Perry County Park offers trails, courts, pool and river access

Perry County Park packs a full day of county life into one place at 354 Perry Park Road in Hazard. The site is one of the largest parks in Perry County, and it is built less like a single-purpose green space than a civic campus, with room for families, athletes, market shoppers, older adults and boaters all on the same property.

What is on site

Perry County Park includes a walking track, skateboard park, basketball courts, five picnic shelters, baseball and softball fields, a stage area for concerts, an outdoor pool, putt-putt golf, tennis courts, a boat ramp for Kentucky River access, a Horse Park and a playground area. The Hazard/Perry Senior Citizens Center is also located in the park, which means the property serves more than recreation alone.

A family can move from playground to pool, a teenager can use the skateboard park or courts, and a visitor with a boat trailer can reach the river without leaving the property. The pool, shelters, Senior Citizens Cabin and stage may be reserved for special events by calling 606-439-1816, so the same space can shift from everyday use to weddings, reunions, concerts and community gatherings.

How to use the park in a single day

Perry County Park works best when you think of it in zones. The trail network and market area handle the morning crowd, the sports courts and pool fill the middle of the day, and the river ramp gives the park a practical afternoon exit point for anglers and paddlers. Wednesday and Saturday are the most predictable market days from May through October, so those are the days when the park is likely to feel busiest in routine use.

A resident could start with the hiking trails, then move to the market, stop for lunch under one of the shelters and finish at the pool, tennis courts or river ramp.

Trails, river access and the trail town connection

Perry County says the park contains more than 6 miles of hiking trails that range from easy to very strenuous, giving casual walkers and serious hikers the same destination. Perry County rates the North Fork River Trail as an easy, relaxing route that begins behind City Hall and runs to the Perry County Park launch ramp for about 5 miles.

Hazard-Perry County has been designated the 20th Kentucky Trail Town by the state Office of Adventure Tourism, and the park sits inside that larger outdoor identity. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife lists the Perry County Park ramp on the North Fork Kentucky River as free, open year-round and available 24 hours a day, with a paved surface, a single launch lane and capacity for 25 or fewer.

The farmers market and what it sells

The farmers market gives the park its weekly rhythm. Perry County says the Perry County Farmers Market has operated for about a decade and is one of the longest-running markets in the region. Vendors sell tomatoes, corn, squash, melons, peppers, beans and honey, along with handmade birdhouses, linens and fashion accessories.

Perry County says it accepts SNAP, WIC and Senior Vouchers, which makes it relevant to shoppers who rely on those benefits as well as to vendors moving local produce into local kitchens. County material places the market at Perry County Park on Wednesdays and Saturdays from May through October, while the market’s own site describes a seasonal setup in downtown Hazard next to Triangle Park.

Why the senior center matters

The Hazard/Perry Senior Citizens Center gives the park a steady weekday function that many visitors may overlook. County aging-service listings place Perry County Senior Citizens services at 354 Perry Park Road and identify Rhonda Combs Williams as director of social services. The same address is used for the senior center inside the park, which means the site is not only a place for exercise and events but also a daily-service location for older residents.

A park still in motion

Perry County Park is not a finished project frozen in time. The county held a public meeting on park improvements on October 1, 2025, a sign that officials are still working through upgrades and priorities for the property.