This Beautiful Boardwalk Trail In Kentucky Is The Most Unique Hike Around
By Andrea Limke|Published May 31, 2018
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Andrea Limke
Author
A Cincinnati native who has lived in Kentucky for over 10 years, Andrea's heart belongs both in the Queen City and the Bluegrass State. After earning an education degree and working in that field for a number of years, Andrea began to pursue her passion for writing over 6 years ago. Since then she has written for a number of print and online publications, as well as published a children's book.
Kentucky’s state parks are truly magnificent and a great resource for both locals and those traveling to our state. We love how diverse the landscape of Kentucky is, and these parks do a great job showing that off. We’ve previously featured John James Audubon State Park and its fantastic Wildflower Trail, but it now has a new trail that you’re going to want to explore. The Audubon Wetlands is still in progress, but it is already open to the public. This beautiful boardwalk and wetland trail is the most unique hike around.
John James Audubon State Park, located in the western Kentucky city of Henderson, has a new addition to its already wonderful offerings: The Audubon Wetlands.
The first section of trail is about 0.5 miles. Another trail, the Big Island Loop, is about one-mile-long and makes a circle around a portion of the Wetland Trail, which it bisects. It may sound confusing, but it's easy to follow with numerous signs pointing you in the right directions. You may come across sections where you need to double back to keep moving along the trail, but it's still an incredibly beautiful walk and will be a truly unique adventure when completed.
The exciting highlight of this wetland trail is the wide variety of wildlife and plant life that can be viewed during your adventure.
To give a few examples of what you may see in the wetlands: turtles, frogs, snakes, dragonflies, fish, bats, deer, bald eagles, great blue herons, waterfowl, songbirds, and beaver all call it home.
There are also unique plants that you may not see elsewhere on a typical wooded hike.
The Kentucky Division of Fish and Wildlife is working hard to preserve this area by planting over 81,000 trees to restore the forest habitat. They have also installed several bat roosting boxes to provide a safe place for endangered bats.
After you've walked along the boardwalk of the Audubon Wetlands, be sure to check out the rest of the activities offered at John James Audubon State Park.
They often host events and guided hikes, and there's an upcoming one featuring the Wetlands. You can learn more about the "Walk in the Wetlands" hike, which takes place on July 7, 2018, on their website (linked below). Whether you choose to go on a guided hike or visit on your own, add this beautifully unique boardwalk trail to your to-do list and enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience in Kentucky.
John James Audubon State Park is a special place that highlights so much unique natural beauty that we’re lucky to have all around us. Will you give this wetlands boardwalk hike a try? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Don’t forget to share photos from your outdoor adventures on our Kentucky Nature Lovers Facebook group for a chance to see your snapshots featured!
John James Audubon State Park is located at 3100 US Hwy 41 North, Henderson, KY 42419. For more information on the park, visit its website here, and for more on the Walk in the Wetlands Guided Hike Event, visit here.
