Lake Trail

Lake Trail follows the wooded shoreline of Dewey Lake in a gentle loop that provides consistent access to the water's edge and excellent wildlife viewing in the coves and inlet areas where the reservoir's fingers penetrate deepest into the surrounding hollows. The 1,100-acre lake was created in 1949 and has matured into a productive aquatic ecosystem supporting largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and channel catfish that attract a healthy community of fish-eating birds throughout the year. The most celebrated resident wildlife attraction on this trail is the great blue heron rookery established in the tall sycamore and silver maple trees overhanging one of the lake's quieter northern coves, where 15 to 25 nesting pairs breed annually beginning in late February. The large stick platform nests are visible from the trail in early spring before foliage obscures the view, and the raucous calling of adults bringing fish and engaging in nest disputes provides a memorable dawn soundtrack from March through June. Belted kingfishers patrol the entire shoreline, and osprey are regular summer visitors hunting from hovering positions above the open water. The trail's woodland sections pass through a second-growth eastern Kentucky hardwood forest dominated by oak, hickory, and red maple, with a rich understory of spicebush and pawpaw providing dense midsummer cover for migrating warblers in May and September. The park's dock area, visible from the trail, offers kayak and canoe rentals for those wishing to extend their lake experience beyond the hiking route.