Escape The Stress Of The City By Visiting These 10 Urban Parks In Kentucky
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Rachel Shulhafer
Author
It’s a fact: spending time in nature is good for your health. Not only does it get you on your feet for physical activity, but being surrounded by nature has a positive affect on your mental health as well. If you live in an urban environment, it might be easy to forget this. If you’ve had a stressful day or you’re feeling a down in the dumps, visit one of these urban parks in Kentucky. You won’t have to travel too far from the city, and you are guaranteed to feel better.
Jefferson Memorial Forest is located in southwestern Louisville, but as you explore the knobs of valley of this 6,500-acre forest, you'll swear you're a lot further away from the city than that. Jefferson Memorial Forest is the largest municipal urban forest in the United States.
This city park located in Covington is 700 acres, making it the largest park in the city. It's high on top of a hill, and offers you stunning panoramic views of the Cincinnati skyline and Ohio River valley.
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Relax and unwind in this 734-acre nature sanctuary located right outside of Lexington. It's right along the Kentucky River and has ten miles of hiking trails.
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Bernheim Forest is located in Clermont, just outside of Bardstown and only about a 30-minute drive from Louisville. This arboretum and research forest has unique art installations scattered through the park, and even offers a Canopy Tree Walk, which is a boardwalk that juts out into the treetops 75 feet above the forest floor.
Bob Noble Park is Paducah's favorite park. It surrounds a 5-acre lake that features a gazebo and a bridge. The Greenway Trail is just over a mile and links Bob Noble Park with another Paducah park, Stuart Nelson Park.
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Lost River Cave is known for offering the only underground boat tour in Kentucky, but even if you feel like staying above ground, there is still plenty to do. Choose one of the hiking trails, marvel at the amazing blue holes and natural springs, or just sit back and watch for wildlife.
This 26-acre park is very historically significant to Lexington, as it is the site where the city was named. Within the park is a very interesting and complex system of sinking springs. The park features a paved trail, making is accessible to most visitors.
Ashland is very proud of this city park, and it is a great place to go for a stroll without having to leave town. It also hosts their Winter Wonderland of Lights Festival every December, and the park transforms into a magical Christmas land.
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If you live in Kentucky's largest city, but don't have time to drive to the outskirts of town, don't worry. Louisville has some of the best city parks in the country. The jewels of the Olmsted Parks are the massive Cherokee, Seneca, Shawnee, and Iroquois Parks, which were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the same man who designed Central park in New York City.
This park in rural Owensboro offers seven hiking trails that traverse through the wooded areas and wetlands of the park. It also has a 6-acre lake where you can cast a line.
Does anyone regularly visit any of these parks? Let us know what other urban parks in Kentucky you like to escape to!
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