All Blog Posts Tagged 'forest' (9)

There is a gem of a trail hiding in Jefferson Forest. It's not very long, and it's certainly not well known, and it's hiding one of the more spectacular attractions in all of Louisville. It's called Fairmount Falls, and I can only describe it with a single word; WOW. Before I let you in on this secret, lets look at some facts. The Fairmount Falls trail (not Fairmont, like the sign at the trail head spells it) is approximately 1.1 miles long, located off of Thixton Lane in southern-central J… Continue

Not everyone enjoys strapping on a pack and traveling over hill and dale for many miles. If you've never hiked a trail before, the stories of all-day treks in the great outdoors might be a little daunting. In this blog post, I'm going to introduce you to a few trails in our area that aren't long on distance, but are chock full of interesting things to see. Jefferson Memorial Forest, Horine Reservation Mitchell Hill Trail: 1.5 miles The Mitchell Hill Trail in the… Continue

Scott's Gap Loop, Jefferson Memorial Forest

I've gotten caught in stormy weather on trails several times. Almost every time it has happened, I didn't really plan for a sudden thunderstorm, but I was always prepared with a plastic poncho in my pack, so I was never worried. On June 15th, the weather called for rain all afternoon, so I was prepared for a wet hike from the outset. I had not h… Continue

While heading to the German Ridge trail in Hoosier National Forest, I was enticed off of Indiana State Highway 66 by the Oriole trailhead turn off. Pulling into the large parking area, I was struck by the number of hitching posts in the parking lot. This was my first experience with a true “multi-use” trail in Hoosier National Forest (HNF), and as many hikers might agree, I wasn't very happy. Before I get to that, let's break down the trails. The Oriole twin trails in HNF include the West and… Continue

Two Lakes Loop Trail, Hoosier National Forest It's a rare treat when you discover something really wonderful that has been right under your nose all along. That was my first impression after finishing the 16 mile Two Lakes Loop Trail in Hoosier National Forest. Not only is Two Lakes a first rate recreational area with camping sites and boat ramps on two good sized fishing lakes, but the loop trail within offers one of the longest single loops within an hour and a half of Louisville. And… Continue

I'm a Louisville native and I'm not really into horses. In fact, I've said it more than once, I think horses are evil. Maybe it was my first two horseback rides when I was 12 and I got bucked off. Or perhaps when I was 18 and a friend tried to convince me to ride and his horse bit me. Twice. It doesn't matter really, but I've resigned myself to the fact that horses are best viewed from the other side of a fence or on the television. This past Saturday was the culmination of a 2 week festival he… Continue

With a little Spring heat, the forests in the Ohio Valley have gone from almost barren to luscious green in less than two weeks. Since my last blog post, I've taken a couple of beautiful hikes in Bernheim Forest and Jefferson Memorial Forest just to check out the dogwoods and other trees in full bloom. Last weekend, in between bouts of rain showers, we had three hot days in a row with temperatures in the upper 80's. That was more than enough to wake the remaining trees still slumbering in their… Continue

As Kentucky continues to recover from the January ice storm, many of the state's parks are slowly reopening trails as the cleanup continues. One of my favorite local hiking haunts is Bernheim Forest, just 20 minutes south of Louisville off of Interstate 65. Bernheim Forest is an arboretum and research park, complete with miles and miles of gorgeous hiking trails through untouched habitat. I've been hiking Bernheim since I was 4 years old, and some of the best days of my youth were spent in the… Continue

Kentucky was hit pretty hard by the huge ice storm a few weeks ago. In fact, some parts of the state are still struggling without power. With mid to upper sixties forecast for today, I decided to head to Tipsaw Lake and hike the loop trail and see what the damage was like in Hoosier National Forest. It turned out to be quite an adventure. To set the stage, we're experiencing unseasonably warm weather for February. On top of that, the snow and ice in the area has completely melted and we've eve… Continue