You'd Never Know One Of The Most Incredible Natural Wonders In Kentucky Is Hiding In This Tiny Park
By Sarah McCosham|Published March 22, 2023
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
There are 45 official Kentucky State Parks that comprise nearly 50,000 acres of land across the Bluegrass. Within this robust state parks system, there are untold natural wonders in the form of caverns, canyons, lakes, and waterfalls. One of our favorite Kentucky State Parks is Grayson Lake State Park, a 1,512-acre destination with an eponymous lake that’s surrounded by with sandstone canyons, gentle slopes, and trickling waterfalls. A place of immense beauty, this Kentucky park is also home to one of the most incredible natural wonders…
Grayson Lake is located between Lexington and the West Virginia border, and is peak Bluegrass State beauty. The Kentucky State Park spans just over 1,500 acres, the majority of which is its namesake, Grayson Lake.
Full of hidden alcoves and fascinating aquatic rock formations and trees, paddling around Grayson Lake in Kentucky feels a bit like our very own Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The area was originally a favorite site of the Shawnee and Cherokee Indians. Sheer sandstone canyons and gentle slopes are the most distinctive characteristics of this park, whose terrain is wholly unique and wondrous.
There is so much outdoor beauty to experience at this glorious Kentucky lake, and the best way to explore is paddling around its waters on a kayak, which allows for the most immersive and up-close experience of the lake's striking rock formations and hidden grottos -- including the elusive natural wonder known as Grotto Falls!
Grotto Falls is the must-visit destination on Grayson Lake, and kayakers can even paddle behind the falls. Go after a heavy rainfall, and the waterfall will be utterly resplendent! In addition, secret alcoves and hidden crannies can be found all along the lake's shores, all but guaranteeing you'll discover something new when you paddle here.
John Muir famously followed the "call" of the mountains, but we think that, had the Father of National Parks seen Grayson Lake in all its glory, he'd feel the pull of this incredible natural wonder in Kentucky.
