Jenny Wiley State Resort Park

10/07/2026

🎣 KNOW YOUR WATER: CRAPPIE

If you're looking for a fish that loves structure, don't overlook crappie.

Crappie often hang around submerged trees, brush piles, and other underwater structure where they can find both cover and food. During the spring, they move into shallower water to spawn, making coves and protected areas especially worth checking.

Their diet includes small minnows, insects, and other small aquatic animals. 🎣 Small jigs and minnows are popular choices for targeting them, especially when you're fishing around structure.

One of the tricks to finding crappie is remembering that they don't always stay in the same place. As water temperatures and seasons change, they can move between shallow and deeper water.

🌎 NATURALIST NOTE: Crappie are an important part of Dewey Lake's food web. They feed on smaller aquatic animals while also providing food for larger fish and other predators. Where you find crappie, you may be looking at an important link between the lake's smallest creatures and its larger predators.

What's your go-to way to catch crappie on Dewey Lake? 🎣

📸 Photo Credit: Black crappie, Sam Stukel/USFWS, Public Domainhttps://www.fws.gov/media/black-crappie-7

10/07/2026

🦇 HALLOWEEN'S NIGHT FLYERS ARE GETTING READY FOR WINTER!

When October arrives, Kentucky's bats are entering one of the most important times of the year. With insects becoming harder to find as temperatures drop, some bats are preparing to hibernate while others are getting ready to migrate south. For example, Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) begin entering hibernation in October, while gray bats (Myotis grisescens) are returning to their winter caves and mating during September and October. By November, most gray bats are hibernating.

So where do they go? Many of Kentucky's hibernating bats spend the winter in caves, where temperatures and humidity remain relatively stable. Some species may also use abandoned mines, rock shelters, or other underground spaces. Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), for example, primarily hibernate in caves but can also use suitable mines and underground quarries.

Not every bat heads underground, though! Eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) commonly migrate south in the fall, while some may overwinter in Kentucky by sheltering in hollow trees, fallen logs, or even leaf litter. 🦇🍂

So the next time you see a bat fluttering across an October evening sky, remember that it may be making the most of the last insects of the season before winter arrives. 🎃

📸 Photo Credit: Little brown bat, Ann Froschauer/USFWS, Public Domainhttps://www.fws.gov/media/little-brown-bat-6

10/06/2026

🦌 Elk are wild—and that’s part of the adventure! While our guides will take you to areas where elk are commonly seen, wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

DISCOVER ELK. EXPLORE HISTORY. EXPERIENCE JENNY WILEY.

This fall and winter, join us at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park for a unique Elk Tour through the beautiful landscapes of Eastern Kentucky!

These guided tours will take you beyond the park to reclaimed mine sites where you’ll have the opportunity to watch Kentucky’s famous elk herd as they move across the landscape. Along the way, we’ll explore the fascinating history of elk in Kentucky, from their historic presence and disappearance from the state to their reintroduction and how the herd has been doing since its return.

As we travel to the viewing areas, we’ll also share stories about Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, the surrounding Eastern Kentucky landscape, and some of the places and businesses we pass along the way. Once we reach the viewing areas, we’ll settle in and hopefully catch a glimpse of these incredible animals in their natural surroundings. 🦌🌄

📸 Bring your cameras and binoculars! You never know what you might see along the way, and these tours are a great opportunity to take in the wildlife and scenery of Eastern Kentucky.

🌅 Morning tours: Meet at 6:15 AM
🌄 Evening tours: Times vary depending on sunset

📅 Tour Dates:
• October 10 & 11
• October 24 & 25
• November 7 & 8
• November 21 & 22
• December 5 & 6
• December 12 & 13

💲 $35 per person
📞 Reservations required: 606-889-1790

Whether you’re a wildlife enthusiast, a Kentucky history lover, or simply looking for a unique way to experience Eastern Kentucky, come join us for an unforgettable journey in search of Kentucky’s elk!

🦌 Elk are wild—and that’s part of the adventure! While our guides will take you to areas where elk are commonly seen, wildlife sightings are never guaranteed.

10/06/2026

Sometimes, a peaceful walk in the park is exactly what you need. 🍂🌳🦌

📸 Photos by Allen Bolling

10/06/2026

🌳 MEET THE TREE BEHIND THE TRAIL

By now, you may have started noticing a little more color popping up around Jenny Wiley. But while you're looking for those first signs of fall, don't forget to look at the leaves themselves!

One tree you may spot around the park is sassafras (Sassafras albidum), the tree that gives our Sassafras Trail its name. 🌿🍂

Sassafras leaves are pretty unique because they don't all look the same. On the same tree, you can find leaves shaped like little mittens, leaves with two lobes, and leaves without any lobes at all. As fall continues, those green leaves can turn beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red.

If you're around Jenny Wiley this week, take a closer look at the leaves around you. You might be surprised by how many different sassafras leaf shapes you can find!

Which sassafras leaf shape is your favorite?

10/04/2026

🦌 HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS: From 7 Elk to a Thriving Herd

When seven elk stepped out of a trailer at Potato K**b in December 1997, they marked the beginning of an ambitious effort to restore a free-ranging elk herd to the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

Over the next several years, wildlife crews brought elk from western states to Kentucky. Then the transports ended, and the future of the herd depended on the animals already here.

And the herd grew.

Today, the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources estimates Kentucky’s elk population at more than 10,000 animals. Because wild elk range across millions of acres, this is not a physical head count. Wildlife biologists use population models and data collected from Kentucky’s herd to estimate its size and monitor changes over time.

🔗 Want to see the source? Kentucky Fish & Wildlife explains Kentucky’s elk restoration and how the population is estimated here:

https://fw.ky.gov/Hunt/Pages/ElkHistoryInKentucky.aspx

From seven elk released on a December day to a self-sustaining herd in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, their return has become an extraordinary chapter in Kentucky’s wildlife history.

And the story didn’t stop at Kentucky’s borders.

Next week: How Kentucky’s elk helped restore herds in other states.

📚 Source: Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources

📸 Photos courtesy of Patrick Colwell

10/02/2026

Wildlife is part of the experience.

10/02/2026

🎉 Make Your Birthday Celebration One to Remember! 🎂

Looking for a birthday venue that offers something a little different? Celebrate at The Pines at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park! 🌲✨

Tucked away in a beautiful, wooded setting, The Pines provides a relaxed and inviting space to gather with family and friends, enjoy great food, and celebrate another year together.

Whether you’re planning a milestone birthday, a children’s celebration, or a special gathering with friends, The Pines gives you the space to make it your own. 🥳

🎈 Bring your decorations
🍰 Bring your favorite people
🎉 Bring the celebration—we’ll provide the perfect setting!

Make your next birthday more than just a party—make it a memory at The Pines! 💚

📞 Contact Jenny Wiley State Resort Park for information and availability.

For availability or event inquiries, please contact Group Sales at 606-889-1790 or message us here on Facebook.

Stay connected with Jenny Wiley State Resort Park—like and follow our page for updates, events, and park news.

10/01/2026

A big day of teamwork at Jenny Wiley! 🌿💧

Jenny Wiley State Resort Park joined forces with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Diversified Gas for a large-scale cleanup effort around Dewey Lake and the park.

Crews worked from the shoreline and on the water, removing everything from bags of litter and tires to large pieces of debris that required boats and heavy equipment to move.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who gave their time and effort to help care for this beautiful place we all share.

Projects like this are a great reminder of what can be accomplished when community partners work together.

Thank you to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Diversified Gas, and our Jenny Wiley team for a job well done!

Be sure to like and follow our page for future cleanup opportunities — and if you can’t join us, sharing our posts is another great way to help spread the word! 💚

🌲 Jenny Wiley Wild