General Burnside State Park, named for General Ambrose Burnside, is a unique space offering a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities. This hilly 450-acre island rest in the Cumberland River and is an exceptional place for boating, camping, and enjoying Kentucky’s abundant wildlife. Visitors to the park will find ample opportunity for relaxing fishing, bird watching, golfing, and enjoying lake life.
Campers, will find 102 camp sites to choose from. The park maintains 93 standard camping sites with electrical and water hookups that can accommodate RV’s up to 98-feet in length. Guests wishing for a more primitive experience will find nine tent only primitive sites to choose from. Camping guests will find all sites outfitted with a lantern pole, a picnic table, and a fire ring. The park maintains bathhouses with hot showers, restrooms, and a laundry facility for guests to use. There is also a dump station located in the campground area.
If you're looking for outdoor recreational opportunities, the park is an outstanding option. General Burnside State Park is home to an 18-hole golf course designed by Brian Ault. The park also offers ample opportunities for boating, fishing, and enjoying the surrounding river.
The park's address is:
General Burnside Island State Park
8801 US-27
Burnside, KY 42519
Guests will find the park located just ten-miles south of Somerset. Guest traveling from Somerset will take KY-1247 S/Murphy Ave. for approximately six-and-a-half-miles. Take the State HWY-90 ramp and merge onto US-27S. Alter traveling approximately two miles, turn right onto lc-1001. This will take you onto the island and into the state park. Hayes Branch will merge with HWY-27 just before the turn onto the island. You will know that you have traveled too far if you see Racetrack Rd veering off on your left.
Guests to the park should note that the campground is hilly and the road can be narrow in places for large rigs.
Guests to General Burnside Island State Park will find ample parking on the island. There is parking available near the pro shop on the golf course and near the boat ramp. Guests will also find parking available at the ranger station and within the campground itself.
Guests to lovely wooded General Burnside State Park will find many opportunities for outdoor recreation here. Located in Cumberland River, this island park offers guest the opportunity to engage in fishing, boating, picnicking, and camping. Guests will also find a fully renovated 18-hole golf course within view of the water.
Guests interested in making their stay an extended one will find 102 camping sites to choose from. The park maintains 93 standard campsites with both water and electrical hookups. For guests interested in a more rustic adventure, the park maintains nine primitive tent camping sites. Guests will find the roads and pads within the campground paved. Each site has a lantern pole, a picnic table, and a fire ring. The park maintains two bathhouses with hot showers, a laundry facility, a playground, and a horseshoe pit for guests’ use. The campground has sites that can accommodate RV’s up to 98-feet in length. Leveling may be necessary as the campground is hilly in places. Also be mindful that the road can be narrow in places, making it challenging for large rigs.
Guests to General Burnside State Park will want to try their hand at fishing in the Cumberland River. This river offers some of the best fishing within the United States. Anglers frequently pull crappie measuring ten-inches from the waters. Note that there is a 15-inch limit on smallmouth bass and that they are only allowed a maximum of two striped bass measuring up to 24-inches a day. The park maintains a paved boat ramp for fishermen and boating enthusiasts alike.
Sitting in Kentucky’s Cumberland River, General Burnside State Park offers guest an exceptional boating experience. Guests to this lovely wooded island will no doubt wish to enjoy the lovely water surrounding them. Lake Cumberland State Dock, known as the houseboat capital of the world, is nearby. Guests can rent all types of floating crafts here. You will also find rental options available at the nearby Burnside Marina. Whether you are interested in a small private craft or a grand excursion, you will find a vessel to your liking.
Guests to General Burnside State Park will find the lovely wooded island to be home to an 18-hole golf course. Designed by Brian Ault and built in 1950, this golf course has been fully renovated and offers guests an exceptional golfing experience. Surrounded by the lovely Cumberland River, you can expect lovely water views from the sixth, eight, ninth, eighteenth, and seventeenth holes. You will find both carts and clubs available for rent from the pro shop. Be mindful that there is a dress code and no cut off shorts or swimming attire are allowed on the course.
There is no access to public transportation available within the park.
Guests to lovely wooded General Burnside State Park with an interest in this modern twist to treasure hunting will be happy to hear that there are caches to be found near the park. One such cache is the “Jump in the Lake Series #2” cache. Guests searching for this cache will be looking for a moderately easy to locate cache in fairly easy terrain. The cache itself in is a bit smaller than average and is located on lovely Lake Cumberland near the General Burnside State Park in the upper area of the marina parking lot. The cache contains a logbook and pencil for guests to sign. As the cache is small, there is only space for very small trinkets if you are interested in leaving something behind for others to find.
Whether your favorite ghost hunter is Jason Hawes or Zak Bagans, or even if you don’t know who either of these gentlemen is, you will want to travel to Somerset to see the International Paranormal Museum and Research Center if you are interested in exploring the unknown. This small museum is home to items ranging from a cast of Bigfoot’s big foot, to cursed objects, and written accounts of a variety of alien and paranormal accounts. Guests interested in adding a paranormal element to their adventure to General Burnside State Park will find this Somerset museum open from 11 am to 7 pm each Tuesday to Saturday.
Guest to General Burnside State Park looking for natural beauty away from the water’s edge will find Natural Arch Scenic Area in nearby Whitley City of interest. Guests will find a stunning 100-foot naturally occurring sandstone arch here. Once home to prehistoric peoples, modern day guests will also find several hiking trails, picnic areas, and a playground here. Guests can choose from three trails. The Natural Arch Loop Trial provides a moderate one-mile hike offering gorgeous views. The Buffalo Canyon Trail is a five-mile moderate hike that leads guests along an old Forest Service Road and beside Spruce Creek. The final trail is the Panoramic View Trail. This easy half-a-mile trail leads guests to a scenic overlook.
