Kenlake State Resort Park

Kenlake State Resort Park is a park located on the western shore of Kentucky Lake. The park's main entrance and most of its facilities are located in Marshall County; the park also extends into Calloway County. The mailing address of the park is Hardin, Kentucky; however, it is located much closer to the unincorporated community of Aurora, Kentucky. The nearest town of substantial size is Murray. The park encompasses of land, of water, and features climate-controlled indoor tennis courts. It was Kentucky's first state resort park. Along with Lake Barkley State Resort Park and Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park, Kenlake State Resort Park is part of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, originally organized by the Great Depression–era Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).HistoryThe Commonwealth of Kentucky began negotiations with the TVA in 1946 to lease a portion of land known as Aurora Landing. The land was situated on the western shore of Kentucky Lake near the Eggner's Ferry Bridge. Kentucky Lake had just opened, following completion of the Kentucky Dam in 1944. The new lake, created by the dam on the Tennessee River, had the most beach area of any man-mad lake in the world. The leased land would be used as a state park dedicated to recreation. The TVA leased an initial 1,146 acres to Kentucky. After the land transfer was officially completed on March 13, 1948, the new park at Aurora Landing was named Kentucky Lake State Park and joined the commonwealth's state parks system. By the 1970s, the name of the park was often shortened to "Kenlake State Park" rather than "Kentucky Lake State Park".