Jenny Wiley State Resort Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jenny Wiley State Resort Park
Dewey Lake
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Type	Kentucky state park
Location	Floyd County, Kentucky
Area	2,871 acres (11.62 km2)
Created	January 1, 1954
Operated by	Kentucky Department of Parks
Status	Open year-round

Jenny Wiley State Resort Park was founded as Dewey Lake State Park on January 1, 1954, with Dewey Lake near Prestonsburg, Kentucky as its centerpiece. It was renamed in the early 1950s for Virginia "Jenny" Wiley, a pioneer woman who is remembered as a survivor of captivity by Native Americans. It became one of the resort parks in the state in 1962 with the opening of the May Lodge.

Facilities

Of the park's 2,871 acres (1,162 ha), 1,100 acres (4.5 km²) is Dewey Lake. The Kentucky record for largest tiger muskie was at Dewey Lake. Dewey Lake was named for the hero of the Battle of Manila Bay, Admiral George Dewey, when the United States Army Corps of Engineers built the lake in 1951.

The park lies in a "moist Appalachian" environment, dominated by maples, pawpaws and tulip poplars. The park's hotel, May Lodge, has 49 rooms, many rental cabins and a dining and conference room that seats 200. The Music Highway Grill uses locally grown produce, meat and dairy. The Jenny Wiley Amphitheater produces numerous plays, such as The Wizard of Oz and A Chorus Line, and the "Story of Jenny Wiley", throughout the summer season. Fishing is very popular, with many boat launches as well as a full service boat dock at the May Lodge. The Jenny Wiley Trail marks the path Wiley took to escape her Cherokee tormentors; it is advised that lone hikers do not take the path because of "trail difficulty". The scenery and low traffic make this popular among bicycle tourists and randonneurs. Multiday bicycle camping and touring clinics are offered in fall and winter. An 18-hole golf course is one of several other outdoor activities.