I have not been there to check on the hiking trail yet but the scenery looks amazing! I would love…read moreto see it in person so that I can experience and enjoy the hike and nature surrounding the mountains.

I've hiked the Jim Beam Nature Preserve at least twice, and what I love most is that people don't…read moreknow about it. However, given the current state of the world and every known trail shutting down due to overcrowding, now might be a good time to let everyone in on Jessamine County's best kept secret. According to the JCTA website, you can expect a "dirt trail with little elevation change through a wooded area. Old stone fences are visible. It has a couple of overlooks with winter views of the river." I don't understand exactly why this trail is NOT dog-friendly, but then again, I'm not an ecologist or a botanist. Approximately .8 miles will give you a decent workout considering the elevation changes, and it can get quite muddy given its dirt path construction. Unless it's winter, don't expect much of a view of the Palisades, but wildflowers are visible throughout in the fall. There are NO restroom facilities and view few parking spaces. Still, if you want to escape into nature and play explorer, this is a good place to do it.

Well worth a visit - accessible and well maintained. Trails climb to a scenic overlook of the…read moreKentucky River, with miles more to hike.

I love the fact that there were so many different trails with different features. I am not sure if…read moreraven run is pet friendly. It was so much fun looking over the Kentucky river as I got to the top. The maps provided are easy to read.

My mom has been talking about how all these people go into this place and that it's right off the…read moreroad very close to where she lives. So we went. Another reviewer mentioned the directions taking you somewhere completely different. When using Google, it definitely took us to some "6 family neighborhood-Your type don't come 'round here often" place down the road before routing us back out to the highway and down to the parking area. I was actually surprised! There aren't many options in the area. There are light places to exercise in the area (Danville/Lexington) but nothing really like this that I've found. To your east, you have Red River Gorge. South - Cumberland and the rest of Daniel Boone. West - Mammoth Cave. So usually if you want any type of forest terrain, you have to travel. The parking is limited but there is a grassy area where I'm sure people with big trucks park. It was a Friday so we didn't have an issue finding a spot. The trail is okay. If you go counter clockwise, the trail does put some climb in front of you but it's nothing crazy. If you'd rather this trail be a little less strenuous, go clockwise. There are a few off shoot trails that take you out to overlooks. There's not a ton to see at those overlooks but you can watch traffic go by on the highway in the distance or overlook into the campground nearby. I'm not sure if I'd go out of my way to visit this trail but if you're in the area, definitely stop by and check it out. We did run into a deer, plenty of bugs and quite a few butterflies along the way. There was an orange-yellow butterfly that I tried to snap a picture of but he flew away. Fine... Mr. Butterfly!

First off, the parking lot is small and very easy to miss. We arrived early but the lot was…read moreoverflowing by the time we returned from our hike. The hiking is what I would consider to be moderate. Especially the lower palisades trail. The way we went, I felt like we climbed 100 stairs and went straight up. It would have been much easier to go down them. There are 3 trails that all link together. They are very well marked and the trails are well maintained. There are no facilities or picnic tables. We had a beautiful day and I would come back again.

McConnell Springs hosted the community in the Education Center for a very interesting and…read moreinformative talk by a Jessica Whitehead, former Curator of collections at the Kentucky Derby Museum. She spoke about the ladies of the 1800's who were an integral partof thoroughbred breeding and racing. 87

Nice natural area to walk around it! It is larger and more secluded than the average local option…read more Unfortunately dogs aren't allowed.

Had the best time! The trails were very kid friendly and the waterfall was beautiful!read more

Very good place to camp and have events. Spacious, clean and all around very well kept.read more

This is one of my favorite state parks for a day or two of hiking. Very nice trails, some are…read morefairly rugged. I've been here several times, sometimes for just a day, and a few times camping nearby. You can take the sky lift up to the natural bridge, or you can hike up. There is a short trail (1/3 of a mile) that leads to a nice overlook where you can view the natural bridge from a distance. There are birds and wildlife to observe. And it is nice to visit in different seasons. There are good restaurants and touristy places to shop in the area too.

Well everything cause I did it ! Haha this is a self paced and self guided hike. It can be what…read moreyou make of it but the beauty is untouchable out of your control. A mix of hardwood, pine wooded and lots of sandstone /limestone rocks ! Tons of song birds and insects and forest creatures. Truly amazing day hike.

This set of trails apparently belongs to a local private college that I hadn't heard of. They are…read moreopen to the public, and it wasn't hard to drive and park here. The trails cover a wide variety of environments, reaching a meadow where the power lines through and going down into the ravine which holds the Kentucky River. Once you're down there, a long path runs under the riverside cliffs. As is often the case in this region, the scenery is pretty, but on the difficult side. Many of the trails are narrow and covered with gravel or mud, and are high enough in spots that a slip could carry some significant consequences. There were plenty of bugs as well. But I managed to get a solid two-hour workout/scenic visit in. It's free and it's not far from Lexington.

They finally opened back up and we love it here! It's beautiful. We do the easy trail to the right,…read moreso I can't speak on the other trails, but we always have so much fun enjoying nature here ‍

A lot of great trails to follow and things plants animals and birds and bugs I've not seen anywhere…read moreelse. Great spring flower walks with experts that know their plants and will answer your questions. Once when I missed a spring flower walk Robert Pendygraft gave me a private guided tour

This is a great area for enjoying nature without having to go too far. It's 500 acre area complete…read morewith trails of various difficulty, ponds, feilds, nice benches to enjoy the scenery, and a bird blind. A few times a month the nature center is open and they organize school trips and community hikes. This year is their 50th anniversary!

I only visited the area that is in the middle of Red River Gorge. Most of the popular visitor spots…read moreare very easy to access. Probably 3/4 of a mile to most of the natural rock arches. Short walk from the parking lot There a few waterfalls. Copperas falls is like a 4 miles round trip hike. Pretty easy. Start next to the Osbourne Bend Loop trail. About Osbourne Bend Loop trail. It is 7 miles on the map but actually 9 because you have to walk back to the trail head on the Red River Gorge parkway. Very nice scenery through the whole trail. Due to different altitude and participation, very diverse plant life and rock formation . Marking is pretty spare, easy to get lost. There is a visitor center and gift shop on Red River gorge scenic road. Seems like a lot of people don't know that.

Drove through this national forest on our way from Knoxville TN to Louisville KY. Green, lush and…read morepeaceful.