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Kentucky State Park and Forest Hunting
9 state parks with 2026-27 hunts, 6 state forests, 4 state forest and WMA combinations and Otter Creek ORA, plus the parks and forest closed to hunting.
Photo: Shannon McGee (CC BY-SA 2.0)
State parks with 2026-27 hunts
Hunting on a Kentucky state park is allowed only for hunters drawn in a quota hunt, members of a drawn party, or those in a first-come or open hunt (301 KAR 2:178 Section 7(3)). For 2026-27 that means these parks:
| State park | County | Acres | Deer quota hunts | Open hunt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park | Clinton, Cumberland | 3,413 | 2 quota | – |
| Lake Barkley State Resort Park | Trigg | 3,304 | 2 quota | – |
| Greenbo Lake State Resort Park | Greenup | 3,268 | 1 quota | – |
| Yatesville Lake State Park | Lawrence | 2,006 | – | Muzzleloader deer hunt Dec. 14-16, 2026 |
| Kenlake State Resort Park | Calloway, Marshall | 1,591 | 2 quota | – |
| Taylorsville Lake State Park | Spencer | 1,463 | – | Mobility-impaired open deer hunt Jan. 16-17 |
| Jenny Wiley State Resort Park | Floyd | 1,415 | – | Mobility-impaired open deer hunt Jan. 9-10 (first 15 hunters to check in) |
| Green River Lake State Park | Taylor | 1,241 | 2 quota | – |
| Kincaid Lake State Park | Pendleton | 479 | 2 quota | – |
State forests
The Kentucky Division of Forestry owns the state forests; most are hunted under statewide seasons, with KDFWR chart rows for those it lists. Four more are run jointly as state forest and WMA combinations. Wolf Creek State Forest was bought in 2026 and is open under state regulations according to the Division of Forestry, but it is not yet on any KDFWR list. Rolleigh Peterson Educational Forest is closed to hunting.
| Forest | Counties | Acres | 2026-27 chart | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennyrile State Forest | Caldwell, Christian | 14,379 | Table | – |
| Kentucky Ridge State Forest | Bell | 11,794 | Not charted | – |
| Kentenia State Forest | Harlan | 4,081 | Statewide rules | – |
| Tygarts State Forest | Carter | 1,176 | Statewide rules | – |
| Green River State Forest | Henderson | 1,092 | Statewide rules | – |
| Wolf Creek State Forest | Breathitt | 464 | Not charted | Flagged |
| Big Rivers WMA and State Forest | Crittenden, Union | 7,574 | Table | – |
| Knobs State Forest and WMA | Bullitt | 1,537 | Table | – |
| Marion County WMA and State Forest | Marion | 1,341 | Statewide rules | – |
| Marrowbone State Forest and WMA | Cumberland, Metcalfe | 1,955 | Table | – |
Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife operated the 2,261-acre property from 2011 to 2026; in 2026 it was transferred to Meade County Fiscal Court (KDFWR Otter Creek ORA page). KDFWR lists it under "CALL FOR DETAILS" (Green River region, C) with archery/crossbow-only deer hunting on the detail page; public use rules in 301 KAR 3:012. Deer hunting there is archery and crossbow only, and the CWD antlerless season does not apply.
State parks closed to hunting
The other 35 state parks and historic sites have no 2026-27 hunt and are closed to hunting:
Barren River Lake State Resort Park, Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, Breaks Interstate Park, Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, Carr Creek State Park, Carter Caves State Resort Park, Columbus-Belmont State Park, Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, Dr. Thomas Walker State Historic Site, E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park, Fort Boonesborough State Park, General Burnside Island State Park, General Butler State Resort Park, Grayson Lake State Park, Isaac Shelby Cemetery State Historic Site, Jefferson Davis State Historic Site, John James Audubon State Park, Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Kingdom Come State Park, Lake Cumberland State Resort Park, Lake Malone State Park, Lincoln Homestead State Park, Mineral Mound State Park, My Old Kentucky Home State Park, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Nolin Lake State Park, Old Fort Harrod State Park, Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site, Paintsville Lake State Park, Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park, Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site, Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Rough River Dam State Resort Park, Waveland State Historic Site, Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site.
Pair of Canada geese feeding in shallow waterPhoto: Judy Gallagher (CC BY 2.0)
Wood duck drake swimming on rippled waterPhoto: DaPuglet (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Northern pintails in flightPhoto: USFWS Headquarters (CC BY 2.0)