OLIVE HILL, Ky. (Dec. 10, 2024) – Carter Caves State Resort Park welcomes outdoor enthusiasts to our new Kentucky home to experience the annual Winter Adventure Weekend on Jan. 23-26, 2025.
This annual event features activities including wild and commercial cave tours, hiking, rappelling, winter survival workshops, tree climbing and more. Beginning Thursday, Jan. 23, and ending Sunday, Jan. 26, the event is flexible, and guests may arrive and depart at their discretion.
General admission cost is $25 per person. Lodging, dining and additional park activities are not included in the general admission. Online registration will go live Dec. 12.
To make reservations, visit www.winteradventureweekend.com. Limited space is available, and participants must be at least 6 years old to participate. Be sure to check the website for details and recommended gear.
Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill, Kentucky, and is known for having the highest concentration of caves in Kentucky. Accommodations are available at the Lewis Caveland Lodge, along with cottages and a campground.
Kentucky is home to 44 state parks, including 17 resort parks and 13 golf courses, with breathtaking views of mountain ranges, waterfalls and wildlife, scenic hiking trails, caves to explore, fishing, boating, kayaking, nationally recognized golf courses, camping, lodges, historic sites, museums and more, offering opportunities for exploration, entertainment and education to Kentuckians and visitors from across the world. Along with their natural, historic and economic significance, Gov. Andy Beshear has used Kentucky State Parks and their dedicated teams to respond to tornadoes, flooding and other natural disasters by opening their doors to Kentuckians during difficult times.
To capitalize on Kentucky’s historic economic momentum and record-breaking tourism success, Gov. Beshear recently announced New Kentucky Home, a strategic initiative to further drive economic investment, attract and retain talent and increase tourism across the commonwealth.
Earlier this year, the Governor announced that 2023 was the best year on record for tourism, with $13.8 billion in economic impact and 95,222 jobs. This followed a record-breaking 2022 when he announced that tourism had generated more than $12.9 billion in economic impact and secured 91,668 jobs in Kentucky that year.
During the legislative session, Gov. Beshear signed House Joint Resolution 56, releasing $71 million for capital construction projects, including building system upgrades, accommodation improvements and recreational amenity enhancements. Gov. Beshear also signed House Bill 6, allocating over $66 million for state park upgrades for various state parks.
Gov. Beshear recently announced that Leitchfield in Grayson County has been officially certified as the commonwealth’s 30th Kentucky Trail Town. The Kentucky Trail Town program, managed by Kentucky State Parks, is a tourism and economic development program designed to provide a strategic plan for communities to capitalize on recreation opportunities within their communities.
Leitchfield’s Kentucky Trail Town certification follows the Governor’s announcement in August that $720,000 in new grant funding is available for Kentucky Trail Towns to repair, enhance and promote recreational projects.
Kentucky State Parks is planning a series of events and programming throughout 2024 to celebrate its 100th anniversary. For the latest updates and information, visit Celebrating 100 Years (ky.gov). For more information about Kentucky State Parks, visit parks.ky.gov.