State parks infuse millions of dollars into Kentucky counties every year

Kentucky’s state parks have a significant impact on counties, infusing millions of dollars into the local economy and supporting thousands of jobs. A 2015 study found that the state park system had an $889 million annual economic impact on the Commonwealth.

Hank Phillips, president of the Kentucky Travel Industry Association, explained to The Lane Report  just how integral the park system is to the Kentucky’s economy and tourism. “Although Kentucky’s spectrum of tourism assets is very diverse, the parks continue to be an important part of that diverse spectrum,” Phillips said. “The parks are not just attractions in their own right but also reflect some of the most important assets Kentucky has and some of the most important drivers of visitation to Kentucky.”

The Kentucky state parks system is comprised of 49 parks covering 45,000 acres with a total of 1,600 buildings. Those 49 locations include 39 state parks – 21 recreational and 18 resort parks – and nine historic sites that span a total of 54 counties. Those counties range from the smallest in population, like Robertson County with around 2,100 residents, to the largest counties in the state, Fayette and Jefferson.

To learn more, visit the Kentucky State Parks website: https://parks.ky.gov/.