A Day Trip to Big Bone Lick State Historic Park

We recently took a day trip to Big Bone Lick State Park in Union, Kentucky as a part of our quest to visit every state park in Kentucky. We found it to be an enjoyable place to spend the day as a family, with plenty of fun things to do to keep us busy.

Museum and Gift Shop at Big Bone Lick State Historic Park

Big Bone Lick State Park has a rich history that stretches back into ancient times. Ice Age mammals like mammoths, mastadons, giant sloths and bisons came here to lick the salt deposits left by the area’s mineral springs. William Clark (the Clark of the famed pair, Lewis and Clark) was tasked by President Jefferson in 1807 to excavate the site leading to Big Bone Lick being named the “birthplace of American paleontology.”

The indoor museum has nice exhibits that tell the story of Big Bone Lick, from these ancient times, up through the time that Native Americans settled the area and through the decades that the area saw a busy hotel and spa business pop up surrounding the mineral springs. Exhibits include displays on paleontology, Ice Age mammals, Native American history, and much more.

There is a small gift shop which sells souvenirs and some snacks.

Just outside the visitors center museum, there is a Diorama pit where you can take a peek at what life might have been like when massive prehistoric animals were active in the area. Just past the Megafauna diorama, there’s a Discovery trail which follows along Big Bone Creek and features interpretive panels about the history of the area.

Things to do at Big Bone Lick State Park

Fishing

The park includes a 2.1 mile section of Big Bone Creek which allows fishing year-round. The creek is stocked once a year with rainbow trout. In order to fish, you must have a fishing license and trout stamp and follow all applicable regulations.

Hiking and Visiting Bison!

The park offers 4.5 miles of easy trails through wooded areas, alongside the salt springs, and past the outdoor diorama area. The trails also will take you to see the bison herd – a big highlight of our visit! We even got to see a new baby bison! The bison can hide in the trees when it’s hot, so if you want a better chance of seeing them up close, try visiting during the cooler part of the days in the summer.

Camping at Big Bone Lick

Big Bone Lick features 62 campsites with utility hookups, grills, a swimming pool and a playground. There are shower, bathroom and laundry facilities at the central bathhouse as well as an on-site grocery store during the peak season. Near the entrance to the campground there is a mini golf course that’s open to everyone, not just camping guests. In addition, the park has two additional playgrounds and tennis courts available for all park visitors.

Orienteering

Have you ever tried orienteering? Big Bone Lick has two permanent orienteering courses: a beginners course that covers 2.7 km and an intermediate one that travels 4.5 km. On both courese, you’ll use a map and compass or GPS to navigate an established course through the woods. It’s lots of fun!