Introduction

      About This Book

      Five-Star Trails: Louisville and Southern Indiana covers 37 hikes in the city and surrounding area. Given that Louisville is situated on the Ohio River, about half of the hikes are south of the river, in north-central Kentucky, and about half are north of the river, in southern Indiana.

      Geologically speaking, Louisville sits on the far western fringe of the Outer Bluegrass, characterized by rolling hills and narrow ridgetops. Deciduous-hardwood forests dominated by oak, maple, beech, and hickory cover most of this area, except for the occasional meadow, a leftover remnant of land that was cleared for farming. Just south of Louisville lies the Knobs, a region distinguished by distinctive steep-sloping, often cone-shaped hills capped with limestone and sandstone, rendering their peaks more erosion-resistant compared with the rock beneath. Southwest of Louisville lie the Mississippian Plateau and the far-eastern edge of the Muldraugh Hills. Unlike the isolated hills of the Knobs, the Muldraughs are an escarpment, or ring of continuous hills, that divides the Plateau from the Bluegrass.

      North of Louisville, in southern Indiana, the terrain is also quite hilly and in geological terms is referred to as the Southern Hills and Lowlands. This part of the Hoosier State was largely untouched by encroaching glaciers, preserving a rich ecosystem of plants and animals that thrive on the steeper topography found closer to the river.

      The hikes in this book are divided into five geographic regions:

      LOUISVILLE: INSIDE I-265 This section comprises hikes close to the heart of the city, bounded by Interstate 265 to both the south (in Kentucky, where it’s known as the Gene Snyder Freeway) and the north (in Indiana). Most of these hikes are lightly wooded trails traversing a gently rolling landscape in urban parks, or they consist of level paved walkways adjacent to the Ohio River. (The exception is the trail at Iroquois Park, which ascends a 260-foot knob.) Several of the hikes begin at nature centers, making them perfect for cold or rainy days.

      KENTUCKY: SOUTH OF LOUISVILLE AND WEST OF I-65 The trails southwest of Louisville generally travel through moderately hilly woods, including the Jefferson Memorial Forest. Two hikes lie just south of the Ohio River. (Fort Knox, a U.S. Army base southwest of Louisville, limits additional hiking opportunities.)

      KENTUCKY: SOUTH OF LOUISVILLE AND EAST OF I-65 Most of the terrain in this region encompasses gently rolling hills, with the exception of the Knobs due south of Louisville. Adding to the diversity of trails in this region are Fairmount Falls, Taylorsville Lake, and Salato Wildlife Education Center.

      INDIANA: NORTH OF LOUISVILLE AND WEST OF I-65 Hiking areas in the northwest quadrant can vary from rolling hills to steep ravines and cliffs, the latter being representative of the karst geology of southern Indiana. The Hoosier National Forest dominates much of this region. Also found here are the remnants of an old-growth forest.

      INDIANA: NORTH OF LOUISVILLE