Explore the best rated trails in Louisville, KY, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Patoka Lake Bike Trails and Ohio River Greenway . With more than 9 trails covering 73 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.
Earlier this year, my parents stumbled upon part of this trail and were eager to introduce it to me when I was in town for the holiday. As a new professional in the railroading industry, I was excited to enjoy one of the Rails-to-Trails in person after hearing high praise from my colleagues. The area is very well maintained with clear signage, greenery, and historical markers. Since my parents (who are in their 70s) did not feel comfortable traversing the steep incline that leads to the Hospital, we instead opted for the Crooked Creek West Trail and Deer Path. These were much more accessible due to being mostly flatter terrain and led us to the abandoned Crooked Creek Phantom Bridge of Madison, Indiana. I would love to see more historical information on display to enrich the experience. It was very cool to see parts of the rail stamped with the original mill marks of Carnegie Steel from the 1905 installation!
Pro Tip: Start at the waterfront downtown for easy parking and a better, more scenic starting point that follows the waterway.
This trail was awesome. So much beauty throughout between the trees and the lake. Well paved. There is a $7 fee to get in the park but it is well worth it!
The downtown section west from the Big 4 Bridge was awful. Poorly maintained and a lot of sketchy areas. Do yourself a favor and ride across the Big 4 Bridge into Indiana and ride the trail west from there. Nice trail and some nice views of the river.
We continued our ride at the Pope Lick trailhead (right after the Taylorsville closure) and rode south 10 miles to the Brown-Forman Silo center. The first 7 miles were relatively flat and the last 3 very hilly. Most of the trail sections we rode were in the sun which may make this a little warm in the summer. However, it was very evident that Louisville spared no expense on this section of the trail.
We road the Parklands of Floyd’s Fork trail which is the section east of downtown Louisville. It was an amazing ride with diverse scenery. We’ve ridden quite a few trails and this ranks right up there with any of the hall of fame trails we ridden. We started at the most north trailhead in Beckley Park. We road 5 miles south to the Taylorsville road closure. It was very hilly with steep grade warnings and we felt very lucky to be on hybrid bikes!
Easy access from either end of the trail. Great trail that winds through a part of town and along a train track, then along the River. Some mud and debris along the low portion of the trail, but most had be removed allowing easy biking or walking rail road tracks and parks. Trail was well marked and mainly concrete that was mainly cleared after some flooding. Easy to bike or walk with some inclines. Nice trail!
This is a beautiful trail with a gorgeous creek....worth the drive from Louisville
Good condition, well lighted, good for walking and cycling. Nice amenities, well marked, security cameras in place, connects to other nearby trail systems.
Tale of 2 trails….maybe 3
All the glowing reviews are for the Parklands of Floyds Fork. Look out when you go downtown!!!
5 stars for Floyds but 2 stars for downtown.
We parked at Turkey Run Park on Seatonville Rd. Turned out to be almost perfect midpoint. Rode 10 miles North to end at Miles Garden. All concrete except for the section North of Taylorsville Rd. Relatively flat except for the tough long climb North of Taylorsville and then at the very end approaching Miles Garden.
In the afternoon we parked at the South end at Broad Run Park. Rode about 10 miles North to Turkey Run. Much different experience. Same great trail surface, but many more hills. I think we had 3 steep climbs. I got off and pushed on a couple. Windy downhills were fun though. Amazing that this beautiful park is not tax supported. A real gem indeed!
Downtown is a different story. Parked at Big Four and headed West. Pretty nice for first couple miles. Started seeing some homeless tents under I-64 past the Science Center parking around 9th Street. Had some folks riding go carts and scooters on the trail and wouldn’t move over for bicycles. The real “fun” started after the railroad underpass where trail turns right. Down a sidewalk with some flood level markers in the pavement, then a couple sharp turns into a wooded park. Pavement ends. All dirt and mud. Abandoned cars. We finally turned around when we got to a bridge with mud halfway up to the railings. (see pic) Do yourself a favor. Turnaround when you see the sign at Portland Wharf Park that says Loop Alt Route. (see pic) Was about 4.2 miles from Big Four to Portland Wharf.
Enjoyed the wide diversity of the 3 rides. Definitely a big change from a typical flat and straight Rail-Trail…..bikin-Mike….Aug 2022
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