by Jess Evans
April 17, 2018
While the Unbridled Adventure Race Series always has some great races at the spectacular Kentucky State Parks (full disclosure, I used to work for Kentucky State Parks), this year seems to have some particularly great races. The race series has The Bluff (at Jenny Wiley State Park), The Frog (at Green River Lake State Park), and my favorite, The Fig (at Natural Bridge State Resort Park).
I have never raced at Jenny Wiley State Park, but prior to my Kentucky State Park career, I worked for the Army Corps of Engineers at Dewey Lake (home of Jenny Wiley State Resort Park). Thus I started my fondness for that area. Dewey Lake is a flood control reservoir managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. The lake is about 1100 acres and is on a tributary of the Big Sandy River. The earthen dam was built in 1949. At the Army Corps Office next to the dam, they have historic photos of the construction of the dam. They are cool to look through to see the equipment they used to build the dam and the people involved in the process.
Working for the Army Corps of Engineers, I had the opportunity to be on the lake at least once a week during the summer ensuring people were safe. In the winter, we would walk the boundary line to freshen up the paint that indicated federal land and look for any encroachment. I quickly learned how steep the hills were around the lake and in eastern Kentucky in general.
The Unbridled AR Series promises steep climbs, great single track, and restful accommodations. Register for the races in the series and have a great time at Kentucky State Parks!
