Big Bone Lick State Park Campground

Big Bone Lick Campground inspired us to attempt poetry:

Little Miss [me] sat on her chair,

Handing out chocolate and grahams,

When along came beside her,

A sly, little bandit,

Who stole all her chocolate away.

So maybe we aren't poets, but we did meet our new friend Robert (for robber) The Chocolate Eater. He surprised us one night by joining our campfire before running into the woods with our chocolate. He came out a few minutes later looking for the grahams (see video).

We stayed here for 2 nights and did end up with one of only 2 or 3 sites that were on a slope (#32) and the one below it, toward the entrance. We found a level enough spot to have a good night's sleep. The campground has a nice little pool, a store, laundry, showers, and small playground. The sites are roomy, but in a grass field between the trees--so not necessarily private. The camp host was super friendly.

Oh, and apparently, as we found out the next morning, the raccoons are fairly common and "friendly". I guess they are used to campers feeding them and like to visit. My take: guard your chocolate!

Nice Campground

Archeology exhibits of extinct animals plus real live bison---something for everyone! 

Bison and bones

Stayed here with some friends while on a road trip to check off another baseball stadium on the bucket list. We wanted to be close to the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. We found this campground and were pleased with the less than 1 hour drive to get to the stadium. We didn't want to do the hotel scene so enjoyed the summer weather and camped here in a pop up camper, party of 3. Nice, clean campground. You enter the campground from the north and is made of 2 main loops and then a small road to the south end of campground with another loop of campsites. The bathrooms, showers, and pool are located between the 2 center loops. We did a little hiking but otherwise didn't do much at the campground other than sleeping and relaxing directly at our campsite. Seemed like a neat museum for families and kids interested in fossils. We as adults didn't take in the museum. Otherwise a nice stay while in the area! 

Close to Cincinnati attractions

**Campground Review**

When it’s the height of summer and there’s a campground that offers mini golf and has a pool, it’s usually a good place to stop in for the night. There’s also some hiking and biking trails accessible from the main turnoff from the highway, so there’s plenty to do in the area if you’re stopping on through or staying a few days. I even noticed a root cellar to explore, and there’s a camp store near the main entrance to stock up on basic supplies and munchies. They sell ice and firewood. There’s a playground and the shower facilities also offer laundry services. The campground itself has 59 spots, separated into a large section surrounding the amenities like the pool and showers, and then a back area with about 15 spots. I chose the more secluded area for some privacy and break from a lot of the families camping nearer the main entrance. All the facilities were clean, and the pool was open until 8pm. The camping price was a little high ($23) compared to normal state parks ($15-20) but good value considering the activities available like swimming and mini golf. I recommend a spot near campsite 59, since it has a huge fire pit and seating area behind it. The rec area on site is nice for large groups to do meals or activities, and near it there’s an entryway to the lake.

**Product Review**

As a Ranger on TheDyrt, I get products to test from time to time, and with Beard Born, I was given a discount coupon to purchase their [beard comb](http://beardborn.com/) and try it out. I've had the comb with me on this road trip, seeing how it would handle my beard and the growth along the trip. Overall, it's a very good comb. You can check out the [unboxing video](https://youtu.be/DuuoAfve0Hw) and the [video review here](https://youtu.be/guzGPwbgwCo). The wood it's made from is Argentine sandalwood, and it smells great. It also is very sturdy, so you don't worry about the teeth getting caught in your gnarly facemask and pulling your hair along for the ride. It gets the job done, and with teeth of two different sizes you're face and head are in good hands (or is it teeth?). It's great to use to help with grooming, if you're someone who's looking to keep your beard trimmed as it grows, since it can highlight stray hairs after a few brushes. I use beard oil and am finding after a few weeks now the oils have seeped into the wood, giving it a great finish and smell.

The carry case is a nice touch. I didn't think I would wind up carrying this thing around with me, but once your beard get's pretty thick it's nice it's something that you can carry in your pocket, protected, and with another pouch for your wallet belongings. I don't think I'll use it to replace my wallet, but I see how if you wanted to keep this comb is a bag with your other toiletries, the case keeps it protected from other stuff in your bag. You don't want toothpaste getting on your comb's teeth - that's not how toothpaste works.

**Road Trip Update - Time for the passport!**

After a few days of sweating without showering and talking more to my dog than to other humans, this was a great spot to cap off the road trip. It was nice to have only a 4 hour drive from Land Between the Lakes to Big Bone Lick as well so when I arrived I still had the daylight with me to go for a hike and try for the new low score at the on-site mini golf course. Tennessee and Kentucky has been an interesting experience and states I need to spend more time in. I missed out on Jack Daniels, horse racing, and all of Nashville. I had a deadline to keep and I’m certainly looking forward to the family time up in Canada, but to drive all these miles and hours and not have enough time to check out the music or liquor seems a little sacrilege. Whether it’s a Kentucky Derby or another camping expedition, I’ll certainly be back.

Ranger Review: Beard Born Beard Comb at Big Bone Lick State Park

Stayed 2 nights in #51 shady and level.
 Had full hookups electric and water but need long water hose to reach for that site.
 Campground well kept. Quite a few good hicking trails, fishing lake and pool.  There is gift shop and  a bison heard near area the gift shop. Nice hike back to see bison.  There is camp store with basics and putput golf at campground. Bathhouse and laundry services.  Overall good area to camp.

Nice campground

Big Bone Lick State Park Union, Ky is a very cool little park. There is a lot to do in this one little area except long distance hiking. There are some nice short intersecting trails through out the park. The longest one is 2 miles around Big Bone Lake.

There is a pool, mini golf, and tennis plus some play areas for the kids. Just realize that it’s not quiet and there’s not a lot of privacy. The showerhouse has laundry facilities available and there is a campstore.

The museum and gift shop have a lot of educational stuff which would be excellent for a home schooling trip. A good interactive grade school age children campground.

The funniest part of our visit was when after visiting the bison one of the dogs thought the tar pit display was real animals, he was really getting into it;)

Where the bison roam

This campground is in a quiet area with amazing scenery. The access to hiking trails is wonderful.

Beautiful 

This is clean and well maintained campground. The sites are large, and RV parking is easy. It's a long way to town, so be prepared. There were 2 camp hosts and they were responsive to campers.

Great park

Great place to learn some history, hike a trail, and view the bison. There are places to have a picnic, and a small campground is available. A visitor center and gift shop is also onsite. 

Nice and Cozy

Great campground and park. We stayed during Camper Appreciation weekend. Lots of activities. Staff was super friendly. Park was clean. Bison herd was an awesome experience. The only down side was our site was quite unlevel. Aside from minor updating needed (like most KY state park campgrounds), this was a great visit. 

Awesome weekend

Beautiful views, mini golf course near campground, secure campground site! Also, for those interested in paranormal activity with legend of strange figures and nosies from woods surrounding campground 👻

💓☀️🏕

Spent the Week at BBL. Very nice park with nice hiking trails, hosts where wonderful and no Bugs! They must do an awesome job of spraying because we had no bugs for one week. Downside is absolutely no cell service for me or my wife. Took advantage of the cell free life! Great place!

Nice Park

This campground is on top of a hill close to the Ohio river. Nice paved sites (not level, but most are not anyway). Water hookup is far away, but we don’t usually hook it up to our pop up. Large sites, and ours has a nice large maple that gave us shade (38). Nice little pool. Bath house was ok, mostly clean. One shower was shut down, so only two working in men’s. Putt Putt was nice, but old and cost 3.50 for adult, 2.50 for kids. Little much honesty. Museum, Bison, two other playgrounds and Ball courts can be found down the hill. Some nice hiking trails as well. Do you self a favor and check our Rabbit Hash general store while in the area. Would come back again.

Great, small campground and family friendly 

We stayed at the state park last week and really enjoyed our time there. The pool was nice and the kids really enjoyed it. We had a nice time exploring the park to see the buffalo. I recommend attending one of their hikes to hear the history of the park. We loved it there and hope to go back.

Friendly staff 

This is an amazing place! Super friendly and helpful staff. AAA+++

Very clean and well kept!

What a great camping experience!  A little bit of everything. Large blacktop campsite with plenty of grassy area. We stayed in site 057 which was a little more secluded then the others.  What impressed me most is how quite it was. Even with all the kids there ( it was the kids Mecca).  Great pool, mini golf and great playground.  Lots of hiking trails. We took a small hike to see the buffalo that live there. Nice museum on site that features a prehistoric Skelton of giant sloth. Small lake and plenty of wild life. Great shower house and bathrooms. This place is a 10! Be sure to visit Noah’s Arc which is only about 20 minutes away!

PRODUCT REVIEW : as a ranger with the Dyrt I get the opportunity to try and review products. I am reviewing the Grubstick.  I absolutely loved them. They were light and compact and a lot of fun. We loved cooking over the open fire. They came in a great carry case. We tested each instrument with various foods. The round cage we made a hamburger and it cooked to perfection. We also made garlic bread, hot dogs and strawberry Twinkie shortcake. Of corse the normal s’mores.  Easy to add or remove different tools  cleanup was a breeze. Will make these a standard on every camping trip! 
https://grubstick.com 


Ranger Review: Grubstick Deluxe Kit  Big Bone Lick 

Great Attraction, you can walk the trails and even get the excitement of seeing REAL LIVE BISON. Pretty sweet experience! 

REAL Bison 😳

This park is very clean and well maintained.  There is a mini golf course, paved roads and sites.  Staff was very friendly, and a nice little museum with activities and bison viewing.  The sites are a bit small (in length) and ours (49) was very un-level, and worst of all had no shade at all.  Even with our awning out it was scorching until 730pm.  There was a lot of “yard” space and plenty of room for the kids to play though.  There is also a pretty steep grade to enter the campground as well.  If coming from
The south into the campground, get off at the Richwood exit.  Our GPS routed us another way and Richwood would have been much easier.  The campsite did not provide any specific directions, and I feel that would have been very helpful for anyone coming from out of town.  All in all, the campground was nice, but It just will be a one time visit for us.  

Nice weekend stay

We spent a week here in August of 2020. The kids enjoyed seeing the buffalo and playing at the playground. Very clean park with friendly staff. We had deer come in right next to our tent the first morning.

Great campground for a family

The park has some great gems and also some areas that can use some TLC (Tender Loving Care).  Check in is at 2PM and Check out is at 1PM.  What really sticks out beside the Bison are the racoons. They also have a wide variety of playgrounds so if you need more than one big toy this is the park for you. 

  

The Bison is a must as you can take a short walk out to watch the herd from behind a fence.  It is a great experience for little ones.  If you are blessed to have seen them in Yellowstone then it won't have the same excitement.  They are penned in a small area similar to what you would expect for the common cow. 

  

The racoons are an issue at this park. We actually got so uncomfortable at one point that we went into the RV to get away from them.  Make sure you practice good food practices as they are out and more aggressive than I would prefer as they do get up close to you.  They kept walking up to where we were seated and too close for my comfort.  I did see others still feeding the raccoons even though the park has done an good job asking folks not to do so. 

  

Hiking information taken from state website

• Big Bone Creek Trail:.9 mile, easy.• Bison Trace Trail:.5 mile, easy.• Cedar Run Trail:.9 mile, easy.• Coralberry Trail: 2 miles, moderate.• Gobblers Trace Trail:.5 mile, moderate.  

  

Check out the museum and the discovery trail while in the park.

Bison and more at the park 

We stayed two nights, 3 &amp; 4 July.  The park was very full and our campsite was at the very back of the park, but our "back yard" ran right to the edge of the woods so we were very secluded. 

The park staff had our credentials ready when we arrived, and there was even a "Welcome" sign with our name at our site!

Pleasant state park 

Stopped while traveling north. Site and public areas could use a little TLC but it worked for what we needed.  

A quick overnight 

We spent a weekend here with a group. Our campsites backed up to each other so that was great to have extra room for the kids to run around. Sites are spacious, but quite a bit unlevel where we stayed. Some super nice campers helped us. Bring an extra long hose as the water hookups are very far from the sites. The bathroom was super clean and showers were hot. The museum and bison are neat to see once, it was a little less than we expected it to be though. Our only complaint is the museum staff are incredibly rude. We asked if they had camp stickers, since we collect them and she got an attitude and said "No! This isn't the camp! We have park stickers!!" Obviously she knew what we meant. They gave us nasty looks the entire time we were in there so we didn't buy and left. The pool was clean and my kids loved that too since it was 99 when we visited. 

Fun stay, maybe a one and done 

We stayed during the week following Labor Day. We had no problem getting reservations and the check in process was easy. There is a pool, laundry room, and putt putt golf course. Our site, #39, was fairly level. We needed our entire length of water hose, 100 ft., to connect to the water spigot. The hiking trails are challenging and fun. You can even hike to see their bison herd. 

Hiking and History 

Very spacious sites.  Ours was great with plenty of green space and woods behind it but it was very exposed, as were most here, so it was super hot.  The trail to see the bison was great. The pool is small but very clean and refreshing.  I loved how the friendly staff greeted us at the gate with a map and info.  As others have stated, its a bit different to have a shared water spigot between sites, especially when the sites are so far apart.  We luckily had an extra hose.  50 ft or more is needed at many sites.  The lake being closed due to a dam leak was a disappointment.  The museum is awesome.   Learning about pleistocene era monsters is so cool.  The inside part is small but it continues outside and there is so much fascinating history here.  It's a cool and different campground!

Excellent family stopover or weekend spot

This is a nice campground but most of the sites will require some extra leveling... I think we were about 4" off left to right before using our levelers.   The pool is smallish, but clean and well kept... bathhouse was also clean... the showers here are awesome, like standing under Niagara Falls!  I would definitely stay here again.

Pleasant Family Campground - Leveling Issues

A well groomed and cared for campground surrounded by a museum, bison prairie, hiking trails &amp; other outdoor activities. Small, historical communities outside the campground within a short drive provide for shopping in quaint stores with one of a kind buys, notable pictures &amp; great memories.