Picnicking
Unless otherwise posted, you are free to picnic throughout the Forest. For a less rustic experience, explore our developed picnic areas. Many of these sites include picnic tables, toilets, and fire grates or rings. For some of our highly developed sites, you may even have access to picnic shelters or ball fields!
Black bear populations are increasing in Kentucky. Help protect yourself and other visitors by storing all food and trash in a hard top vehicle when you leave the picnic site to enjoy other attractions in the area. Please do not leave food or trash on the picnic tables or in grills.
Looking for the perfect summertime place to gather for a family reunion or celebration? Many group picnicking areas are available for reservation in advance!
Search for Picnicking Opportunities
Showing: 1 - 10 of 25 results
Alpine Picnic Area
Located off US 27 in Pulaski County, Alpine Picnic Area provides a welcoming, family-friendly picnic getaway. The site has a number of individual picnic tables, two first-come, first-served picnic…
Bald Rock Picnic Area
Bald Rock Picnic Area is located off KY 192 north of Laurel River Lake and offers a great place for picnicking as a group. From 1936 to 1970, the Bald Rock Fire Lookout Tower stood on this site.…
Barren Fork Picnic Area
The picnic shelter is located at the Barren Fork Horse Camp and can fit groups of up to 50 people. The shelter is available on a first-come, first-served basis unless reserved.View Guide/Map
Big Double Picnic Area
Big Double Picnic Area, located alongside Big Double Creek in Clay County, is the perfect space for everything from a casual picnic lunch to large-scale family gatherings and special events. The area…
Billy Branch Picnic Area
Billy Branch Picnic Area is located off KY 801 on the shores of Cave Run Lake. This 8,270-acre lake provides flood protection to the lower Licking River valley, supplies water to area communities,…
Boat Gunnel Group Picnic Area
Boat Gunnel Picnic Area is located off KY 801 near Cave Run Lake and provides access to Boat Gunnel Shoreline Trail #1206, Oak Ridge Trail #1208 and Wildlife Habitat Trail #1215. The site has…
Cawood Picnic Area
Cawood Picnic Area is located just east of US 421 in Leslie County along a creek shaded by large hemlock trees. The site's amenities include parking, grills, picnic tables and horseshoe pits.
Clear Creek Picnic Area
Clear Creek Picnic Area is located off Clear Creek Road (#129)  and is part of a recreation complex that includes several trails, boating at Clear Creek Lake, and picnicking. The historic 1800s-era…
Craigs Creek Group Campground
Craigs Creek Group Campground is located off Craigs Creek Road (#62) on the Craigs Creek arm of Laurel River Lake. The sites are for tent camping only and do not have electricity. Each group camp…
Fitchburg Furnace Interpretive Site
Fitchburg Furnace was constructed in 1868 and operated at the peak of the iron industry. In 1870, with 250 men, Fitchburg produced 900 tons of pig iron. Its venture was cut short in 1875. Its…
