Lexington, KY - I was curious to add General Butler State Park in Carrollton to the handful of the 52 Kentucky state parks I've visited. I found General Butler to be a first class resort with restaurant, gift shop and outdoor pool. There are plenty of recreational opportunities, of which I chose to hike several trails and take a historical tour of the Butler Turpin House.
I stayed overnight at the lodge, although the park has camping and cabins, too. In the morning I first toured the house before hiking and found the Butler family had notable soldiers and some interesting history as well. On a 124-acre farm, Major General Thomas Langford Butler had this brick home built in 1859. I walked up the brick steps to find tour guide Logan Brock, who was dressed in faux period style with white shirt and dark pants with suspenders.
Logan explained that the Butlers had migrated from Kilkenny, Ireland, in the mid-1700s. Thomas Butler and his five sons fought in the Revolutionary War against the British, and General George Washington appreciated their bravery and their skills as gunsmiths. Pierce Percival Butler and his wife, Mildred, settled in northern Kentucky and raised 10 children in Port William (which was later named Carrollton). Originally they had a log house near the family cemetery. Thomas Langford Butler had the home built for his daughter and her husband, Phillip Turpin.
It turns out that in addition to period furniture, oil paintings and portraits, an outdoor kitchen, and other items in the house, there are many pieces of original family furniture and artifacts. For example, there is a bust of Mary Turpin, an original letter from Andrew Jackson, General Butler's gold-tipped walking cane, a family rocking chair and a journal of poetry written by William Butler. The family has many connections with notable persons, including Eliza Todd Butler, who was the second cousin to Mary Todd Lincoln.
Afterwards I drove to the Stone Overlook Drive to have a picnic lunch with a view of Carrollton and the Ohio and Kentucky Rivers. Then I grabbed my camera and walking stick to explore several trails which curve around the wooded and hilly park. From the lodge parking lot, I walked past the tennis courts and recreational center to the Woodland Trail, which is an easy mile and a half hike. That led me to the longer, and a bit hillier, Fossil Trail, a four and a half mile hike. This windy trail crosses a few very small creeks and cuts through some of the old ski runs -
yes, Butler State Park had a skiing operation that was built in 1981 and closed in 1997. I passed some of the old equipment when I came to some open areas now beginning to grow up with scrub trees.
There are lovely fossils to look at along the trail as well, although you are not permitted to take any home. In addition I came upon grazing deer and caught a glimpse of a small flock of turkeys clearing an old ski run. Hiking the Fossil Trail was a good workout and left me tired near the end. As I sat on a warm hillside I was amazed to look down on a red fox strolling in the same direction the turkeys had gone off to. I finished my hike coming out on the road by the conference center, which is a short walk back to the lodge.
Other fun options for a visit at General Butler State Park include mountain bike riding on some trails, both regular and miniature golf, boating, basketball courts, playgrounds and special events. On Dec. 5, drive over to check out the Festival of Trees and Winter Wonderfest Day, which will feature Santa's visit for breakfast, activities in the lodge lounge and an evening concert. Check with the park for other fun events, including Dinner Theatre Murder Mystery, Spirits of Butler Paranormal Programs and Kentucky Scottish Weekend on the second weekend in May.