbow, only visible on a clear night during a full moon.This phenomenon appears nowhere else in the Western Hemisphere! PHONE: 606-528-4121

Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park Burkesville, KY

Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park offers a vast, unspoiled wilderness to refresh and rejuvenate the senses. It's no surprise the bald eagle chooses this area for its wintering grounds. From a dip in the pool to our 18 holes on the Dale Hollow Lake golf course, for vacation fun, we've got you covered. PHONE: 270-433-7431

General Butler State Resort Park Carrollton, KY

Located along I-71 between Louisville and Cincinnati, the park is a fitting tribute to one of Kentucky's foremost military families. Named for General William Orlando Butler, the military family spans from colonial time through the American Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War and Civil War. A stone overlook was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early 1930s so guests can enjoy the same river scenes the Butlers viewed in times past. A lodge swimming pool is available for cottage & lodge guests, campers may use the facility during 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. PHONE: 502-732-4384

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park Greenup, KY

Greenbo Lake State Resort Park is located in eastern Kentucky. Park amenities include lodge, restaurant, swimming pool, campground, equestrian campground, hiking trails, biking trials, horseback riding trails, fishing, scuba diving area and more. PHONE: 606-473-7324

Jenny Wiley State Resort Park Prestonsburg, KY

Jenny Wiley State Resort Park is great for a getaway or meeting – check out the Music Highway Grill restaurant, theater and more.

Kenlake State Resort Park Hardin, KY

Kenlake State Resort Park is only minutes away from Land Between the Lakes, the US Forest Service's 170,000-acre nature lover's paradise and environmental education area. Located on the Midwest shore of Kentucky Lake, with the longest shoreline of any man-made lake in the eastern U.S., Kenlake is the perfect spot to enjoy the outdoors! A swimming pool behind the lodge is available for lodge & cottage guests seasonally. PHONE: (270) 474-2211

Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park Gilbertsville, KY

With the largest marina in the park system, on the largest lake in the state, Kentucky Lake, Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park is the perfect haven for water sports enthusiasts! From a cool dip in the pool to a hike, from reeling in the big fish to hitting the little white ball, however you define vacation fun, it's here at Kentucky Dam Village. PHONE: (270) 362-4271

Lake Barkley State Resort Park Cadiz, KY

Lake Barkley State Resort Park rests on the shores of one of the world's largest man-made lakes, over 57,500 acres, and provides an array of outdoor and indoor activities. From a cool dip in the swimming pool to a hot sauna, from reeling in the big fish to hitting the little white ball, however you define vacation fun, it's here at Lake Barkley. PHONE: 270-924-1131

Lake Cumberland State Resort Park Jamestown, KY

With 1,200 miles of shoreline, an enchanting waterfall, and secret coves, you could spend a day or weeks exploring the wonders of Lake Cumberland. Lake Cumberland is a paradise for the water sports enthusiast and offers a full-service marina. PHONE: 270-343-3111

Natural Bridge State Resort Park Slade, KY

Natural Bridge State Resort Park invites you to experience a truly magnificent and serene natural environment. Come and explore the beauty of natural arches and rugged sandstone cliff lines. Our greatest attribute remains the same: the 'Natural Bridge'. This magnificent arch, which is 65 feet tall and 78 feet long, is one of the most famous natural sandstone arches in Kentucky. PHONE: 606-663-2214

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Dawson Springs, KY

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park is a picturesque retreat surrounded by more than 14,000 acres of the beautiful Pennyrile State Forest in western Kentucky. Named for the tiny Pennyroyal plant found in the area, the park is the perfect back-to-nature hideaway. Let the sights and sounds of the Pennyrile Forest refresh your senses while exploring your favorite outdoor activities. PHONE: 270-797-3421.

Pine Mountain State Resort Park Pineville, KY

Pine Mountain State Resort Park is a destination for all seasons. It's located in the heart of the Kentucky Ridge State Forest in the southeastern mountains and features beautiful mountain scenery. From a cool dip in the pool to a hike to see Chained Rock,however you define vacation fun,Pine Mountain State Resort Park has you covered. PHONE: (606) 337-3066

Rough River Dam State Resort Park Falls Of Rough, KY

Rough River Dam State Resort Park is secluded in the beautiful west central Kentucky countryside overlooking the 5,000 acre Rough River Lake. The avid angler will delight in the abundance of largemouth, white and KY bass, bluegill, channel catfish, crappie and rough fish. Come enjoy a day on the lake or travel the back roads in search of rural artisans and antiques at Rough River Dam State Resort Park. PHONE: 270-257-2311

Big Bone Lick State Historic Site Union, KY

Big Bone Lick State Historic Site has been named by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Natural Landmark. The park is significant for its combination of salt springs and late Pleistocene bone beds. The site is recognized as the birthplace of American vertebrate paleontology for its significant role in the development of scientific thought regarding extinction and the relationship of geology & paleontology. PHONE: 859-384-3522

Carr Creek State Park Sassafras, KY

Enjoy the shores of Carr Creek Lake, once home to some of the area's earliest pioneer settlements as early as the 1770s. Visitors to the park can relax amid a chorus of nature in the campground or frolic under the sun at the longest sand beach in the Kentucky State Park system. PHONE: 606-642-4050

E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park Louisville, KY

A 539-acre oasis on the outskirts of Louisville, the rolling fields that were once farmland are now the site of some of the finest indoor and outdoor recreation facilities in Kentucky. Stop by for a swim, play a round of tennis or bring your pet to the dog park! We've got it all at E.P. 'Tom' Sawyer State Park. PHONE: 502-429-7270

Fort Boonesborough State Park Richmond, KY

When Daniel Boone & his men reached the Kentucky River, they quickly moved to establish Kentucky's second settlement - the site still known as Fort Boonesborough. Fort Boonesborough has been reconstructed as a working fort complete with cabins, block houses and furnishings. PHONE: 859-527-3131

Green River Lake State Park Campbellsville, KY

Enjoy lake side fun at the campground on the shores of the 8,200-acre lake at Green River Lake State Park.If you're a fan of water sports , you're sure to find something to fit the bill, with a sand beach along the lake's edge and a nearby marina offering rental houseboats, ski boats, jet skis and pontoon boats. PHONE: 270-465-8255

Kincaid Lake State Park Falmouth, KY

A campground, a 183-acre lake, hiking trails, mini-golf and a 9-hole golf course are all the ingredients that make Kincaid Lake a popular retreat for campers, fishermen, boaters, golfers and families. Rent a boat at the marina and fish for largemouth bass, channel catfish, bluegill, sunfish and crappie. PHONE: 859-654-3531

Lake Malone State Park Dunmor, KY

CALL: 270-657-2111 For a great Kentucky state parks vacation, take some time to discover the beautiful landscape of Lake Malone State Park while hiking the 1.5-mile Laurel Trail or the .25-mile Wildflower Trail. These easy-rated hiking trails near the lake provide picturesque views of many rock walls, once used as shelters by Native Americans. Click here for Camping Reservations!

Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park London, KY

CALL: 606-330-2130 Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park in London, KY combines the beauty of a rolling, wooded hills park with a historic site that honors the pioneers who braved the perils of the wilderness to settle Kentucky. The Mountain Life Museum, a park attraction that brings visitors into a pioneer settlement, is open Friday and Saturday. Buildings in the settlement were moved from other sites or built as replicas on ...

Nolin Lake State Park Mammoth Cave, KY

Nolin Lake is popular with boaters and fishermen, mountain bikers and bird lovers. Birders travel here to view waterfowl species and the Brier Creek Mountain Bike trail is a favorite among local KYMBA members and visitors alike. Campers will enjoy the Nolin Lake Campground, which opened in May of 2001. PHONE: (270) 286-4240

Breaks Interstate Park Breaks, KY

CALL: 276-865-4413 Breaks Interstate Park's accommodations range from woodland cottages to campsites, from lakefront log cabins to lodge rooms with breath-taking views.

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