One of our family’s favorite things to do is to camp. Like most outdoor enthusiasts, we’ve run our course in selecting our digs. We started with small tents, and then quickly evolved to dome-tents with fans and air conditioning. I still believe that qualifies as camping. On the first trip out to nature with my wife, it rained almost every day. It was July in Florida. She kindly explained we needed to make some changes. Small trailers led to larger ones, and then we had a pop-up. Eventually, we worked up to a motorized RV. It wasn’t exactly what we wanted, but it was available and affordable. We bought a used Class A motor home. That’s another story. We sold it after a year and got a Class C that fits our family perfectly.
When we started camping, both of us worked full time, and the kids were in school. We didn’t use the trailers much, and they mostly stayed in the back yard. But now things have changed. Even with the pandemic of 2020, the family has spent weeks in the RV. Granted, most of it was on family property, but we were still out of town and living closer to nature. Our family counts that as camping.
Aug 10, 2020, Lake Malone State Park, Southern Kentucky, was just a mid-week getaway. Julie, my wife, had a few days off, and we were contemplating a two week trip out of state. We were getting the blues about needing to cancel that and wanted a camping fix. It had been about three weeks since we were on the road last. We reserved a two-night stay at a lake park that was about an hour from home. That was far enough away to call it a real trip. Two nights wasn’t much of a camp, but at twenty-two dollars a night, we could add a day if needed.
Lake Malone lies between steep hills in Dunmore, Kentucky. A small dam and spillway added some depth to the lake, filling it to what it is today. I believe the lake is all runoff. It’s a dark water lake with a greenish brown color, but there may be a spring in there someplace. On the west edge of the lake, the state park offers the area its closest thing a camping getaway. The lake is fully developed with vacation homes in some areas, and in other areas, family plots littered with old boats and trailer homes line the shore. It’s not all pretty, but the park is where it needs to be to offer a secluded feel and a clean shoreline.
When we pulled up to our site, we had no trouble backing our 32 foot Conquest to its spot. It was almost level and needed only one two-by-six under one wheel to satisfy us. The water and 30amp hook-ups were within reach, and we had a couple of 20amp plugs too. It took about seven minutes to completely set-up, and all the while, a doe, and two fawns watched from fifteen feet away. The site backs up to a shady cliff that overlooks the lake. We can see the water between the thick leaves of the woods, but we don’t have a good view of the opposite shore or horizon. It’s all good, though. The distance to the lake cuts the noise of the occasional boat that cruises past. We were happy to see Verizon had excellent service, but unfortunately, there was no wifi in the park.
The camping end of the park has about 30 semi-shady sites with beautiful rocky pads. They are electric and water, with no full hook-up. The park also has a sizeable primitive area, but its all sun. A wide picnic hammock for day-trippers is across the field away from the campers. It has the usual pavilion and playground or two. Trails ranging in length from a quarter mile and up wander around the property. Each site has a fire-pit and picnic table. There is nothing special, but it is a nice park.
The camping end is separate from the beach and the Dockside of the park. It is farther than we’d like to walk, bringing bikes or a car to drive to the other side may be a good idea. Health nuts and young people might make the trip on foot or find a trail, but we passed on that option.
The beach has a roped-off swimmers area that is well marked and only gets to six or seven feet of greenish water. It has brown sand and a small space for sunbathers and lawn chairs. The water had a lot of big stones in it, so watch your step. There are restrooms and changing rooms with showers handy too. Swimmers have a good view of the rest of the lake, and the boat traffic, as the docks are a football field to the right on a little inlet. There are several recently rebuilt docks and a boathouse with general needs and some food. But when we were there mid-week, it was closed. The ramps have a lot of good boat-trailer parking, too.
Lake Malone is a great getaway for locals and an adequate place to overnight for the traveler. It’s a little off the beaten path, about 50 miles off I-65, and about 90 miles north of Nashville, TN. But it could be perfect for some people. If you need a home base to explore the area, visit the Music City or just hide from the pandemic, this is a super-nice place to relax.
If you are a traveler, or would love to start traveling, you can contact my wife who is a certified travel agent with a nationwide firm. You can see her facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/spicetravelconnection
Filed under: Travel, writing | Tagged: Boating, Camping, Deer, Kentucky, Lake, Malone, relax, RV, State Park, summer, Swim, vacation | Leave a comment »
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