Levi Jackson Wilderness Road State Park in London, Kentucky
The Levi Jackson State Park offers history, nature, and entertainment. It’s located just off of US 25.
The park celebrates the history of the pioneers who first explored and settled Kentucky, including the most famous of Kentucky explorers, Daniel Boone. Visitors can walk along the Daniel Boon Trail, relax at the picnic or camping areas, learn about the history of the pioneers, or entertain themselves at the pool or play a round of mini golf.
History of Kentucky’s Pioneers
The Mountain Life Museum brings a little bit of wilderness life to modern times. The museum consists of seven buildings, moved from their original site but arranged similar to the way they were in pioneer times. Each building shows off objects that settlers used during the day, such as looms and spinning wheels, trundle beds, tools from the period, and a church that is more than 200 years old. There is a small charge for the museum, and it is open from April 1 through October 31.
Another site to see is McHargue’s Mill, located at the entrance of the park. A plethora of used millstones line the sidewalks surrounding the mill, and the mill pond in front is home to dozens of domestic ducks, who enjoy being fed by visitors. The mill is open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, and admission is free, although duck food is on sale. Picnic tables are also available here, if visitors don’t mind sharing their lunch with the birds.
A short walk from the mill is the McNitt cemetery, a reminder of how easy it was for settlers to lose their lives. The cemetery is at the site of the group’s campsite and the place where they were killed by Indians on Oct. 3, 1786. The stone at the cemetery calls the event Kentucky’s worst Indian massacre.
Outdoor Activities at Levi Jackson
Levi Jackson hosts a year-round camping area with more than 100 campsites, water and electricity hook-ups and even a grocery store. The park also has a separate group camping area. The basic fee is for groups up to 20 people. Extra fees may apply to groups with more than that.
Those who don’t want to camp can still enjoy the picnic areas and shelters within the park, and all visitors can entertain themselves with the park’s hiking, swimming pool and mini golf. Hikers can walk the same paths that Kentucky’s early explorers and settlers used to first enter this area. The 8.5 miles of hiking trails include part of the original Daniel Boone trail.
The park’s swimming pool features a water slide. It is open from noon to 7:30 p.m., and has a lifeguard on duty. The fees are $5 for adults and $4 for seniors and children under 13. If the pool doesn’t interest the family, then the 18-hole mini golf course might be the answer. It is open from April 1 to October 31.