Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Kentucky

Rough River Dam State Resort Park is surrounded by rolling countryside overlooking a 5,000 acre lake.

History of Rough River Dam State Resort Park

Established on August 18, 1961
In 1938 Congress approved an act that authorized the building of a dam on Rough River to help control flooding in the Ohio River Valley. Construction of the dam did not begin until November 1955. The reservoir formed by Rough River Dam is located in Breckinridge, Grayson, and Hardin Counties. The dam is 130 feet high, 1,500 feet long, and 819 feet wide at the base. Rough River Lake covers 5,000 acres, with a shoreline of 67 miles. The park has 637 acres of beautiful Kentucky scenery.

The Kentucky Department of Parks approved the acceptance of the Rough River property on January 18, 1961. However, the state did not officially make Rough River a part of the parks system until August 18, 1961. In 1962 the Kentucky Department of Parks leased 637 acres and built the Rough River Dam state Resort Park.
After the state accepted the Rough River site as a state park, the architectural firm of Sweet and Judd of Louisville drew plans for the facility. A lodge and fifteen two-room cottages gave guests ample