Monday, December 8, 2014

Winter Adventure Set for Kentucky State Park

OLIVE HILL, Ky. - Carter Caves State Resort Park will present a weekend of outdoor adventure with its sixth annual Winter Adventure Weekend, Jan. 23-25, 2015.

Guests will be able to enjoy hiking, kayaking, recreational tree climbing, cave tours including wild cave trips, winter survival, rappelling, archeological field trips, rock climbing, a zip line and other adventures.

Guests will be able to select from a list of trips they want to take - for beginners and advanced winter adventurers alike. All of the trips and events are led by guides.

Each trip level is based on the difficulty and skills required. The higher the level, the more skills and special equipment are needed. Guests will be responsible for appropriate dress, water, snacks and other items.

The list of the trips, along with registration information and other details for the 2015 event are available atwww.winteradventureweekend.com. All participants must register online at this site. The site can be viewed now and registration starts Dec. 12.

The nonrefundable fee for adults (age 13 and older) is $30, and the nonrefundable fee for children ages 6-12 is $20. Some of the trips have additional fees. (All participants must be at least 6 years old. Some trips have additional age requirements.)

Some new trips have been added for this year's event, including photography workshops and a wild cave trip called the Bat Cave Backdoor. Other wild cave trips being offered include a Cascade Gone Wild Trip, a Lantern Trip into Sandy Cave, and a 5-hour trek into Tar Kiln Cave. Because of their popularity, nine wild cave trips have been added for 2015.

The weekend will start with programs and workshops on Friday afternoon.

Evening entertainment each night includes a campfire social along with local Bluegrass music with Beau Lambert and Fire in Line on Friday night. On Saturday night, there will be a silent and live auction by the Friends of Carter Caves and a squeezebox competition; Kentucky's own Heath & Molly will perform.

Participants will be able to submit photos in the Winter Photo Salon competition. Categories include winter adventure, caving and local nature-adventure photos. The images will be shown during the Saturday night program, and winners will be awarded ribbons.

Carter Caves State Resort Park is located at 344 Caveland Drive in Olive Hill. The park has a lodge with a restaurant, cottages and campground. Besides cave tours, activities include hiking, swimming, boating and fishing.

The park is off Interstate 64 at exit 161. Take U.S. 60 east. Go approximately two miles and turn left on KY 182 north. The park entrance is three miles from the left turn onto KY 182 north.

The phone number for the park is 1-800-325-0059.

The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 49 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our website at http://www.parks.ky.gov

Contact: Coy Ainsley, 1-800-325-0059