Big Bone Lick: All You Need to Know
Big Bone Lick State Historic Site is way more than just a state park! It is the “Birthplace of American Vertebrate Paleontology,” and has much to offer for either a day trip or a week of camping! We frequently visit the park so this post will tell you everything you need to know about Big Bone Lick.
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What is Big Bone Lick?
Firstly, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site is a wonderful park roughly 30 minutes from downtown Cincinnati, so you feel completely removed from society yet you’re only minutes away in reality. Here you can find a small museum, well-kept trails, a campground, bison viewing, salt springs, playgrounds, and picnic shelters. Big Bone is open year-round from dawn to dusk and is free to all who visit. However, the museum runs on varying seasonal hours, so check that before you go. The park is not only quiet and refreshing but really interesting too!
Big Bone Lick is set upon an ancient fossil and natural salt bed where the fossils of animals like mammoths have been discovered. Lewis and Clark visited here to engage in the new science of paleontology on their voyages West and collected fossils for President Jefferson. The location served as vital hunting grounds for the Native Americans to ambush animals coming to feed on the salt. The natural salt beds have been traveled to since ancient times for harvesting the salt, and also was the site of a resort long ago for people to soak in salt baths for its healing effects. The salt springs now are very small but so interesting to still see! Believe me, you will smell the sulfur stench before you see the springs! This is a fascinating site to visit if you both love history and the outdoors!
What to do at Big Bone Lick
Bison Viewing
Like any state park, there are a few well-maintained trails, picnic shelters, and two nice playgrounds. Alternatively, the park offers bison viewing! This is a real treasure because bison once roamed Kentucky in massive herds but were sadly hunted to near extinction. It is neat to see them in their natural habitat and to be just on the other side of a fence from them. You may have to walk around the large fields to find them, or they might be right in front of you at the end of the short, gravel trail. Be mindful, that in April and May they have their babies and might be hiding in the trees and more difficult to spot at times, but the hike is still a well-worth peaceful walk.
Museum and Trails
Aside from the bison, you must stop into the museum and read up on the history of the site and see some interesting skeletons and fossils. Inside the museum is the gift shop with some really neat items so be sure to stop in. You might be lucky enough to snag a souvenir of salt made from the salt springs that they make batches of during the Salt Festival in the fall. Inside you will also find very clean bathrooms. Right behind the museum is the Diorama Pit featuring some animals getting “stuck” in the muck.
Salt Springs
If you follow the half-mile, loop, paved trail down the hill called the Discovery Trail, you will walk passed what remains of the salt springs. They are stinky but amazing! Notice that after heavy rains, this trail can flood badly and be a partial swamp due to its proximity to the creek and its lower elevation. If you have tall boots or don’t mind getting your feet wet then have at it. My kiddo loves to stomp through the flooded trail!
Special Activities and Kids
Big Bone is unique because it offers experiences for homeschoolers, youth groups, and field trips where kids can get involved in history in a fun way. I advise checking their Facebook page for updated details on events such as these or giving the park office a call. Big Bone also holds exciting opportunities like ghost tours and the Salt Festival. Look into these options to see if any are available for your trip as well.
Kids love the two playgrounds in the park! One is even a sand-bottomed playground so you parents can go and pretend you’re at the beach! The other playground is more near the museum, and you will most likely see a herd of grazing deer while you play (we always do!). For older children, try them for a day at a new, fun experience called “Orienteering.” Orienteering is a woods navigation sport that uses compasses and maps or GPS to navigate a course. For family entertainment, definitely head up to the campground for a game at the 18-hole mini-golf course and see who is the best on the green!
Best time to go
Any season is wonderful and will not disappoint. Each season has its own personality in the park, and because of that, they each have little pros and cons. In the springtime, you will find abundant wildflowers and see baby bison, but might experience flooded trails. The winter can lead to tricky hikes if there has been an ice storm, but winter hikes are beautiful and the park is less crowded. Summer is a great time to go also, but just watch out for ticks and stay hydrated on hot days. The fall is a sweet spot with perfect weather and beautiful autumn leaves. So anytime is great, but just watch the weather in any season and be mindful of the trail conditions. Again, they are really great at communicating updates like this on their Facebook page, so start there to see.
Where to stay
You won’t regret staying at the park’s lovely campground! The campground just won Cincy Magazine’s 2022 Greater Cincinnati Family Choice Award for the best place to camp! The campground is open from mid-March to mid-November and has 62 campsites. The sites offer utility hookups, grills, and a swimming pool for campground guests only. It is up the hill toward the back of the park and away from the museum and public activities, so it will stay quiet for campers staying there. The park has some loyal campers that routinely vacation there, so get your site while it lasts!
About 20 miles north, you will be in the realm of Cincinnati where you can find countless hotels. However, If camping and hotels aren’t what you’re looking for, then check around for an Airbnb in the area!
Tell me about your trip!
I hope you check out Big Bone Lick because it has much to offer for history enthusiasts and outdoor lovers! Leave a comment below telling me about your trip! For more information, check the park’s site the park’s website. While you’re in the area, go pay a visit to some other unique places like Jane’s Saddlebag or Rabbit Hash!
