Find the top rated birding trails in Kentucky, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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If you choose to ride the Ohio to Erie Trail route, especially if you are heading southbound, consider taking one short additional ride on the Newport Southbank Bridge. It is also known locally as the Purple People Bridge because of its lavender color and because it is not open to cars. The length of the trail is listed at 1/2 mile in length, so it will not take you very long to complete even an out and back ride on the bridge.
The payoff for riding this short trail is the opportunity to get some great pictures of the Cincinnati skyline and riverfront. In addition, on the other end of the bridge is the Newport Aquarium, a 20 screen AMC movie theater, and many restaurants and bars.
L&C Bridge is a tremendous addition to the recreation opportunities in the area. Included in the initial bridge design, this is a beautiful and scenic river crossing. On my crossing I saw cyclist, walkers and a runner. Since it has yet to meet up with the much anticipated Loop and stops abruptly 1 mile inland on the Indiana side, this trail is a reminder “if you build it, they will come.” Best accessed at this time from River Rd, Louisville.
I began the trail from the endpoint at William Miles Community Garden and turned back at Turkey Run Silo for a total of 30 miles. Very well maintained and signed wide bike trail. Along the way, many rest stops with bathrooms (very clean), bike tire pumps, and water fountains. Good for family with kids as well because there are very few road crossings. All the trail is immersed in the nature and there are no car noises. Most of these 15 miles are without shade, with limited sections under trees. Planning to continue the trail starting from Turkey Run Silo. VAM was about 1,300 ft.
Very nice surface but lack of signs makes it difficult to follow the trail in some spots. Nice shade at either end but none in the middle 75%. Be careful crossing the streets. Many drivers don’t respect crosswalks.
My wife and I rode our tandem, starting from the trailhead at the William Miles Community Garden off Rt-60, to the Circle K convenience store at Taylorsville Rd just south of the Pope Lick Trestle. The trail is well maintained and is paved with concrete and asphalt. This section has two hilly areas and the trail is a bit curvy there. The few tight turns were wide enough for us to negotiate the tandem through slowly. We rode on a Saturday morning and the trail was busy with other riders, runners, and pedestrians. Overall, a good experience; but I would try to use it on a weekday - when most others would be at work.
Trail is definitely not for a road bike. From Cumberland to Benham it is nice crushed gravel. As you get closer to Lynch it becomes a little less traveled and larger rocks and puddles. This will be a very nice trail once the planned updates are complete.
Started at the south end and rode north, then came back. I suspect this trail actually ends at the Food City parking lot in Cumberland, but it links up to a trail on the far side of the lot so we rode that one, too.
Nice ride! If you can, grab a shake at the Dairy Hut in Cumberland--great home-made taste!
Like most other reviewers, we biked the Parklands/Floyd's Fork section of the trail. It is one of the better-maintained trails that we have ridden on. This trail contains a mix of open-meadow/sunny and shaded areas as well as some flat and some very hilly areas. There are sections that are definitely more challenging for leisurely riders, but it is well worth the ride for the beautiful scenery along the way.
The amazing 19.5 mile stretch of the Louisville Loop located within The Parkland’s of Floyd’s Fork is the most amazing trail I’ve ever had the opportunity to visit. It includes some moderately hilly stretches through the woods and many miles of fairly flat cycling along the creek from which the park system gets its name. There are plenty of strategically placed parking areas / trailheads with very nicely maintained restrooms and water fountains. Information and trail maps are available at the trailheads. The trail is wide enough in many places to ride two abreast, however; one should be courteous at all times and form up single file for oncoming traffic. I noticed that other reviewers have commented about the “bumps” that result from joints in the concrete surface. To the best of my knowledge none of the joints have ever been filled with anything, nor do they need to be. I would estimate that about half of the length is concrete and the other half asphalt. Concrete is used in areas with frequent flooding, because it holds up much better under such conditions, with the result being that the trail can be restored to very good condition within a few hours after flood waters recede. There is a wide variety of wildlife to be seen along the trail on quieter days, and a beautiful and ongoing display of wildflowers for most of the year. New garden areas and new trees, plants, and trails are ongoing in the park with a beautiful new “park within the park” trail in the Broad Run section. It’s an approximate mile long display of outdoor “rooms” where you are welcome to come and relax. Bikes are not permitted in this area. If you want to sample all that the park has to offer you will need at least 3 days. There is an outfitter in the Pope Lick section for kayak and bicycle rentals, a mountain biking park in Turkey Run, and numerous soft surface, multi-use trails throughout the park. The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork is a donor supported public park. They do not charge admission, so, please enjoy your visit, and also consider visiting their website to make a donation.
We rode the Parklands section of this trail only. It is one of the most amazing trails I have ever ridden. While riding this part of the trail you don't feel like you are near the city. This is not a straight flat rail-trail. This is a purpose built trail that has sections with challenging hills, sharp curves, switchbacks and river bottoms. The scenery is beautiful and varied. There are rest stops and water at frequent intervals. The restrooms were clean and well kept. The trail links a series of parks. There is a little more congestion at the parks but people seemed courteous. The trail surface alternates between cement and asphalt sections. The cement parts are like giant sidewalks and are wide and smooth. The sections that go through hilly areas are mostly asphalt and also smooth and wide with the exception of a couple of small bridges that had large bumps at either end. The majority of road crossings are bridges or tunnels. A handful were on lightly traveled roads with part of those being at 4-way stops. All along the trail are separate hiking trails if you want to get off the bike for awhile. There are also areas to access the river for canoes and kayaks. Both the trail and river have mile markers. There are bike and boat rentals available at one of the parks. We ended up riding this trail end to end for several days straight because we enjoyed it so much. It is definitely a destination trail and worth a couple hours drive. When riding this trail you get the feeling that it is cared for by people who know they have a jewel and want to keep it that way.
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