Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, Prestonsburg, KY

The Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, Prestonsburg, KY, is a beautiful center for water sports in central Kentucky. Being that it is in the Appalachian Mountains, the lake is surrounded by the beautiful mountains and provides opportunities for plenty of activities.

The Park is about 1,500 acres in size and most of this area is the large Dewey Lake, which is 1,100 acres. There are facilities for all kinds of outdoor activities, which include a number of pontoon boats which can be rented.

The Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, Prestonsburg, KY, is named after a pioneer woman who was captured by the Indians in 1789. She witnessed the slaying of her brother and children. After being in captivity for 11 months, she was then able to escape.

There are many things that you can do while you visit the Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. On shore there are over 10 miles of hiking trails, and these offer challenges to different levels of hikers. A trail is now open that allows you to drive along the route that Jenny Wiley took to escape her captors. There is also the Jenny Wiley Trail Heritage Bypass which is a 154-mile loop that takes you around eastern Kentucky and brings you to many different recreational areas, parks, and hiking trails.

The Park also has the Jenny Wiley Theater which gives plays in the summer - from mid-June through mid-August. There have been some major plays shown here in the past which includes "The King and I," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "All Shook Up," and more. Performances are shown at lunch time, and in the evening - with dinner.

For those that love the water, there are also plenty of various activities for all ages, as well. The lake has plenty of fish and it includes largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill, hybrid striped bass and crappies. There are three boat launches and 199 boat slips available. A private pool is open to hotel guests, and there is also an Olympic sized pool for all visitors of the Park.

A sky lift takes people for a ride over Sugar Camp Mountain. It is open during the warmer months and on weekends in the spring and fall too. Programs are held in the summer to entertain children and this keeps them busy when you cannot.

There are also some special activities taking place throughout the year. There are elk on the park grounds and they have special times when these magnificent animals can be viewed. Other activities include hayrides in the fall, a Murder Mystery Dinner, and special dinners - such as Hillbilly Night, Elk Night, Buffalo Night, and more.

The main place to stay on the grounds is the May Lodge, which has 49 rooms. It has a dining room which can seat 224 people for three meals a day. It also has two private dining rooms which can seat 70 people each. It has a gift shop too that offers a large choice of souvenirs and handcrafts from Kentucky. There are also 18 private cabins to stay in, and these are one or two bedroom. A campground with over 117 campsites is also available, along with two service buildings for showers. Hookups for utilities are also present.