Four inches of snow one day, nearly 70 degrees the next.....Welcome to Kentucky. I don't know whether to have my adventures in the snow or break out the boat in preparation for Spring. I will say I am thankful not to be up in the northeast right now as they get bombarded by several feet of snow. While sitting out on my deck last night, there was definitely a feeling in the air of Spring. We'll see how long that last though.
It does shift my thinking towards the upcoming paddling season here at Blue Licks. While we've had a canoeing program here at the park for over 10 years now, we've become an increasingly popular destination for paddling over the past two seasons. Blue Licks was even named one of the top 25 canoeing destination in Kentucky according to Reserve America. Last season, aside from 2 trips, every scheduled trip went out. We're in the process right now of expanding upon our program here the park. We're hoping that by May we'll have in place not only our standard 2 1/2 hour trip available to the public, but also 2 or 3 other trips to offer to our visitors.
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Our basic trip that we offer to our visitors is designed for people with limited to no experience paddling. This trip leaves from the Blue Licks boat ramp, typically goes upstream for approximately 1 to 1.5 miles and then returns to the boat ramp. Several historical points of interest are discussed along the way. We also give basic paddling techniques and introduce you to the experience of canoeing. This trip normally takes approximately 2 to 2.5 hours and runs Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9:30 am in the mornings from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. If weather permits, we may even attempt to take several of these trips through April if the water levels permit.
Feeling more adventurous? Maybe a longer trip is more of what your looking for. This year we are hoping to offer our visitors an 18 mile paddle of the Licking River. We'll be starting 18 miles upstream from Blue Licks at Clay wildlife management area and paddling downstream to the park. This would be a perfect trip for people with a little more experience under their belt. Lunch and beverages and snacks will be part of the all inclusive trip.
Perhaps you're a first time paddler? If so, join one of our staff members for an intro to paddling techniques and canoeing. This will not be a certification course by any means, but a chance for those not familiar with paddling a canoe, to get their feet wet.....if you'll pardon the expression. This program will be approximately 1 to 1.5 hours of getting to know the basics with a chance to practice those skills on the water. This would be a perfect type setting for a family or couples looking to be introduced to this sport.
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| The only thing missing is you! |
Whatever your interest is in paddling, chances are Blue Licks can help fill in that part of your vacation adventure. If you check back often here, I'll be updating our canoeing schedules as they are finalized the next couple of months. You can even make your reservation via email by contacting me at this
EMAIL ADDRESS. Also, if you have any suggestions on how we can make our canoeing program even better for our customers, feel free to
contact me!
