Big Bone Lick Naturalist and Recreation Blog

Winter Spotlight: Valley below Big Bone Lake
With winter snows right around the corner keep in mind that Big Bone Lick State Historic Site still has great nature viewing and recreational opportunties. The lake area affords great views this time of year, but especially once the snows start covering the ground on the surrounding hills. Park visitors can enjoy sled riding, winter trout fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing opportunities all winter long.

Trails: There are 4.5 miles of trails at Big Bone Lick
Big Bone Creek Trail: 1 mile loop trail showcasing the salt-sulphur spring, bog diorama and park history.
Bison Trace: .5 mile trail to the bison herd.
Cedar Run Trail: .5 mile looping trail off the gobblers trace trail.
Corralberry Trail: 2 mile trail that goes around the lake and upper portion of the park.
Gobbler’s trace Trail: .5 mile trail from campground to visitor’s center parking lot.

The Fall season is a great time to get out and see an abundance of wildlife including deer, turkey, and birds. The picture is of a Red-tailed Hawk that was seen right alongside the Big Bone Creek Trail. Please exercise caution on the trails in the fall due to wet conditions as the trails can remain slick and muddy for several days after each rain.

Bison Herd
The fall season is a great time to get out and see the bison herd due to the vegetation being sparse. The lack of leaves on the trees allows people to better see into areas the bison generally frequent. As you can see by the photo our bison herd tends to be more active during this time of year. Please do not feed or try to touch the bison, they can be very dangerous. Climbing, jumping, or hanging on the fence is not allowed, please respect the bison area and do not throw litter into the pen.

Educational Programming: The naturalist staff at Big Bone Lick take great pride in offering high quality educational and community outreach programs. Among the programs are bison tours, prehistoric living skills, park history, and survival programs. These programs are great for school groups, scout troops, organizations, or any other civic groups. For additional information please contact Todd Young.