Big Bone Lick State Historic Site

Closed — Closed for the season through March 12, 2026. Reservations can be made up to 12 months in advance starting one day before arrival. Golf carts allowed in the campground with a $25 weekly or $100 annual permit.

About

Big Bone Lick State Historic Site is known as the Birthplace of American Vertebrate Paleontology, where the first organized excavation in North America was conducted by William Clark in 1807. The site contains fossilized remains of American Mastodon, Columbian Mammoth, and Giant Ground Sloths discovered in 1739. During the Pleistocene Epoch, prehistoric animals were attracted to the salt springs that still bubble from the ground today, and were hunted by Paleoindians who left behind the large bones later preserved by flood sediments. The spacious campground features 62 back-in sites with electric and water hookups, grills, and picnic tables. Modern amenities include a central service building with showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities, plus a basic camp supply store. The park offers extensive recreational opportunities including a museum with fossil displays, the disabled-accessible Discovery Trail through the Outdoor Museum, the paved Big Bone Creek Trail through original swampland, and the Bison Trace viewing area for the live buffalo herd. A 7.5-acre lake provides bank fishing for largemouth bass, bluegill, and catfish. Additional facilities include 18-hole mini-golf, sports fields for tennis, volleyball, basketball and softball, horseshoe pits, nearly 40 acres of picnic grounds, and two rentable picnic shelters. Recreation staff conduct activities Memorial Day through Labor Day, and the annual Salt Festival is a popular regional event.

Directions

Located 22 miles southwest of Covington on KY 338, off US 42-127 and I-71/I-75 at 3380 Beaver Road, Union, KY 41091.

Nearby Campgrounds