Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, Kentucky

Positioned just along the edge of the Daniel Boone National Forest, this resort appeals to nature-lovers or anyone who just wants to get away from it all.

History of Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park

Established in January 18, 1961

On June 28, 1938 Congress authorized the construction of a dam and reservoir under what has come to be known as the “Flood Control Acts of 1938.” The dam is located about 43 miles above the mouth of the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River and about a half mile upstream from Buckhorn, Kentucky. The dam is 162 feet high, 1,020 feet long, and 842 wide at the maximum base. The reservoir located in both Leslie and Perry Counties covers 550 acres, and the seasonal pool is 1,230 acres.

The Kentucky State Parks Board approved the acceptance of Buckhorn Lake into the commonwealth’s parks system on January 18, 1961. The area has some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery in Kentucky. However, the seclusion of the park caused a great deal of difficulty in obtaining road access during the early 1960s. The Kentucky Department of Highways constructed a road over the mountain to the park, but the stabili