Santa has rescheduled his visit to the park to December 15, 2013.

Due to the Winter Storm Warning we have rescheduled Santa Visits the Park until Sunday December 15, 2013.  Santa will be available for free photos from 2-4PM.  The gift shop will have an open house all day with a 25% off discount. Come see all the beautiful holiday decorations and do a little shopping, too.

ColorFall Week 6 Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

Pennyrile Lake October 30, 2013

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park should reach peak color this weekend. The oaks, which are usually the last family of trees to change have begun to show color. Currently the park and the surrounding state forest are at approximately 75% color change. Some of the trees that showed color early in the season have already lost their leaves. We are seeing some fall color in poison ivy and Virginia creeper vines that can be seen climbing trunks of trees. Many of the blackgums and sourwoods are showing off their peak reds.  Sassafras is turning shades of red and orange. Flowering dogwoods are turning shades of purple and red. Maples in the area are showing off red, orange, and yellow.   We expect some fall color to hold through early November.

Flowering Dogwood beside the Lodge Meeting Room

Flowering Dogwood is this week's showcase tree.  Flowering dogwood is a small shade tolerant tree that can be found across Kentucky.  The tree is beautiful in the fall due to its red or purple-red fall foliage.  In the spring it has pretty white cross shaped flowers.  The wood of the hard and extremely shock resistant which is why it used to be used for weaving shuttles. Native Americans used the aromatic bark and roots for a remedy to malaria.  They also extracted red dye from the trees roots.

ColoFall Report Week 5 Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park is a wonderful place to see fall color this season. Currently the park and the surrounding state forest are at approximately 50% color change with the forest edges showing more colorful trees than the forest interior. We are seeing some fall color in poison ivy and Virginia creeper vines that can be seen climbing trunks of trees. Many of the blackgums and sourwoods are showing off their peak reds.  Sassafras is turning shades of red and orange. Flowering dogwoods are turning shades of purple and red. Catalpa, ash, black walnut, sycamore, and the state tree, tulip poplar are beginning to turn shades of chartreuse and yellow.  Winged Sumac is also turning red along the camper's trace trail.   We are predicting peak color to appear in late October.

This weekend the park will be hosting a Spooky Extravaganza with lots of fun Halloween programs for all are guests. For more information about this even and other events at our park contact us at 1-800-325-1711, or go to www.parks.ky.gov .

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park's ColorFall Report Week 4

Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park is a wonderful place to see fall color this season. Currently the park and the surrounding state forest are at approximately 25% color change with the forest edges showing more colorful trees than the forest interior. We are seeing some fall color in poison ivy and Virginia creeper vines that can be seen climbing trunks of trees. Many of the blackgums and sourwoods are showing off their peak reds.  Sassafras is turning shades of red and orange. Flowering dogwoods are turning shades of purple and red. Catalpa, ash, black walnut, sycamore, and the state tree, tulip poplar are beginning to turn shades of chartreuse and yellow.  Winged Sumac is also turning red along the camper's trace trail.   We are predicting peak color to appear in late October.

Winged Sumac

Winged Sumac is this week's showcase plant.  Winged Sumac is a small tree that is often found on the edges of open fields.  At Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park it can be found on the Camper's Trace Trail, as well behind the "caution high cliff" fence behind the lodge near the pool area. The tree shows off beautiful shades of crimson in the fall. The fruit of Winged Sumac was once used by Native Americans to make a drink that tastes similar to lemonade.

Groundhog AKA Woodchuck

No trip to Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park is complete without a sighting of our resident groundhogs.  They can often be seen feeding on grass and clover in our lawns, as well as occasional nibbling on flowers in our flower beds.

Fall events to look for at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park include: Photography Weekend October 18-20, 2013 and Spooky Extravaganza (aka Halloween Campout) October 25-27, 2013. For more information about events go to www.parks.ky.gov

ColorFall Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Week Two

Pennyrile Lake October 3, 2013

Fall is in the early stages at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park. We are seeing some fall color in poison ivy and Virginia creeper vines that can be seen climbing trunks of trees.  Blackgum trees are speckled with red leaves.  Sassafras is turning shades of red and orange. Flowering dogwoods are turning shades of purple and red. Catalpa, ash, black walnut, sycamore, and the state tree tulip poplar are beginning to turn shades of chartreuse and yellow.  Winged Sumac is also turning red along the camper's trace trail.  The forest as a whole is still very green with some color showing up on the edges.  We are predicting peak color to appear in mid to late October.

Virginia Creeper at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

Virginia Creeper is this week's showcase plant.  Virginia Creeper is a vine with five leaflets.  It is common throughout the area and is often misidentified as poison oak.  Virginia Creeper is harmless.  This vine has beautiful fall color as demonstrated in this photograph.



Fall events to look for at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park include: Photography Weekend October 18-20, 2013 and Spooky Extravaganza (aka Halloween Campout) October 25-27, 2013. For more information about events go to www.parks.ky.gov

ColorFall Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park Week One

Pennyrile Lake at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park

Autumn is just beginning at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park.  We are seeing some fall color in poison ivy and Virginia creeper vines that can be seen climbing trunks of trees.  Blackgum trees are speckled with red leaves.  Catalpa, ash, black walnut and sycamore are beginning to turn shades of chartreuse and yellow.  Winged Sumac is also turning red along the camper's trace trail.  The forest as a whole is still very green.  We are predicting peak color to appear in mid to late October.

Cottage 513 at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park 9/26/2013

Fall events to look for at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park include: Photography Weekend October 18-20, 2013 and Spooky Extravaganza (aka Halloween Campout) October 25-27, 2013. For more information about events go to www.parks.ky.gov

Red Maple beside Pennyrile Lake at Pennyrile Forest State Resort ParkThis week's showcase tree is a red maple tree that is showing off some fall color early in the season.  The tree is growing beside Pennyrile Lake.  In a few weeks it will be completely red. Fall is a beautiful time of year at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park!

To see ColorFall Reports from locations across Kentucky go to http://www.kentuckytourism.com/seasons/reports/default.aspx

Run through the Forest 5K Run/fun walk 9/21/2013

Runners racing up the hill during the 2012 Run through the Forest.

Run through the Forest 5K run/fun walk will be held at Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park this Saturday September 21, 2013.  The race will begin promptly at 7:30AM.

Fees: Walk $20 day of race
          Run $25 day of race







Registration is available online at https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Parks/Series
Participants may also register on site the day of the race. Printable Registration Form

This race is part of the Western Kentucky State Parks Race Series.  Other races include: 

Oct 26 @ Lake Barkley, Nov 9 @ KY Dam Village, and Dec 14 @ John James Audubon. To register for the entire series contact Lisa Deavers at Lisa.deavers@ky.gov.