May 2023
Paducah, West Kentucky WMA
Fort Massac State Park, Metropolis
In May, we decided to travel across west Kentucky and hang out around Paducah for a couple of days. We spotted a few places on the map nearby that we had also never been too, part of our travels took us into Illinois.
Paducah
Since we intended on bringing both dogs on this trip, we felt that an AirBnB would serve our purposes better. We picked out a beautiful cabin just outside of the city limits, on a farm with plenty of room for the dogs to run around. It also proved to be a decent bird spot as there was plenty of tree cover and a large pond. The perfect place to sit and drink your morning coffee.
Fort Massac State Park
Just over the state line into Illinois, sits Fort Massac State Park. Located in Metropolis, IL which is about a 20-25 minute drive from Paducah. The 1,500 acre park sits right on the Ohio River and had some very pretty, views along with well kept up trails and plenty of wildlife. Another great birding destination. We had the dogs leashed about 50% of the time. Some of the areas near the park buildings and fort had more foot traffic, but it never felt crowded.
Metropolis, IL
After we visited the park, we decided to hang out in Metropolis for a few hours. After all, it is Superman’s hometown. We had fun visiting the 15ft statue, The Super Museum and Hidden Gems Novelty & Collectible store. For lunch, we stopped at Fat Edd's Roadhouse.
West Kentucky WMA
Our last stop on this trip was to a WMA we’ve had our eye on for awhile but never got around to. West Kentucky WMA is located in Kevil, KY and is a large, 6,000+ acre public access wildlife management area. We did take our dogs but made sure we double checked which areas were being used for hunting so we could steer clear, be sure to study the area map before heading in! This area is great for birding, large areas of fields and wetlands. Not only does this WMA permit hunting, but also fishing and bird dog trials are held there each year.
