Green River Lake State Park: Marina/Main and Scenic Overlook Trails (Blog Hike #902)

Trails: Marina/Main and Scenic Overlook Trails
Hike Location: Green River Lake State Park
Geographic Location: south of Campbellsville, KY (37.27162, -85.31492)
Length: 3 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: October 2022
Overview: A lollipop loop with many options featuring Green River Lake views.
Park Information: https://parks.ky.gov/campbellsville/parks/recreation/green-river-lake-state-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=923236
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: From Campbellsville, take SR 55 south 4.5 miles to SR 1061 and turn left on SR 1061.  Drive SR 1061 south 1.5 miles to the signed state park entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the park, and drive the main park road to the park's boat ramp, which is located just before you reach the campground.  Park in the parking lot between the picnic shelter/playground and boat ramp.

The hike: Flowing down a meandering 384-mile east to west course, the Green River drains most of the large swath of Kentucky that lies between the Cumberland River watershed to the south and the Kentucky River watershed to the north.  The river is most famous for being the water outlet of Mammoth Cave, and my hike at Mammoth Cave National Park features good views of the Green River.  Historically the river's greatest influence has been economic.  By the 1840's the Green River was canalized as far upstream as Bowling Green, allowing barge traffic to navigate the river year-round.

            In 1969, the Army Corps of Engineers built the Green River Lake Dam, which has become the main impoundment along the river's main course.  Located well upstream from Mammoth Cave, the dam's main purpose is flood control.  Nevertheless, the Corps maintains a system of hiking trails near the dam, and the lake's north shore is home to Kentucky's Green River Lake State Park.  The park weighs in at 1331 acres, and its amenities include a 167-site developed campground, fishing, boating, and swimming in Green River Lake, and numerous picnic areas.  In fact, some of Kentucky's largest fish have been caught in the Green River.

            For trail users, the park offers 28 miles of trails, most of which are open to hikers, mountain bikers, and horseback riders.  The park's trail system is well-maintained but poorly marked, and the large number of interconnecting trails can make choosing a route to hike and/or following that route challenging.  The route described here gives good Green River Lake views and a taste of the park's hilly topography without pegging the difficulty meter, and thus it provides a good introduction to the park's trail system.

Trailhead at boat ramp

            From the picnic shelter and playground, walk southwest across the boat ramp and then look toward the lake to your left.  A sign that reads "Marina Main Trail 4.5 Miles" marks the trailhead.  As its name indicates, this trail connects the park's main area where you are now with the park's marina, which is located a few miles downstream.  Unfortunately, the trail is unmarked except for an occasional sign, so staying on this trail for the entire 4.5 miles can be a challenge, as I would learn.

Climbing beside the lake

            The narrow trail clings to the hillside as it climbs gradually.  After only a few hundred feet, you reach a rocky ledge that provides broad lake views.  This viewpoint is unprotected, so mind your footing: a slip would likely send you plunging into the lake.

Green River Lake view

            The trail switches back at the ledge and continues climbing through young forest dominated by red cedar trees.  After tracing around a roadside picnic area, the trail passes through a roadside mowed-grass area before reentering the woods.  A few wet areas need to be negotiated, but overall the gradual climb makes the going fairly easy.

Hiking around the picnic area

            At 0.7 miles, you dip slightly to reach a trail intersection.  A trail signed as the Scenic Overlook Trail goes left here, while the unsigned Marina/Main Trail goes right.  Drawn in by the name and a desire for more lake views, I turned left to begin the Scenic Overlook Trail.

Start of Scenic Overlook Trail

            Designed more for mountain bikers than hikers, the Scenic Overlook Trail embarks on a rolling winding course along a wide finger ridge.  While parts of the trail pass atop a bluff that overlooks the lake, I never came to anything I would call an overlook.  Some large beech trees live on this finger ridge, and the leaves were just starting to change color when I came here in early October.  Also, I did some nice wildlife viewing on this ridge that included several blue jays and multiple deer.

Hiking atop a lakeside bluff

            At 1.7 miles, you reach the unsigned other end of the Scenic Overlook Trail where it rejoins the Marina/Main Trail.  At the next intersection, the Fox Hollow Trail exits left.  Both options here lead out to the main park road, so you could go either way.  The Fox Hollow Trail dips into its namesake hollow, while the Marina/Main Trail stays close to the ridgetop.  I stayed with the Marina/Main Trail and came out at the park road 1.9 miles into the hike.

Hiking the Marina/Main Trail

            Several options present themselves here.  The Marina/Main Trail continues west and leads to more side trails that explore more ridges and hollows before ending at the park's marina.  Alternatively, you could retrace your steps along the Marina/Main Trail or the Scenic Overlook Trail.  Not liking either of those options, I chose to form a loop by walking the main park road back to the boat ramp.  Although the road receives moderate vehicle traffic, the wide shoulder allowed me to dodge the cars, and the road gave me a quick and easy route back to the trailhead.