Find the top rated hiking trails in Kentucky, whether you're looking for an easy short hiking trail or a long hiking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hiking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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We went in at Jenny Creek and rode to a little pass Gun Creek tunnel. The path had some fresh limestone down that was hard to ride through at spots. We all have hybrid bikes and were able to handle the path well for the most part. You do go gradually uphill for a few miles and then down hill is nice, its pretty much a straight line. Half sun/half shade. About 6 miles in a dog joined us that we could not shake. She stayed on the side, and didn't get in our way riding, I'm sure we were not her first escort. She was the best part of the trail, her tag said owners name but not hers and turns out her name was Marly, she's brown hound dog mix. All six of us said she was the best part of the trip, she hung with us like a champ. She even posed with our group picture in front of the tunnel which I sent to the owner so they knew where she was. We found out she is known to join bikers and you won't be able to shake her. On the way back we stopped at the Griffith Farmer's Market (well worth the stop) that is where we learned of her name and they held her for us and called the owner. If you are ever by this path, it is worth it, hopefully you'll see Marly. We ended up doing 13 one way (26 total) Marly was with us for about 10-12 of them. Recommended path.
Great clean trail, easy to ride bikes. Paths wide and scenic.
We rode from the Jenny Creek trailhead (mile 3.8) to the Tip Top Tunnel entrance (mile 25.3?) and back, for about 43 miles total. There were a couple things to mention. The previous reviewer says the tunnel is open, he means the shorter Gun Creek tunnel, not Tip Top which is still a mess inside. FYI near Carver there are a couple miles of actual paved trail that we did not know would be there, kind of an odd section to be paved but it's there! Also the last mile or so to Tip Top is rougher gravel and has had the gates vandalized and people can drive right up to the tunnel, we met a couple side-by-sides on the section.
The gravel is pretty well packed most of the route, but horse tracks have made it rough for bikes in a few sections. Two sections had loose gravel that was hard to ride through with my hybrid bike. The trail station and farm store at the Swamp Branch trailhead is really nice - give them some business and buy something. The only other stores we saw were a dollar general and old gas station convenience store in Royalton. Water fasucets were turned off and bathrooms locked in late June 2021 when we were there. Also one of the neighbors has a dog that routinely follows people for miles as we were told - we couldn't outrun her on our bikes until she got tired after Royalton.
Very Nice Trail – The pavement is new. There is a lot of upgrading taking place. There are around 10 or poles that stretch across the path with a narrow passage for bikes. The track is 8.5 miles long. Most of the track is shaded. It is basically straight and easy to bike, remarkably close to level.
Great! It is a great experience and we recommend it. The track is around 8.5 miles from end to end. The pavement is new. Much of the work is complete. It is an easy ride. There is one very good place to park in Prestonsburg. Don't bother to park anywhere else. If there is a negative it would be the blocking method used to keep motorized vehicles off this trail. Picture a bar across the trail that leaves just enough room to ride your bike through. On the one side is the metal yellow pole about 4 inches in diameter. Most of the poles will be lower than your handlebar, but at least one maybe two the same level. You will enjoy the bridge with a school bus cab place over it. Take time to record your name on the remaining space inside the bridge. Most of the trail is shaded with trees, great for summer riding. It is a very family-friendly place.
We road a portion of the trail this morning. It is well maintained and very pleasant. There is lovely artwork built into the trail. We are novice bikers and this was a good trail for us as beginners.
[[ AS OF JUNE 1ST 2021, THE TRAIL IS CLOSED BEHIND THE SMOKE SHOP GAS STATION FOR UPGRADES TO THE CITY STORM WATER DRAIN SYSTEM. THIS IS A SMALL SECTION OF THE FLOOD WALL TRAIL NEAR THE US HWY 45 OHIO RIVER BRIDGE. THE TRAIL IS OPEN ON EITHET SIDE, BUT NO DETOUR PROVIDED SO THE TRAIL IS TEMPORARILY BLOCKED AT THIS POINT.]]
Review:
The trail is not gravel, but crushed limestone on the original section. This is the wooded section behind Bluegrass downs accessible from Noble Park, Stuart Nelson Park, and now from a parking area off County Park Rd accessing a new section that connects a loop trail with some steep but doable hills around the old land fill, to Stuart Nelson park via a new bridge over Perkins Creek. A new phase has also been completed from the convention center along the Ohio River front to the park at the foot of Broadway and Kentucky Ave. There are restrooms by the trail downtown as well as shops and restaurants. The trail from Noble park to downtown Paducah is all concrete.
Construction of the double diamond intersection at I-24 Exit 4 has created a wide greenway style concrete walk bike path, but unfortunately it only extends to the stop light on either side of the interstate. It literally connects nothing to nothing. I was going to park at the mall and ride back into the city on Park Ave/Hwy 60, but one can’t even access the the walk from across the intersection. Unknown if there is planned expansion to connect to this or it’s something the interstate construction created with no practical use.
Nice trail to connect the Legacy Trail/Hope Center Trail to the longer Legacy Trail and to town. Unless I missed it, it would have been helpful to me to know that the Coolavin Trail was also called the Legacy Trail. Makes more sense for the total mileage for the Legacy Trail.
Either there wasn't a sign for Hope Center Trail or I missed it when I crossed W Loudon Ave at the southern end of the Legacy Trail. I probably didn't do enough homework before my trip, and looking at this site almost 3 weeks after I biked it, I now learned that this short trail is named both Legacy Trail and Hope Center Trail. The red marked trail on TrailLink had Legacy Trail end at W Loudon Ave. Maybe there was a sign for Legacy Trail, which might have confused me, since I thought it had ended. Maneuvering through the gates by the railroad tracks was easy. When it T's into Coolavin Trail (which I learned on a map is also called Legacy Trail), the left/east will take you to an endpoint by a port-a-pot, where as the right/west takes you past the Coolavin Park until it ends. Some of the streets have green painted bike lanes, but even though I took a few of them, I really don't know where they go. All 3 trails make up the 12 miles listed under Legacy Trail (which had confused me if you read my review under Legacy Trail).
I enjoyed the trail. Can't avoid the road noise, but looking at the country side, creek and whatever else made up for it. It was hillier than I expected, but manageable. Not just having a straight trail was nice also. I read the signs about the jockeys, horses and farms, which were interesting. I do agree that more signs are needed by the water tower area and the southern end to get to Hope Center Trail and Coolavin Trail. (I'll add a review at those sites). I was confused about the mileage. I parked at the YMCA, and went north until it ended at the gate, came back, went on the Hope Center Trail (both ways), the Coolavin Trail and a few blocks on city streets, and finally came back to my car at the YMCA and got a total of 24 miles, whereas the Legacy Trail was supposed to be 12 one way or 24 round trip on its own. I live in Ohio, so not near this trail, otherwise I would ride it more often.
Interesting old farm remains from about 1800.
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