If you are looking for a family friendly waterfall to visit in Kentucky and a great place to spend the day enjoying the outdoors, check out Cove Springs Park in Frankfort. This park offers a variety of activities for the family and, the best part, a waterfall you can see without hiking. It’s visible from the parking lot!
Cove Springs Park features about 240 acres to explore with numerous hiking trails that take you past the park’s historic features, through various habitats including meadows, wetlands and forests and to waterfalls and other attractions. It’s a great place to have a nice relaxing walk, or take a more strenuous hike. There’s a picnic shelter where you can enjoy a meal and watch the waterfalls.
Historical attractions at Cove Springs Park
Cove Springs Park exists around the site of an old waterworks, one of the oldest in the country. Cove Springs supplied water to the city of Frankfort. The historical sites include the remains of a spring, dam and reservoir which were the original waterworks for the city. It is thought to be the first public water supply west of the Allegheny Mountains. The park also contains a second historic site – the Cove Spring Farmstead. Today the stone foundation, a retaining wall and meat house remain at the site.
Take a Walking Tour of Cove Springs Park
The best way to visit Cove Springs Park if you want to learn about the history of the location is to utilize the Kentucky Geological Survey’s Geological Tour of Cove Springs Park. This website is a fantastic resource with maps and a self-guided geological walking tour. The tour starts at the parking lot and takes you past the parks various points of interest including Hurst Falls (in header photo), the Cove Spring box, the Trout Raceway, the remnants of the dam wall and the old reservoir overflow tower. Throughout the walking tour you’ll learn about the history of the area and the different geological features that make it a unique place to visit. It’s a great way to turn a nice day outside into an educational experience for the family!
Check out some more photos from our day at Cove Springs Park:
