Find the top rated horseback riding trails in Shelbyville, whether you're looking for an easy short horseback riding trail or a long horseback riding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a horseback riding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
I 'm not really sure that this this should be listed as a trail in its own right. This is really just an extension of the existing Legacy Trail. The signage along the trail actually designates it as the Legacy Trail. However, that should not be taken as a complaint. This portion represents another step toward bringing the Legacy Trail into downtown Lexington. I am hopeful that the other extensions will be coming soon.
We split the Parklands of Floyds Fork trail section of the Loop into two days; arriving late Saturday we rode north from Pope Lick Park to Miles Garden, approx. 13 miles O&B. We unloaded at the park; a very safe & secure area with lots of cyclist. The north section of the trail starts out switching back uphill then meandering through a flat section to another uphill switchback section at the trailhead. We stayed the evening at an idyllically turreted B&B just east of the park and enjoyed a great meal at an upscale mussel & burger restaurant in Jeffersontown.
On Sunday, we rode south to Broad Run Park, approx. 28 miles O&B. This south section of the trail starts out relatively flat but does gradually leads to more challenging grades (incredibly fun downhills). Make sure you stop at the overlook to view where you rode, the B-F Silo. Post ride lunch was at a great mac & pizza joint in downtown Jeffersontown.
This is a beautiful, well maintained, multiple use (kayaking next) trail through park lands, creek sides and hilly woods. All of Louisville should be proud of this privately supported park and thanks for sharing with our family!
I ride some portion of this incredible park system of trails 3-5 times a week and it’s never the same ride twice. The actual “Louisville Loop” is a proposed 100 mile trail around the city, but right now it’s more like three disconnected segments , each great in its own right. I’d estimate you can ride about 60 miles of it now. You can ride along the Ohio River on the Louisville waterfront and take the very cool Big Four Bridge across the Ohio River into Indiana and ride for 15-20 miles there as well. It’s big city but you don’t share the road with cars and it’s a great ride. Amazing views of the river with restaurants, coffee shops and ice cream on the Indiana side. It’s cool to sit in the middle of the bridge with classical music being piped in! The next major portion open is along the west side along the Ohio River from the Farnsley Moreman House towards Louisville. The trail is flat, paved , with multiple rest areas along the way. It’s often called the levee trail as it runs along the top of the levee! Mike Linnings is a local favorite fish place and it even has its own “off ramp”. Great views of the Ohio River and very little traffic. But the absolute jewel of the system that is worth a drive from anywhere in on the east coast or mid America is the portion called The Parklands. It’s a system of five separate parks, all connected with a wide, paved bike and pedestrian path. No cars to deal with. It covers every kind of terrain you could want, from very challenging hills, to pristine meadows, rolling hills, cool forests, river views, winding paths through cornfields and wildflowers everywhere. There are numerous access points but the trail runs from Shelbyville Road in the north (Beckley Creek Park) to Bardstown Road in the south (Broad Run Park). It’s a little over 40 miles round trip but quite a workout with some big hills near Broad Run. There are five segments, each with a trailhead, water, restrooms, picnic area and bike repair stations at most parking areas. From Beckley Creek it’s very scenic with rolling hills, meadows and a few decent hills. As you descend into Pope Lick Park, there are all the facilities you need. Heading out from Pope Lick is easily the most pristine and enjoyable part of the trail system. It’s called the Strand and is almost all flat following the river. Numerous bridges cross back and forth over Floyd’s Fork. It’s worth the drive alone. That part ends at Seatonville Road in Turkey Run Park. Restrooms and shade and water available. Leaving Seatonville you head up some challenging hills through the hills and woods of Kentucky and it’s absolutely gorgeous. More cool bridges await! You will come to the silo and another rest area in Turkey Run Park as well and if you have a hybrid or mountain bike they’ve just opened a mountain bike park right near the silo. You can climb the silo and get a birds eye view of it all. It’s great for the adventurer. There are several side trails, well marked for mountain or hybrid bikes to add some variety! The last portion goes from the silo to Broad Run Park, another hilly ride that flattens out at Broad Run Park with lots of bike options, including dirt paths along the river, paved paths through the meadow and a huge pavilion, spray park, picnic area and restrooms. If you combine this with the levee trail and Ohio River portion it makes a great biking weekend! I’ve ridden the Silver Comet, Great Allegheny Passage, Monon Trail, Katy Rail Trail and The Little Miami trail and would put this up against any of them. Not nearly as long as those iconic rail trails but a GREAT bike experience!
Very nice bike trail from the Kentucky Horse Park. wasn’t very well marked and we went the wrong way a couple to times. Will do it again and figure out what we did wrong. Some folks told us it went to downtown Lexington but we couldn’t figure out his to get there. Better luck next time! Beautiful country except parts of it run by the interstate and it’s noisy.
This trail appears to be a good resource for the community. It provides (1) a safe place for children to ride their bikes separated from automobile traffic, (2) a place for those in the neighborhood to walk their dogs, and (3) a place for a leisurely stroll. It's too short for adult cycling or serious runners. If I lived in the neighborhood, I might use it often, but it is not something that anyone would travel a great distance to use. There is no public parking or trailhead. There are no magnificent views, unless you enjoy looking at power lines.
We stopped off for a 10 mile out and back (20 miles total) starting from Beckely Creek Park and heading south/southwest. The trail was a nice wide concrete trail that follows the creek and winds it's way through a lot of different areas (housing, farm, parks,...). Given the many average reviews on this trail we almost skipped it, but are really happy we stopped. It was a cooler late October day on our way back to Minnesota and it turned out to be our last ride of the year. Not sure what the trail is like further along but this section is world class and worth a ride.
I live an hour away from Lexington in Louisville (which has its own awesome trail at the Parklands if you're in KY anyway), but I drive to Lexington 2-3 times a month just to enjoy the beauty, serenity and pristine trail on the Legacy Trail. It recently has been extended another three miles past the Kentucky Horse park, making for a nice 25 mile round trip from near the YMCA downtown. The rolling hills, restrooms in the middle and lots of horse country, streams, bridges and well maintained paved trails make this is a great ride!! Go for it
Rode this trail on 30 Sep as part of the BourbonCountryBurn bike tour. Rode from KY Horse Park Campground to downtown Lexington. Trail is very well maintained. Has plenty of information markers along it about the surrounding area and it’s history. Takes you to many old restaurants in the Lexington area.
This is a nice little trail slightly over two miles in length running from Masterston Station Park to Alexandria Drive. It seems to be a decent place to be enjoyed by those who live in the neighborhoods to which it is connected, but, at this point, isn't really useful for any other purpose. There are no trailheads or public parking of any kind. There seem to be long term plans to extend the trail along the existing rail corridor toward downtown Lexington, but those plans have been around for a while and very little has materialized. Lexington has been very good at following through with its trail projects. One would have to assume that this one is not very high on the list of priorities.
This is a scenic trail through 4 beautiful parks and a 5 mile connecting section (all off road) all along Floyd's Fork in easy reach of Louisville Metro. The trail is nicely paved the entire way with access to water fountains, restrooms, and bicycle repair stations strategically placed along the way. The trail provides a nice mix of terrain ranging from flat to rolling to hilly. This is a family friendly destination with canoe / kayak and bike rentals along with shuttle service in the park. There are even play and spraygrounds in a couple of the parks.
In April 2017 a friend and I took a break from interstate driving to ride the Legacy Trail into Lexington and back to its north end. The trail is good pavement and well marked. We liked the frequent signs telling the history and ecology of the area. Also, artists painted the trail surface in places, so it was fun to see their work. If you have time, ride into Lexington from the south end of the trail, to see the restored houses and enjoy a cup of coffee.
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