Trail Shape: Get in Shape Hiking Kentucky State Parks
Hiking is a healthy, low-impact activity that can help you lose weight. For example, a 175-pound adult can burn 500 calories per hour with regular cross-country hiking, 580 calories/hour backpacking, and 625 calories/hour climbing hills!
Fortunately, the Kentucky State Park system provides nearly 300 miles of hiking trails. Along these Kentucky trails you may see waterfalls, lakes, caves, cliffs, natural bridges, age-old fossils, birds, deer, wild turkeys, and many other plants and animals.
Trail Shape is a free program from the Kentucky State Parks that will inspire you to discover these amazing Kentucky sights while getting or staying in shape! To complete the Trail Shape program, you must hike 16 designated trails in a 1-year period. The trails total nearly 40 miles and vary in length and terrain.
You must document your experience by taking a digital photograph at designated “photo spots” on each trail. In addition, you must keep a written journal of your hikes. The journal should include the date and time of each hike, weather conditions, and any unique observations and experiences along your hike.
When you have completed all 16 hikes, submit a CD with your digital photos from the designated spots and an electronic copy of your hiking journal. Upon verification that you completed all hikes and provided the necessary information, you will receive a Trail Shape certificate and custom bandana, and you will be entered into a drawing to be held on April 30, 2011 for a 2-night stay at a Kentucky State Resort Park! Select entries will be posted on the Kentucky State Parks website (unless you opt-out) to share with and inspire others.
One of the 16 hikes is here in Big Bone Lick State Park:
Big Bone Creek Interpretive Trail @ Big Bone Lick State Park – 1 mile
“Located between the visitor’s center and nature and history museum, the Big Bone Creek interpretive trail showcases many aspects of the parks astounding history. The first part of the trail takes you around the plant diorama, where you can see native plants and trees that were common in the Northern Kentucky area back when Lewis and Clark would have been at the park. The trail winds from there to the Pre-historic bog display; where life size replicas of Ice Age mammals that were found here at the park, can be seen. The trail continues into wooded bottomlands along the Big Bone Creek. Down in the bottomlands you will find the remnants of the salt-sulfur springs that once covered much of the low lying areas of the park. Continuing along you will shadow the creek passing the old fort site, where soldiers were stationed to protect frontiersman making salt, then go around the old Bison pen, until finally ending up back in the parking lot right by the visitor’s center and nature and history museum.”
Photo Spot: salt spring
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August 21st, 2010 at 1:10 pm
What a great idea! I didn’t realize you could burn so many calories by hiking. I can’t wait to get started!