What was once a struggling public golf course could soon become Kenton County’s largest park.
County officials are transforming the former Fox Run Golf Course, a 225-acre property off Independence Station Road, into the New Kenton County Park, with an initial $20 million budget that’s expected to grow over time.
County leaders envision a regional destination where residents can hike, bike, climb, fish and explore while maintaining the natural character of one of the county’s largest remaining green spaces.
‘Get into the nature and see and engage’
The site is already open for passive recreation, including hiking, walking, bicycling, fishing and wildlife observation. County leaders have a far larger vision.
Unlike smaller city parks, the New Kenton County Park will offer numerous amenities, including extensive multiuse trail networks, nature and wildlife refuges, an expanded fishing pond with docks, a playground, even an elevated obstacle course, according to Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann.
“We’re trying to make every single thing that’s in the park usable,” Knochelmann said. “We want to be able to let people get into the nature and see and engage.”
County leaders estimate roughly 70% of the property will remain untouched by construction, preserving large sections of natural habitat while creating new opportunities for outdoor activity.
Dog park, ropes, art
Plans call for the park to be organized around three distinctive ridges, each offering a different experience:
Fox Run Golf Course shut down in 2020 after county officials determined the course was no longer financially viable.
The Kenton County Fiscal Court opted to preserve it as public green space, formally approving the conversion of Fox Run into a park in August 2020.
Master plan developed in 2021
Kenton County hired a park planning firm in 2021 to develop a master plan for the property, which was updated in 2024 with the New Kenton County Park plan.
The county has since assembled a team to move the project forward: J.S. Held was selected in 2025 as the owner’s representative, Bayer Becker was added for design services and Prus Construction was chosen in 2026 as construction manager.
Officials anticipate breaking ground later this year and opening the park in the fall of 2028.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Former Fox Run Golf Course to become Kenton County’s largest park
Reporting by Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Randy Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
