It's not a huge lake (why it's only 4 stars), so if there were to be a lot of people it may get crowded. However, it isn't a lake that is over crowded. All the boaters are friendly, the lake is clean, and on July 4th they gave away free burgers and brats at the dock to everyone. It's a very friendly and welcoming place.
Brought my dog here for a walk on a beautiful day. The scenery here is great. Picnic facilities have enough trash cans to use. The area around the dam is well kept and clean. I'll bet the park is spectacular in the fall and will have to visit then.
We've been in the area for almost a year without going to the park, but my stepson was coming to stay with us for the month and he loves to fish, so my husband and I took a trip out to the park one day to check it out. The first day, we brought our dog with us and just drove and walked around looking for good fishing spots. It looked promising. The second visit - my husband and his son took their gear and went out to fish near the dam. For some reason the waterway was opened up more than usual and from what I understand the water was moving too swiftly, so they didn't have much luck. I think they each caught one fish. But they enjoyed the day. For our third visit, the three of us rented a pontoon fishing boat from the marina. They have a basic one that seats 8 (with lawn type chairs) and a deluxe, which seats 6 but has more comfortable built-in seating. [I think they have one that's a step above that, but I didn't write the info down.] Because we called ahead and rented it on a weekday rather than the weekend, there was a discount, so we chose the deluxe. [Ask for the Sun Cruiser.] We really enjoyed it; the motor had really good pickup and there was plenty of room. Before we took off, the staff at the marina reviewed boating instructions with us and made sure we were comfortable with the boat. (My husband used to water ski and drive boats around so he already had some experience, but I think even a novice would feel comfortable with this boat.)Rental was from 8 am to 6 pm, but we didn't end up starting out that early or staying until the end, so we really ended up out there in the heat of the day when it wasn't necessarily the best time for fishing. We did find a few good spots where we saw several good-size fish jumping, but we only caught one small catfish for the day. Still, the boat had a top, providing us with shade, and there was a nice breeze that came and went throughout the day. We had fun just being out on the water. When we brought the boat back in, the staff was really friendly and chatted with us as we unloaded. They invited us to come back again. We would definitely go back out to the park and the lake for future family enjoyment.
Taylorsville Lake campground has three separate areas -- RV, horse, and tent. What a welcome change from the new norm of RV-tent-tent-RV grounds! We camped in the middle of the week in September, and pretty much had the entire primitive/tent side to ourselves.Most sites are shaded, but those are on sand/dirt patches. I'd booked our site online for three nights and chose one of the few sites that was partial shade. Just a tip: site 12 actually has no shade, and there are a TON of anthills in the grass.That said, we had a huge site and wouldn't have had any issues with neighbors had the grounds been full. The bathrooms are AMAZING -- regular showers (not coin/token operated) and everything is super clean.The only reason for the 4/5 was the trail system. Most trails are shared with horses, which means, even if you aren't meeting horses face to face, you're stuck muddling through their tracks.
The lake is a very pretty lake. Make sure to check out the Army Corps of Engineers Overlook tower. It's a very striking view. Not much access to the lake however. Few shores that are accessible without a boat - if you bring your own boat :) as there didn't seem to be rentals anywhere. surrounding areas are very rural, and clean fresh air is abundant.
Taylorsville Lake State Park is centrally located in the Louisville - Lexington - Elizabethtown triangle and a good place to camp if touring the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The campground is in a quiet remote location but most of the major distilleries are located within 1 hour of the campground surrounded by the beautiful Kentucky countryside.The campground is beautifully maintained with large open and well-spaced gravel sites suitable for all RV sizes and angled for easy entry and exit. Each gravel site is bordered by landscape timbers with a picnic table and fire ring. Each site is separated by a grass area which is well maintained. There really are no bad sites in the entire campground. The bath / shower facility is centrally located, modern and very clean but can be a bit of a walk for some of the sites at the extreme end of the campground loops. Overall, a fantastic camping experience and highly recommended to travelers looking for camping facilities in that part of Kentucky. Grocery and other services in the area are limited so come prepared and enjoy the state park.
This state park is good for fisherman, campers, recreational boaters, including kayaking. The campground is nice, and the park has nice equestrian/hiking trails. Do not get used for mountain biking, although it is permitted, because riding through piles of "horse apples" isn't fun, so cyclists stay away. The park would be nicer if it had a swimming area at the State Park ramp. It isn't a State Resort Park, so no lodge is available at the park, and no restaurant. There are restaurants in the area, in Taylorsville, and the Eagle Motel is available for lodging. There are rental condos available, but I do not have any knowledge/experience of those places. The Settlers Trace marina offers boat rentals, if you don't have your own. Multiple boat ramps for launching, if you have a boat. For paddlers, the Van Buren ramp at the top of the lake has a lot less powerboat traffic, and offers a lot of birds and access to paddling up to the entry of the Salt River flowing into the lake. Very scenic area. I use the lake year round with the kayak friends for fitness paddling. It would be even better for all boaters if the lake had a dedicated canoe and kayak launch area with a sandy bottom to relieve congestion and paddlers mixing with boat trailers at the concrete ramps.
Lake is nice. Close to Louisiville. Facilities are limited. No lodge or restaurant. There are nice outdoor camping facilties.Hiking Trails are mediocre. A very good place for Horse Trail Riders. This State Park caters to this type of activity.
Very nice park. Wild flowers were in bloom. Several trails to choose. It was a good place to walk day hikes.
Loved the Lake and staff at Edgewater Marina. Everyone was very helpful and awesome. Rented a Pontoon boat and found the price to be very reasonable