Kenton County Recreation (859) 525-PLAY

We've come a long way! And more is happening all the time!

Kenton County Recreation was created in 1998. At that time, we provided Shelterhouse Reservations and offered just one program ~ Adult Recreation Softball Leagues.

Kenton County Recreation has since become an important leisure services community resource. We have an easy-to-remember telephone number to help make remembering it, and finding us, easier. Our phone number is 525-PLAY. That's (859) 525-7529.

On our telephone line, there are four mailboxes with recorded messages designed to help you "help yourself" to Kenton County Parks & Recreation information. When you dial 525-PLAY, you will be able to speak immediately with Recreation Programs Coordinator Steve Trauger, or leave a message for Steve, or access the other three mailboxes, depending on the specific information you seek. You may leave a message in any of the mailboxes at any time, day or night. We will return your calls quickly - usually the same day. If Steve is on the line or out of the office when you call, a recorded message will begin and prompt you with the following options:

0 ~ The Main mailbox message with basic information, Shelterhouse Reservation details, and voice-mail to leave messages;

1 ~ "What's Happening in Kenton County's Parks?" ~ a calendar and brief description of upcoming programs, activities and events in our parks;

2 ~ "How-Do-I-Get-There-From-Here?" ~ directions to each of our parks, including a list of the amenities provided at each;

3 ~ Our Field Conditions Hotline ~ a user-friendly service which is updated daily, seven days a week during each respective sports season, providing callers timely information and making travel to personally inspect playing fields unnecessary.

Our office is located at 3902 Richardson Road, Independence. Directions are easy. From I-75, take the Florence/Union exit, go north on KY42 to Industrial Road, go east (turn right) on Industrial Road 2.9 miles to 1303/Turkeyfoot Road, go south (turn right) on Turkeyfoot Road .6 mile to Richardson Road (just before the Sunoco), and go east (turn left) on Richardson Road 1 mile. Turn right into the entrance of the Golf Courses at Kenton County and take the immediate left into the driveway. From I-275, take the Turkeyfoot Road exit (Exit 81), go south on Turkeyfoot Road 4.3 miles to Richardson Road (just before the Sunoco), and go east (turn left) on Richardson Road 1 mile. Turn right into the entrance of the Golf Courses at Kenton County and take the immediate left into the driveway.

Kenton County Recreation designs, develops, promotes, and operates all of the programs approved by the Kenton County Recreation Commission, with the approval and support of Kenton County Fiscal Court.

Each year, we offer numerous programs, from one-day extravaganzas to season-long programs, including Wild Wednesdays!, our new Go Outside (And Don't Come Home ´Til The Street Lights Come On), Kids All-American Fishing Derby, (Almost) Every Other Thursday Science, Kick-Off To Summer Party, the Halloween Haunted Trail and Great Pumpkin Races, and Letters To Santa / Letters From Santa. (For details about the programs we offer, scroll down the menu on the left and click on the specific program.

We encourage and support community involvement and participation by coordinating many activities and facilitate Boy Scout Eagle honors projects and National Honor Society projects in our parks. We facilitate important environmental projects, including monitoring our links in the Northern Kentucky Bluebird Trail, promoting the Great Backyard Bird Count, operating the Great American Cleanup/Doe Run Lake & Nature Trail Clean-Up, presenting Star Gazes with the Cincinnati Observatory Center, organizing and facilitating the Banklick Creek Clean-up, and we provide three programs during the Great Outdoor Weekend.

We are grateful to have in place a loyal network of hundreds of volunteers. Each year, our volunteers provide thousands of hours of unpaid labor, attentive eyes and ears in every one of our parks, and constructive criticism and valuable suggestions for improving the quality of the services we provide to you. If you are interested in joining our volunteer staff, click on the Kenton County Recreation Volunteers link on the menu to the left.

During the spring and summer, we operate three successful Adult Recreation Softball leagues: Monday Men ~ Church "A" and "B" and Friday Women.

We present nationally recognized youth sports contests, including Major League Baseball's Aquafina® Pitch, Hit & Run and National Football League's Pepsi® Punt, Pass & Kick and facilitate an all-ages sports program called the World's Biggest Disc Golf Weekend. We also present the High School Disc Golf Championships.

Our Recreation Programs Coordinator serves as an active board member for the Northern Kentucky Senior Games and facilitates two events during the NKSG, an Olympic Games-style, fun and friendly competition for those 50 years or better. He is responsible for getting Disc Golf included in the Bluegrass State Games and has chaired the event since 1998.

And more is happening all the time!

Kenton County Recreation has become an invaluable Northern Kentucky information clearinghouse for outdoor activities. Call anytime ~ if we can't help you, we'll point you in the right direction!

Call Kenton County Recreation at (859) 525-PLAY (7529) to see how you can help ~ we are always in need of volunteers and funding sponsors for our programs!

For news of upcoming programs, activities, and events to be held in Kenton County's parks, and for Shelterhouse Availability, call the Parks & Recreation office at (859) 525-PLAY (7529).