Explore the best rated trails in Kentucky, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike & Hike Trail and Legacy Trail (KY). With more than 28 trails covering 183 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
I rode the entirety of the Parklands of Floyds Fork section on a very sunny spring day. I have ridden trails in many states and this was one of the best trails I've ever experienced. It is very well maintained, has breathtaking scenery and has multiple trailheads many of which have some of the cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen on a trail.
I started at the Beckley Creek trailhead which made the first few miles very hilly. As a mostly rail-trail rider this trail has many hills, curves and switchbacks. I very much enjoyed the challenge this provided but some of the hills will surprise you. I also found the trail mostly easy to navigate but the first few miles my wife and I made a few wrong turns until we found the Loop. I ended at the Broad Run Park trailhead which was much less hilly so starting there would make the beginning of your ride much easier.
After the first few miles which also seemed to be the busiest the trail starts to flatten out and become more rural. The scenery changes from playgrounds to fields of wildflowers, farms and wooded areas. There was never a dull moment in the scenery or the trail itself as it does require you to pay attention due to the hills and curves.
The trail is perfectly paved and there are trailheads every few miles. Most trailheads had shelters and bathrooms which gives plenty of options to start and end your ride. Residents of Louisville are very lucky to have this gem of a trail right outside of their city.
Well paved trail. Rode from YMCA to the end and back. About 24 miles total. We had a good ride with beautiful scenery. Some hills but not too bad. We did hear the traffic noise 60-70% of the time.
I ran this trail in March 2024. The review that has been submitted stated that the trail was short and flat. It is short, but it is not flat. The trail legend shows it's split in to three legs, but a person could absolutely do the whole stretch without any issue. There is little to no traffic and even though you do cross a couple of roads, the cars were kind enough to let me run through. There is a slow steep hill through Berry Park and then the rest of the path runs behind a neighborhood of houses. I parked in the "middle" of the three trails at the above-mentioned park and ran southwest first and this was a steady up and down path. It looks as though it has just been repaired as there were still signs of freshly planted grass and straw along the path. However, sadly, there are sinking holes already in the path and even a huge crater in part of it. I then did a loop, returning to the park and then up the northeastern part of the trail. This runs through a cul-de-sac and is an easy road run until the trail picks up again just cross Alumni Drive. The northern part of the trail is mostly shaded and wide with a nice creek running through. I felt safe and the trail seemed to be clear of trash. Not sure I would run this again if I were to return to the area just based on the hills alone. I was just in the area for an overnight stay and needed to fit in a quick 5K before a long car ride home.
Really beautiful trail for biking, with easy gradients. You just have to be careful with all the free roaming dogs that like to aggressively chase you. Ended up turning around half way through because dogs kept chasing me.
On a chilly morning in late October with a temperature hovering at forty degrees, I ventured out onto the Louisville Loop's Parklands of Floyds Fork portion of trails. The Parklands is made up of five sections in a rural setting, and I rode four of them out and back.
BECKLEY CREEK PARK
First of all, this section is surprisingly hilly at the start and toward the end. Even the bridges over the creek were steep! Thank goodness for my Swytch pedal assist! It's especially picturesque with beautiful creek and woodlands views. The calls of birds will accompany you throughout this section.
(Unfortunately, the connecting trail to Pope Lick Park was closed as of October 23 due to construction, so back up the trail, pack up the bike, and drive to the next trailhead.)
POPE LICK PARK & THE STRAND
If you're averse to hills, then these are the sections for you. If you're also into sensational creek views and crossing over bridges, you'll be in heaven.. These two sections also contain beautiful scenery of wooded hills, farmland with field of corn, and a few charming country homes. Keep your eyes peeled for turtles. I saw about a dozen of them sunning themselves on a log extending into the creek. Rust colored fuzzy caterpillars with a black collar and black rear tip were also all over the trail. By far, these portions of the trail were the busiest with bicyclists and walkers.
TURKEY RUN PARK
Again, if you're not into hills, this is not a good section for you. With my pedal assist it was not an issue, and it was especially fun going through the woods and seeing the multitude of squirrels with nuts in their mouths scampering across the path and up trees. Of course the silo at the top of the hill is one of the stars of this section and is most definitely worth the climb to the top. From there you can see the trail head down through Turkey Park to the north, and the trail also heading down to the south and Broad Run Park (which I didn't have time to do).
CONCLUSION
All in all, I did 31 miles in this superlative park. The trail is superb: wide, smooth, and curvy which adds to the fun and interest! The park has real restrooms that are clean and have sinks. No porta-potties for The Parklands! This park system is obviously much beloved by the community. There were many happy, friendly folks utilizing it on a weekday. It's evident that a great deal of thought and planning went into this treasure! It's a model of what a park should be. The rest of the country should come and study it. It is most certainly a destination bike ride. I came all the way from California to ride this, and I have no regrets! What a gem of a park and trail system!
(This was the 49th state I've ridden my bike in. Thanks for making it a great one, Louisville! On to Hawaii!)
A very nice trail. Rode this in mid September on a Friday afternoon, on my way to see Sara Evans in the tiny little town of Clay, WV. (I know this has absolutely nothing to do with the Dawkins trail, but it is the reason I found myself in this part of the country).
I started my ride at the Jenny's Creek Trailhead, and ventured all the way to the shuttered Tip Top tunnel. The trail "ends" about 1/2 mile before the tunnel, but you can keep going to check it out. It is worth it....
The ride was pretty nice, with a great surface, and very empty. In the 45 miles or so I covered, I only encountered a few other riders.
As several others have stated, the gates are a huge problem. Not only are there too many, they are very difficult to notice. If you are accustomed to riding at a faster pace, be very careful as sometimes you can be right on top of these. The paint is faded on most of these gates, and they blend into the scenery. A couple of times I had to really stop quickly. These are in desperate need of high-visibility paint. Other than these dangerous gates, the trail is worthy of a visit.
Trailhead in Greenville is across from Clark Tire Center and has nice picnic table nearby. The trail is in good condition, saw some birding along the way and a nice city park at Powderly. Bathrooms at the HS were closed for the season.
I’m in Lexington for business - whenever I’m in a new city - I try to checkout the bike trail. The Legacy Trail did not disappoint- I’m from Central Ohio and our trails are pancake flat - the Legacy Trail has enough elevation to get the heart rate up - but nothing the novice cyclist couldn’t handle. I enjoyed taking in the history in the trail and most importantly- I felt very safe as a solo female rider from out of town. The trail was full of friendly cyclists!
25 miles of smooth, 9 ft wide pavement through eastern Ky landscape. Mostly shaded, Wildflowers, rocky bluffs, bridges, tunnels. Also has 44 3.5 foot wide vehicle gates to navigate, which ruined ride for me. Would love to see more historical markers on trail. Map shows locations but no obvious evidence when riding.
One of the best trail ride experiences I’ve ever had! The people were exceptionally friendly. We unknowingly went on golf cart Saturday & were a little confused as to why golf carts were allowed on the trail. The Mayor stopped us to introduce himself and inquire about us and our trikes. They allow golf carts every 3rd Saturday from 10 a - 3 p to make the trail available to everyone! The Dairy Bar was awesome, and we even got a little history lesson from the owner! Will definitely be back because it became an instant favorite! What a gem!
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