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Looking to go on a little adventure this summer, but don’t want to go too far? You’re in luck, and there’s plenty to explore around Northern Kentucky that’ll make you feel like you’re worlds away.
From the views at Devou Park to a trip back in time at Rabbit Hash to spending time in local waterways, there are so many ways to get out and enjoy the region this summer. While some stops may be a bit of a trip, all are within an hour’s drive of NKY.
Read on to learn about some particular pockets around Northern Kentucky where you can be close but feel so far away.
Frolic through lavender fields
Did you know there’s a lavender farm just outside Verona? Nope, you didn’t magically end up in the south of France; you’re at Bayer Farms.
June is the peak season for lavender, and the 2025 season at Bayer Farms will start May 29 and run through July 15.
For $12, guests get a basket, a pair of scissors and a knee pad. They can head into the rows to clip what they like to take home. Guests also can bring food to enjoy at one of the picnic tables. Year-round, the farm sells lavender products like lotions, scented neck pillows, even lavender cookies and more.
• 995 Eads Road, Verona; bayerfarmsinc.com.
Enjoy the view at Devou Park
Nestled in the middle of the region’s urban riverfront, Devou Park offers a scenic escape from the city right in the heart of it. Originally the family farm of William P. Devou, Sr. and Sarah Ogden Devou, much of the land for this iconic park was donated to Covington in 1910.
With over 700 acres, the park offers tons of things to do and nature to enjoy. Devou features an 18-hole golf course, picnic shelters, playgrounds, over eight miles of mountain bike trails, paved nature trails, an amphitheater, a fishing lake and more. Also at the park: the NKY Children’s Home, Drees Pavilion at the Devou Memorial Overlook and the Behringer-Crawford Museum.
Devou Park might be best known for its sweeping view of downtown Cincinnati and Covington. The overlook is open every day from dawn to dusk.
• 1201 Park Drive, Covington; covingtonky.gov.
Take a trip to a grown-up-sized treehouse
Dive into a fairytale with a stay at one of three treehouses in Brooksville, Ky. at EarthJOY Village. While a little bit of a trip, this quirky stop is within an hour’s drive of Northern Kentucky and would make a perfect weekend getaway.
Guests have the option to stay in one of three unique treehouses or the “Skoolie Love Bus” (a retrofitted school bus that sleeps up to two adults and two kids). There are also 285 acres of land with 20 miles of trails on the property to explore. The villages offer customizable team-building retreats, tree-climbing courses and more.
• 3400 Bridgeville Road, Brooksville; earthjoyvillage.org.
Step into a prehistoric world
Take a walk with dinosaurs at Big Bone Lick State Park in Union. Described by the National Park Service as “the key to understanding the life of the Ice Age on the North American continent,” this park will take you back in time to a different world.
The park is on the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail and is known for its salt springs and prehistoric animal fossils. Visitors can view life-size replicas of prehistoric animals, visit a bison herd, explore 4.5 miles of trails, camp, hike, swim, watch birds, orienteer, picnic and more. The park also features 62 campgrounds with a camp store, showers, grills, laundry and restrooms.
Big Bone Lick is open year-round, and admission is free.
3380 Beaver Road, Union; parks.ky.gov.
Enjoy the water from a kayak
If you live in Northern Kentucky, you’re familiar with the mighty Ohio and its tributary, the Licking, which define and run through or past Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties. While you may see them all the time, you may not get to experience them from the water.
Enter Schack’s Yaks, a program that provides lockers so those with kayaks can store them by the river so they don’t have to lug them around and find creative storage solutions. It also offers hourly rentals in kayak kiosks for people looking to take a quick trip on the river.
The company’s first kayak kiosk was in Augusta. It added one in Newport after being approached by city officials who wanted a creative solution for urban kayaking.
The program hopes to expand; a kiosk has been announced at Doe Run Lake.
Step back to a slower time
Rabbit Hash in Boone County is home to one of the best-preserved country stores in the United States, the Rabbit Hash General Store. It’s even included on the National Register of Historic Places.
The name Rabbit Hash is said to have originated during the flood of 1847, when the rabbit population was driven to higher ground and became a staple in a special stew called “hash.” The unincorporated community is also well known for its rotating dog mayor. You can even meet the candidates during the annual Old Timers Day, a popular music and arts festival held at the general store.
• 10021 Lower River Road, Rabbit Hash; rabbithash.com.
Wade into nature
Thirty-acre Doe Run Lake offers a glimpse of nature that makes you feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere (even though it’s only 15 minutes away from downtown Erlanger).
The lake offers a boat ramp (only trolling motors permitted) and fishing. The 183-acre park surrounding the lake features hiking trails and secluded picnic areas.
• 1501 Bullock Pen Road, Erlanger; kentoncounty.org.