New trail opportunities at two of KY's most popular adventure destinations | Environment

From Gil Lawson

Frankfort, Ky. - The Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail is being connected with the Park City Bicycle and walking path. This will increase the total length of the trail to 10 miles and provide a great route for trail users to connect to the national park. The Kentucky Rails to Trails Council works to provide trail opportunities like this all over Kentucky. Find out about more about Kentucky Rails to Trails at www.kyrailtrail.org. 

Traveling west to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, trail users will be excited to try out the newly created Central Hardwoods Scenic Trail. This trail totals a little over 11.5 miles and has seven access points so users can tailor their experience. The eastern portion of the trail is paved, and the western end is compacted stone. The trail travels through a central hardwoods ecosystem, provides shoreline views of Lake Barkley and offers plenty of opportunities for wildlife viewing. To learn more about either of these areas and all their recreational offerings, visit their websites. Mammoth Cave National Park’s website is www.nps.gov/maca, and Land Between the Lakes is www.lbl.org. 

Great adventures are no longer limited to Kentucky’s backcountry.  Louisville continues to set the example for what urban adventure can be. The Parklands of Floyds Fork will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 10, to celebrate the opening of North Beckley Creek Park.  Activities are planned to highlight all there will be to experience at Beckley Creek.  A family bike ride on the two-mile section of the Louisville Loop will immediately follow the ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. There will be guided hikes, paddling demonstrations on Floyds Fork (must bring your own canoe or kayak), fishing in William F. Miles Lakes, fly fishing instructions and demonstrations and light food and refreshments. All activities are free to everyone so grab your gear and make plans to be at Beckley Creek Park this Saturday.  If you are not familiar with the Parklands of Floyds Fork, visit their website to learn how they are working to build the best urban park system in America.  www.theparklands.org. 

To find information about all of the outdoor opportunities and locations, as well as a calendar of events happening all across Kentucky, visit the Office of Adventure Tourism’s website at www.getoutky.com.  Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/KYOutdoorAdventure, and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kyadventures!