Audubon State Park

On October 3, 1934, the Commonwealth of Kentucky dedicated the John James Audubon State Park. Some of the members of the crowd attending the dedication included members of the Henderson Audubon Society. Founded in 1898 to preserve the legacy of the great American artist and naturalist, John James Audubon (1785-1851), the Society had worked for over three decades to establish a fitting memorial.

In 1930, the Henderson Audubon Society requested $100,000 from the Federal government to help construct an Audubon Museum. A bill introduced in Congress to appropriate money for the Audubon project failed to pass. Undeterred, local citizens continued to raise funds for the proposed museum. By 1934, 275 acres had been acquired through donations and purchase. Work began on the John James Audubon State Park on October 3, 1938.

The Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) Number 1540 constructed cabins, gardens, shelter houses, picnic areas, a lake, trails, and a museum. Architects Donald Corley representing the WPA and Barnard Stebbins of Kentucky designed the Audubon Memorial Museum building. The structure contains many of the artist’s oils and watercolors, along with personal belongings and furniture belonging to the Audubon family. 

John James Audubon State Park has nearly six miles of hiking trails. The location of this trail system can be deceptive, leading one to believe the routes will traverse gradual slopes and rolling hills. Before I hiked here, I read an Internet article stating that some people use the trails as training for hikes in the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Trail; and now I see why. There are numerous steep climbs; making it one of the toughest trails I have hiked in western Kentucky.

A recent auction purchase by a local group of park supporters of a 649-acre tract of land bordering the park may soon serve to further diversify the recreational accessibility of Audubon. Julie McDonald, the Program Services Supervisor at Audubon, says there is a possibility that the land acquisition would allow for more handicap trail access. There is also potential to significantly expand the existing hiking trail system.