trail continues behind the springhouse, between the smokehouse and the weaving shed. Bear right (west) down the gravel road 20 yards or so until you reach the Appalachian-style barn, also built in 1795. The barn is a rare double-crib style, with an enclosed dogtrot down the middle. Here the rough-hewn walls are hung with old farm equipment, including harnesses, yokes, pitchforks, scythes, cross draw saws, plows, barrel hoops, reaping hooks, hay crooks, corn knives, and the like. A corn sheller and cider press sit opposite the wall, where several old horseshoes hang open-side up to catch all the luck before it falls out. Note the magnet used by veterinarians to remove wire from cows’ stomachs. Stored on the other side of the barn are several old horse-drawn vehicles, including buggies, farm wagons, and an old sleigh.
Just outside the barn, several fields house the resident horses, goats, and cattle. The horses and goats love your attention, while the cows couldn’t care less. The parking lot and your horseless carriage will be sitting just north of the pastures.
Nearby Attractions
If you enjoy old homes, public gardens, and early-American history, Historic Locust Grove is another great place to spend the day. The restored Georgian house was home to Revolutionary War hero General George Rogers Clark during his later years. Locust Grove sits on 55 acres of woods and meadows, sprinkled with period-style gardens featuring rare and historic plants. For more information, call 502-897-9845 or go to locustgrove.org.
Directions
From I-265 (KY 841/Gene Snyder Freeway), head west off Exit 23 (Taylorsville Road) and drive 0.8 mile. Turn right (north) on Tucker Station Road, drive 0.3 mile, and turn left (west) at the sign for Blackacre State Nature Preserve. Pass through the old green metal farm gate, and follow the gravel road around to the Tyler House. Park in the large lot to your left. Parking for the disabled is available near the house.
3 Cherokee Park Loop
THEY JUST DON’T BUILD BRIDGES LIKE THIS ANYMORE.
SCENERY:
TRAIL CONDITION:
CHILDREN:
DIFFICULTY:
SOLITUDE:
GPS TRAILHEAD COORDINATES: N38° 14.010’ W85° 40.919’
DISTANCE & CONFIGURATION: 4.2-mile balloon
HIKING TIME: 1.5 hours
HIGHLIGHTS: Beargrass Creek, Hogan’s Fountain, stone bridges
ELEVATION: 466’ at trailhead, ascending to 579’ at high point
ACCESS: Daily, sunrise–sunset; free admission
MAPS: Louisville Metro Parks, USGS Louisville
FACILITIES: Picnic tables and shelters, restrooms, playground
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: None on this trail, although the park offers several miles of paved trails.
COMMENTS: Pets must be leashed. Hiking is prohibited in wet conditions and during freeze–thaw cycles.
CONTACTS: Louisville Metro Parks, 502-456-8100; louisvilleky.gov/metroparks
Overview
Cherokee Park—part of one of only four city-park systems in the United States created by Frederick Law Olmsted—is a jewel in the rough. Designed by Olmsted and his firm in 1891, it’s among Louisville’s 18 parks and 6 interconnecting parkways attributed to the father of American landscape architecture. Cherokee Park is undergoing a lengthy revitalization process to reclaim its former glory as a sanctuary for outdoor recreation. The Cherokee Park Loop takes hikers along Beargrass Creek and through much of the heart of this 409-acre park.
Route Details
Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City, the Biltmore Estate outside of Asheville, North Carolina, and the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, believed that city parks were an essential element of healthy urban communities. His design philosophy encompassed three elements: recreative use (such as walking or relaxing), gregarious use (picnicking and other social activities), and exertive use (including ball fields and courts).
The main artery for travel in Cherokee Park is the 2.4-mile Scenic Loop, a one-way paved road divided evenly between vehicular and pedestrian use. On almost any day of the week, and on most evenings as well, the pedestrian lane is filled with walkers, joggers, cyclists, and parents pushing strollers. The Scenic Loop combines manicured plantings with a pastoral backdrop of natural forests and tumbling creeks. Multiple stone bridges and two large fountains provide the hardscape that completes the look.
Originally Cherokee Park was surrounded by beautiful homes to the north and south and Seneca Park (another Olmsted park) to the west. Today the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary lies to the east, I-64 crosses the northern tip of Cherokee Park, and a golf course lies to the west. Consequently, Cherokee Park has suffered from the growing pains of overuse due to increased urban density. In addition, a 1974 tornado—part of that year’s devastating multistate “super outbreak”—destroyed many of the large, mature trees that dominated the landscape. The loss of canopy has resulted in less-desirable and more-invasive plant species taking root in the park.
Admittedly, Cherokee Park can be quite crowded, and solitude is hard to find. Litter is a constant eyesore, and Beargrass Creek (which runs through the middle of the park) is polluted with urban runoff. Nevertheless, the “bones” of Cherokee Park remain sound, and Louisvillians continue to be drawn to its natural beauty. The last several years have seen a tremendous push to revitalize all the Olmsted parks. Several nonprofits and foundations are working together with the city to bring the Louisville park system back its glory days.
The 4.2-mile Cherokee Park Loop gives hikers a broad overview of the space’s beauty and diversity. Highlights include a hike along Beargrass Creek, the Nettelroth Memorial Bird Sanctuary, Hogan’s Fountain, and numerous limestone cliffs. An incredible maze of trails includes paved, multiuse, mixed-use, and just-plain-rogue paths that can confuse the first-time or casual hiker. The trail described here, in contrast, prepares you for repeat visits by sharpening your sense of bearing and navigational skills.
At the far end of the parking lot described in the Directions, the trail begins behind the kiosk. Follow the dirt path along Beargrass Creek (creek-right as the current flows downstream). Here the creek flows over small rocks, creating a soothing, musical sound before falling into a deeper pool that surrounds “Big Rock,” at the base of a limestone cliff. A tattered hanging rope provides evidence of summer swims for those daring to brave the water quality. Debris piles near the shoreline demonstrate how high water
