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While on a road trip we stayed in Paducah and rode this greenway. The first 1 3/4 is gravel and is nice and shady. Then it turns into a beautiful paved section until it ends. The paved section is mostly open so it is pretty hot during the warm months. We hope that more will be added in the future since it is such a good area. Nice one to ride even if you are just traveling through!
We rode 28 miles on the Adkisson Greenbelt on Sat (9/15). We started on the west side at the Joe Ford Nature Center and ended 15 miles to the east at the Millers Mill Rd parking lot. The weather was mostly sunny with a high 91, so it was a pretty hot day. Overall it was an enjoyable ride, but the trail definitely had some minor issues in spots. I’ve laid out the good & the bad below.
The Good: Trail is paved, wide & in very good condition. Several opportunities for public restrooms & to refill water bottles. Lots of lakes & ponds on the eastern half. Benches are plentiful. Kentucky’s famous Moonlight BBQ restaurant is just a block off the trail (expect a wait). Trail passes by a few parks and hiking trails. Several trail heads offer multiple parking opportunities. Rental bikes available on the trail. Not a lot of bike traffic on the trail.
The Not So Good: There are a few major road crossings. You ride parallel to a few major roads in spots, so lots of traffic noise. Some very exposed areas and no shade in some spots. Most importantly, there is signage, but it is small and missing in some critical spots, making the trail hard to follow. Specifically, when traveling west to east, after crossing the light at Parrish Ave, turn right on the side walk then left at Old National Bank (there is not a sign there). Also, when crossing Carter Avenue, you will see a sign for the bike lane straight ahead on Tamarack Rd. Do not follow it! After you cross at the light, immediately turn right onto the sidewalk on Carter Rd and follow it down a few blocks until the trail makes a left turn.
Know Before You Go: I recommend riding east to west. The signage is better in that direction and easier to follow. There is a large pipe across the trail on the south end of Fishers park. You will need to lift your bike over the pipe.
Rating: This is definitely not a destination trail, more of a trail you’d stop to ride en route to somewhere else or if you are local. Due to signage issues, road crossings & noise, and not a lot to see on the trail, I’d give this trail a 6/10.
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!
Rode from Turkey Run trailhead all the way north to Beckley Creek Park. Agree completely with previous review by davemarshall. It's just beautiful and on a hot day the numerous shelters and water fountains are very welcome.
To me, the only negative is that the trail is almost entirely concrete slabs, which means cracks between every slab. Every third or fourth one is wider than the others and so I really felt them as I rode over thousands of them. Many of those cracks have the remains of what looked to be a rubber-like padding, but they have deteriorated to the point of ineffectiveness now. Now, this may not even bother you and I did get used to it to some degree. And the faster you go, the less you'll feel them. But for me, it was the only drawback. Even if you think it might bother you somewhat, it shouldn't stop you from riding this beautiful, unique trail.
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!
Lots of pedestrians walking across this bridge will slow a cyclist's progress. A must ride for southbound Ohio to Erie Trail riders to complete as part of their journey. Nice views of the Ohio River and the Cincinnati skyline. The few minutes it takes to cross and return are worth the effort.
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.
My wife and I parked at the Swamp Branch trailhead and headed Southwest toward Royalton. Our goal was to go all the way to the southern terminus of the trail but had to stop approx. 15 miles out due to a collapsed tunnel. the tunnel near Royalton was fine and a nice break from a rather warm day. but the tunnel 7 miles Southwest of Royalton had collapsed and was blocked. We turned back there giving us a 30 mile day.
The trail goes through some beautiful territory and well worth the trip. Much of the trail does go through and close to private residence. everyone we saw was pleasant with lots of "Good Mornings" and friendly waves. Much of the homes are pre-fab modular or trailers, due to a collapse of the coal industry some 15 years ago. most families took great pride in their property with nice landscaping and freshly manicured yards.
I have given a 4 star due to a lack of bathroom facilities and no water available. The ladies in Royalton at "Reisners gas station" make sandwiches and sell cold drinks. They were great and we stayed awhile and chatted before continuing on our ride.
The trail is finely crushed stone. In my opinion I would not take a bike on this trail with anything smaller than 32mm tires (standard on most Hybrids).
we brought our Mountain bikes and were glad we did. The larger tires helped in some of the loose and wet areas. My wife did get a flat but we carried extra tubes and got her back riding in no time. Be prepared for flats. bring plenty of water, and bring some snack bars. Hope this helps!
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
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