Big Bone Lick State Historic Site

For countless generations the salt-and-sulfur springs here drew animals from miles around, the way a natural salt lick still draws deer today. During and after the last Ice Age, that meant the megafauna of North America: woolly mammoths, American mastodons, giant ground sloths, ancient bison, and more. Many became mired in the soft, marshy ground around the seeps and died there, and their bones accumulated in the mud over thousands of years.

Long before scientists arrived, Native peoples knew the lick well. The Shawnee and other nations, whose ancestral homelands took in this stretch of the Ohio valley before their removal westward, hunted the game the springs attracted and carried away the strange giant bones. Their descendant nations continue today, largely in Oklahoma and beyond. When early European explorers came, Native guides led them to the bone-strewn ground.

In the 1700s, explorers, soldiers, and naturalists began carrying mammoth and mastodon bones away from Big Bone Lick, and the strange fossils stirred debate among the leading scientists of Europe and America over what kind of creatures they had come from. Thomas Jefferson took a deep interest in the bones and, as president, sent an expedition to collect specimens from the lick, some of which he studied at the White House.

Because the fossils here were among the first great collections of extinct animals studied in North America, and because they helped scientists grasp that whole kinds of creatures had vanished from the earth, Big Bone Lick earned its lasting nickname as the birthplace of American paleontology. The digging that began at these springs helped open an entirely new understanding of the ancient world.

A living herd of American bison grazes a pasture on the grounds, a fitting echo of the ancient bison that once used the licks. Visitors can see the herd from viewing areas, a reminder of the great grazing animals that shaped this land. The site's museum, inside the visitor center, displays real Ice Age fossils and tells the layered story of the lick, from the animals to the scientists.

An interpretive trail loops out to the marshy licks themselves, passing life-size figures of mammoths and mastodons positioned as if mired in the mud, which brings the scene vividly to life. Longer trails and a campground extend the visit for those who want to linger in the wooded hills, and the springs still bubble up salty and sulfurous as they always have.

Spring greens the pastures and woods, and the bison are active as the weather warms, a fine time for the interpretive trail.

Summer is warm and full, the busiest season, with families walking the trails and picnicking on the grounds.

Fall brings cool air and turning leaves across the wooded hills, one of the prettiest times to visit.

Winter is quiet and stark, the bare woods opening up the views, with the salt springs still steaming faintly on cold mornings.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, near Union in northern Kentucky, is a fascinating site often called the birthplace of American paleontology, where the bones of Ice Age megafauna were discovered around ancient salt springs. Thousands of years ago, mammoths, mastodons, giant ground sloths, and ancient bison were drawn to the salt licks here, and many perished and left their bones, which early discoveries made famous in the history of science. Today the site features a museum with fossils and exhibits, the historic salt springs, nature trails, and a herd of live bison, connecting visitors to the deep prehistoric past. With its fossil heritage and bison, the Big Bone Lick State Historic Site offers a fascinating destination in Kentucky.

Big Bone Lick is called the birthplace of American paleontology because the remarkable discoveries of Ice Age megafauna bones around its salt springs in the eighteenth century were among the earliest and most important vertebrate fossil finds studied in America, drawing the attention of leading thinkers, including President Thomas Jefferson, who took a keen interest and had specimens collected. These discoveries helped launch the scientific study of prehistoric life in the young nation. This pioneering role in the science gives the site its famous nickname, making Big Bone Lick a significant destination in Kentucky.

You can visit the museum with its fossils and exhibits on the Ice Age megafauna and the site's role in early paleontology, see the historic salt springs where prehistoric animals gathered and perished, walk the nature trails, and view the herd of live bison that recall the ancient animals once drawn here. The fossil museum, the historic salt springs, the nature trails, and the live bison are the draws, offering an engaging blend of science, history, and nature. Seeing living bison connects past and present. With its fossils, springs, and bison, the Big Bone Lick State Historic Site offers a rewarding experience in Kentucky.

The mild months of spring through fall offer the most pleasant weather for the outdoor trails, salt springs, and bison viewing, while the indoor museum offers an option in various weather. The bison can be viewed year-round from a safe distance. Because hours can vary, checking the current schedule before you go is wise. For the fullest experience with the trails and bison, aim for spring through fall at the Big Bone Lick State Historic Site in Kentucky.

The Big Bone Lick State Historic Site is near Union in northern Kentucky, within reach of the northern Kentucky riverfront with the Newport Aquarium and MainStrasse Village, the Cincinnati area, and the northern Kentucky countryside. That makes the Big Bone Lick State Historic Site a fascinating stop to combine with the northern Kentucky riverfront attractions and the other sights of the region on a visit to Kentucky.