For those who love the outdoors, Kentucky’s capital city invites you to “take a hike.” There are over 40 miles of hiking trails scattered throughout Franklin County. Whether you’re a casual stroller, a brisk walker or a serious hiker, there’s bound to be a trail just for you.
Easy Meandering
For the casual stroller with art interests, the trails at Josephine Sculpture Park offer an easy walk with outdoor art exhibits. If you are more interested in nature than art, the .5-mile Vaughn Branch Nature Preserve Trail begins in the parking lot and ends at the large sycamore tree – a symbol of the preserve’s forest ecosystem.
Those wanting a bit of a longer hike have several options. Fort Hill in Leslie Morris Park has fascinating features. The 1.2-mile Fort Hill Loop takes hikers on a trek through Civil War history, passing a cave and at the highest elevation, revealing a beautiful view of the city.
Thorobred Trail (1.8 miles) is a scenic paved trail that is great for dog walking and bird watching. Another place to do a little bird watching while you walk is on the network of trails at Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary. The trails meander through 370 acres of woodlands and meadows bordering the Kentucky River.
Intermediate and Expert Hikes
For intermediate hikes, you have the Riverview Park Trail and the Lakeview Park Trail. The 1.9-mile Lakeview Trail is relatively easy, with some small hills along the way. The 1.4-mile Riverview Park Trail is known for its picturesque views of the Kentucky River, running from Ward Oates Amphitheater to Buffalo Trace Distillery. You can plan to end your hike with a tour and tasting at Kentucky’s oldest continuously operating distillery.
For hikers with more time to spare, consider exploring longer trails like those found at Cove Spring Park, Salato Wildlife Center, Capital View Park Mountain Bike Trail, and West Sixth Farm. Cove Spring Park, spanning 240 acres of wetlands, streams, springs, waterfalls, forested ravines, and 6.7 miles of hiking trails, is a beloved natural playground in Frankfort. The longest trails include Lower Holly Loop, Holly and Osage Loop, and Boardwalk and Creekside Trail, each offering hikes of up to 1.9 miles.
Salato Wildlife Center is a wildlife viewing haven featuring elk, deer, bison, black bear, bobcats, wild turkey, and bald eagles. It also boasts four miles of hiking trails suitable for all hiker levels. The favorite hike here is the 2.41-mile Pea Ridge Loop, known for its primitive path through cedar and oak/maple/hickory forests, featuring several ascents and descents and described as “moderately to extremely strenuous.”
At West Sixth Farm, you’ll discover four miles of hiking trails alongside hop fields used by West Sixth Brewing. These trails cater mostly to intermediate and expert hikers, but there’s a more accessible 0.7-mile Farm Loop Trail for a scenic stroll. Additionally, the trails are open for running, hiking, and mountain biking, with the option of enjoying cornhole and disc golf as alternative activities.
Whatever your choice of activity, don’t leave without stopping in at the taproom for a cold, local brew and some food from their food truck, West Sixth Cantina!
Hike Highlights
In addition to the hiking trails, Salato has two fully stocked lakes for fishing, and 12 miles of trails open for both hiking and biking at Capitol View Park. As a bonus, some of the trails provide an excellent view of the Kentucky State Capitol Building!
