Devou Park

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Devou Park is Covington, Kentucky’s largest park, spanning more than 700 acres. It sits on hilltops with overlooks that offer sweeping views of Cincinnati’s skyline and the Ohio River valley.

The park’s history begins with the Devou family, who bought land here in the late 1800s. In 1910, they donated the land to the city on two conditions: Covington would spend $100,000 on park improvements within six years, the park would keep the Devou name, and Charles Devou would continue living in the family home. The city built roads and stairways to connect the park to the city, and development continued through the 1920s. In 1967, the park expanded across Sleepy Hollow Road.

Two Civil War forts, Battery Coombs and Battery Bates, are located in the park. The original Devou house now houses the Behringer-Crawford Museum, which preserves local history and features a large spring complex that the family asked to protect.

Prisoner’s Lake in the north-central part of the park began as a limestone quarry worked by jail inmates from 1916 to 1920; the lake was filled with water in 1924 and today hosts fishing and an annual youth derby.

For recreation, Devou Park has an 18-hole golf course (expanded to 18 holes in 1995), a disc golf course, tennis courts, and miles of trails (paved hike-bike trails and 12 miles of backcountry trails maintained by volunteers). The WPA era built two swimming pools, a shelter, and a bandshell, and the original bandshell still hosts concerts and events.

Drees Pavilion opened in 2003 at the overlook, and the Devou Golf and Event Center opened in 2017. The Behringer-Crawford Museum offers exhibits and programs, and NaturePlay@BCM is a nature-themed play area with a winter lights display.

The park also features four reservable picnic shelters and hosts a vibrant schedule of concerts, Shakespeare performances, films, and community events.