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In the 1890s, pre-eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Sr. envisioned large community parks connected to the neighborhoods of Louisville via “ribbons of green.” His tree-lined parkways still exist today and will serve as spokes to the 100-miles-plus Louisville Loop, once complete.
The planned Loop will take trail users through five parts of Jefferson County, giving them a taste of each section’s unique heritage and character. All five segments have been planned out, with 50 miles completed and various sections in design or construction.
The Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation Department designed each of the Loop’s five sections—Ohio River Valley, the Knobs, Shale Lowlands, Limestone Belt and Floyds Fork—to display their distinct charms, while a cohesive wayfinding and interpretive signage system funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010 ensures visual consistency throughout the network.
About the Route
Mile 0 kicks off the Loop’s largest continuous section: the 25-mile Ohio River Valley segment. Heading west from the Big Four Bridge, visitors can soak up all that the downtown Louisville Riverwalk has to offer, from public art installations at Waterfront Park to the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory, and Olmsted’s Shawnee and Chickasaw Parks. The off-road Levee Trail picks up from the Riverwalk, providing users with a diverse mix of vistas. The Beargrass Creek Greenway in this section also connects two popular recreational assets: Waterfront Park and Cherokee Park.
Heading east from the river, the Knobs and Shale Lowlands will no doubt become a haven for adventurous hikers, geologists and nature enthusiasts. These segments will traverse one of the county’s most geographically diverse regions, featuring farmland, ancient lake beds and the 6,600-acre Jefferson Memorial Forest.
The Parklands of Floyds Fork segment—a 19-mile, off-road portion of the Loop—encompasses four parks. From Broad Run Park in the south (near mile 55 of the Loop’s planned 111 miles) all the way up to Beckley Creek Park (mile 74), the Parklands segment provides adventurers with everything from canoeing and kayaking along Floyds Fork to mountain biking at Turkey Run Park’s Silo Center Bike Park. At Trestle Point in Pope Lick Park, historians and rail enthusiasts will appreciate that the Loop passes directly under a late 1880s train trestle. At the Strand, nature lovers can observe wildlife at Catfish Bend, while archaeology buffs can search for fossils deposited on the gravel bars of Mussel Bend.
Completing the Loop will be the suburban Limestone Belt section, which will pick up from the northern tip of the Parklands and loop west to the city of Prospect and the Ohio River Valley Northeast.
The Louisville Loop is currently in several sections around the city of Louisville.
Parking is available at:
There are numerous parking options along the route, visit the TrailLink map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Beautiful trail, may be the best my wife and I have ridden and we’ve ridden many in several Midwestern states. Well maintained, plenty of clean restrooms along the way. Many interesting points of interest and the scenery was stunning on a cloudless October morning.
We had rode the trail from the River Park Marina to Swanee . The trail was in need of some repairs but the views of the river and downtown was very appealing. However, after the McAlpine lock and dam, the trail became questionable. We encountered numerous camps, piles of trash, motor bikes / ATVs on the trail and very questionable surroundings, we turned around. I would suggest on to avoid this path pf the trail close to Swanee park
I live about 30 minutes away from the trail and just discovered this fantastic opportunity. I rode the east side portion that goes from HWY 60 at the community garden trail head and goes south to end at Bardstown road hwy 150. It’s about 18 miles one way. The mile markers on the route must be part of the proposed final solution as they start at something like 74 and when you reach the end is around 56, at Bardstown road area. Best trail I have encountered so far. Much shade to enjoy but also open areas with scenic views. Super nice bridges to cross as you ride along the water. Rolling terrain, so yes there are moderate hills for the novice rider. Concrete or blacktop all the way. Very clean and well maintained. It certainly gets a 5 star rating in my view.
I rode the entirety of the Parklands of Floyds Fork section on a very sunny spring day. I have ridden trails in many states and this was one of the best trails I've ever experienced. It is very well maintained, has breathtaking scenery and has multiple trailheads many of which have some of the cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen on a trail.
I started at the Beckley Creek trailhead which made the first few miles very hilly. As a mostly rail-trail rider this trail has many hills, curves and switchbacks. I very much enjoyed the challenge this provided but some of the hills will surprise you. I also found the trail mostly easy to navigate but the first few miles my wife and I made a few wrong turns until we found the Loop. I ended at the Broad Run Park trailhead which was much less hilly so starting there would make the beginning of your ride much easier.
After the first few miles which also seemed to be the busiest the trail starts to flatten out and become more rural. The scenery changes from playgrounds to fields of wildflowers, farms and wooded areas. There was never a dull moment in the scenery or the trail itself as it does require you to pay attention due to the hills and curves.
The trail is perfectly paved and there are trailheads every few miles. Most trailheads had shelters and bathrooms which gives plenty of options to start and end your ride. Residents of Louisville are very lucky to have this gem of a trail right outside of their city.
On a chilly morning in late October with a temperature hovering at forty degrees, I ventured out onto the Louisville Loop's Parklands of Floyds Fork portion of trails. The Parklands is made up of five sections in a rural setting, and I rode four of them out and back.
BECKLEY CREEK PARK
First of all, this section is surprisingly hilly at the start and toward the end. Even the bridges over the creek were steep! Thank goodness for my Swytch pedal assist! It's especially picturesque with beautiful creek and woodlands views. The calls of birds will accompany you throughout this section.
(Unfortunately, the connecting trail to Pope Lick Park was closed as of October 23 due to construction, so back up the trail, pack up the bike, and drive to the next trailhead.)
POPE LICK PARK & THE STRAND
If you're averse to hills, then these are the sections for you. If you're also into sensational creek views and crossing over bridges, you'll be in heaven.. These two sections also contain beautiful scenery of wooded hills, farmland with field of corn, and a few charming country homes. Keep your eyes peeled for turtles. I saw about a dozen of them sunning themselves on a log extending into the creek. Rust colored fuzzy caterpillars with a black collar and black rear tip were also all over the trail. By far, these portions of the trail were the busiest with bicyclists and walkers.
TURKEY RUN PARK
Again, if you're not into hills, this is not a good section for you. With my pedal assist it was not an issue, and it was especially fun going through the woods and seeing the multitude of squirrels with nuts in their mouths scampering across the path and up trees. Of course the silo at the top of the hill is one of the stars of this section and is most definitely worth the climb to the top. From there you can see the trail head down through Turkey Park to the north, and the trail also heading down to the south and Broad Run Park (which I didn't have time to do).
CONCLUSION
All in all, I did 31 miles in this superlative park. The trail is superb: wide, smooth, and curvy which adds to the fun and interest! The park has real restrooms that are clean and have sinks. No porta-potties for The Parklands! This park system is obviously much beloved by the community. There were many happy, friendly folks utilizing it on a weekday. It's evident that a great deal of thought and planning went into this treasure! It's a model of what a park should be. The rest of the country should come and study it. It is most certainly a destination bike ride. I came all the way from California to ride this, and I have no regrets! What a gem of a park and trail system!
(This was the 49th state I've ridden my bike in. Thanks for making it a great one, Louisville! On to Hawaii!)
The downtown section west from the Big 4 Bridge was awful. Poorly maintained and a lot of sketchy areas. Do yourself a favor and ride across the Big 4 Bridge into Indiana and ride the trail west from there. Nice trail and some nice views of the river.
You won’t be disappointed!
We continued our ride at the Pope Lick trailhead (right after the Taylorsville closure) and rode south 10 miles to the Brown-Forman Silo center. The first 7 miles were relatively flat and the last 3 very hilly. Most of the trail sections we rode were in the sun which may make this a little warm in the summer. However, it was very evident that Louisville spared no expense on this section of the trail.
We road the Parklands of Floyd’s Fork trail which is the section east of downtown Louisville. It was an amazing ride with diverse scenery. We’ve ridden quite a few trails and this ranks right up there with any of the hall of fame trails we ridden. We started at the most north trailhead in Beckley Park. We road 5 miles south to the Taylorsville road closure. It was very hilly with steep grade warnings and we felt very lucky to be on hybrid bikes!
Tale of 2 trails….maybe 3
All the glowing reviews are for the Parklands of Floyds Fork. Look out when you go downtown!!!
5 stars for Floyds but 2 stars for downtown.
We parked at Turkey Run Park on Seatonville Rd. Turned out to be almost perfect midpoint. Rode 10 miles North to end at Miles Garden. All concrete except for the section North of Taylorsville Rd. Relatively flat except for the tough long climb North of Taylorsville and then at the very end approaching Miles Garden.
In the afternoon we parked at the South end at Broad Run Park. Rode about 10 miles North to Turkey Run. Much different experience. Same great trail surface, but many more hills. I think we had 3 steep climbs. I got off and pushed on a couple. Windy downhills were fun though. Amazing that this beautiful park is not tax supported. A real gem indeed!
Downtown is a different story. Parked at Big Four and headed West. Pretty nice for first couple miles. Started seeing some homeless tents under I-64 past the Science Center parking around 9th Street. Had some folks riding go carts and scooters on the trail and wouldn’t move over for bicycles. The real “fun” started after the railroad underpass where trail turns right. Down a sidewalk with some flood level markers in the pavement, then a couple sharp turns into a wooded park. Pavement ends. All dirt and mud. Abandoned cars. We finally turned around when we got to a bridge with mud halfway up to the railings. (see pic) Do yourself a favor. Turnaround when you see the sign at Portland Wharf Park that says Loop Alt Route. (see pic) Was about 4.2 miles from Big Four to Portland Wharf.
Enjoyed the wide diversity of the 3 rides. Definitely a big change from a typical flat and straight Rail-Trail…..bikin-Mike….Aug 2022
A great trail that offers everything for the cyclist. Rolling hills, switchbacks, bridges over water & ravines, pallisades + lots of maintained trail heads.
Rode out & back from Fisherville Paddling Access, through Pope Lick Park, to Seatonville Road. Excellent facilities and great trail surface. What more could you ask for?
We called this bridge day because we started on the east end of the Louisville side of the Ohio River at the beginning of the trail and then traveled west and actually saw and four bridges. The concrete trail meanders along the waterfront and is a very beautiful and well-maintained trail. There was a concert being set up at the waterfront area which we had to detour around which was very easy: we went all the way to the section past the railroad yard, where the mud disallowed us to go further; There was a homeless community underneath the bridge; Towards the end of the West Trail, there is a really interesting section where the markings of how high the river came during floods is embedded in the sidewalk that you bike along.
We rode a part of the southeast loop today. 11 miles of it, 22 total miles. Rest stops with air pumps. Nice wide paved throughout. Ya need to go if you have a chance.
One southern point said Parking however there was no parking. Went to another location to park and had a nice shady ride along the river for almost a mile and the trail was closed with no detours shown. I biked through a golf course and then back the way I came. Tried to head south but the routes were on city streets or through a park to get to the river garden. Not clear where to go. Very unsatisfactory
Sorry but placing paint on two main heavy trafficked industrial roads to create Louisville loop does not make it bike friendly! Several of the curves were not thought out, squeezed in with no concern for traffic or biker safety, especially along the alternate route - that takes you through not so nice congested area - past the Kroger’s shooting site?! And why/when does the alternate route begin? No rhyme or reason, we missed it only to discover the path behind Shawnee golf course to Shawnee park is washed out, maybe two miles? Fix it... Come on!!! Come on Louisville, you can do way better than this!
We have gone to the Floyd’s fork sections quite a few times. It’s great!
Wednesday, March third, midday ride from Pope Lick north to William Miles Community Garden and back. 20 miles round trip. Concrete path was in excellent condition, the creek water was in the banks and the birds were chattering. Benches and picnic tables to enjoy the views and have a snack. Super nice day. Mostly walkers. Plenty of parking spaces. Safe and secure.
We started at Pope Lick Park entrance, went to Broad Run Park, and then back, around 21 miles. The trail was either paved asphalt or concrete slabs. There were several bridges that crossed over the river. Several places to stop and use the bathroom. This app says there are bathrooms at Broad Run, but if there were, we could not find them and there were no signs, so we went back to the silo and used the restrooms there.
My dog and I have completed every bit of this loop that has been completed. We have a picture of every mile marker I will never forget doing this with my dog. I don’t thank he will get to see it be completed nor will l
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.
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.
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.
A day after riding the Ohio River Valley segment, we rode the Parklands out and back, starting at the north end. What a contrast! The Parklands is all perfect concrete, wide enough in most places to ride 3 abreast. Signage is frequent and at all turns. The trail covers both flat meadows and has some climbs, including a few hairpin turns. We saw a muskrat, juvenile bald eagle, red-tailed hawk and woodcock. Bathrooms and drinking fountains are frequent. So are signs about the area’s history and plant life. The organizations that designed and maintain the Parklands do a great job. We really enjoyed the ride. The Circle K gas station about 4 miles south of the start was the only place we saw by the trail for snacks and beverages.
A friend and I rode most of the Ohio River Valley segment on a cool, sunny day in March. We parked by Eva Bardman and rode west and south, out and back. Pro’s: - historical signs downtown and in Shawnee and Chickasaw Parks - the parks themselves - riding past older houses in Shawnee and Chickasaw neighborhoods - great view up and down the River from the Big Four bridge Con’s: - lack of signage on the route, which goes from trail to road to trail .... Frequently you come to a turn or a T-intersection and have no idea which way to turn. Example: no sign to go north on Lee Lane. - downtown the trail winds around concrete pillars supporting the expressway. Hard to see (dim) and unmarked. - very few places to eat or get coffee close to the trail.
We split the Parklands of Floyds Fork trail section of the Loop into two days; arriving late Saturday we rode north from Pope Lick Park to Miles Garden, approx. 13 miles O&B. We unloaded at the park; a very safe & secure area with lots of cyclist. The north section of the trail starts out switching back uphill then meandering through a flat section to another uphill switchback section at the trailhead. We stayed the evening at an idyllically turreted B&B just east of the park and enjoyed a great meal at an upscale mussel & burger restaurant in Jeffersontown.
On Sunday, we rode south to Broad Run Park, approx. 28 miles O&B. This south section of the trail starts out relatively flat but does gradually leads to more challenging grades (incredibly fun downhills). Make sure you stop at the overlook to view where you rode, the B-F Silo. Post ride lunch was at a great mac & pizza joint in downtown Jeffersontown.
This is a beautiful, well maintained, multiple use (kayaking next) trail through park lands, creek sides and hilly woods. All of Louisville should be proud of this privately supported park and thanks for sharing with our family!
Rode from Turkey Run trailhead all the way north to Beckley Creek Park. Agree completely with previous review by davemarshall. It's just beautiful and on a hot day the numerous shelters and water fountains are very welcome.
To me, the only negative is that the trail is almost entirely concrete slabs, which means cracks between every slab. Every third or fourth one is wider than the others and so I really felt them as I rode over thousands of them. Many of those cracks have the remains of what looked to be a rubber-like padding, but they have deteriorated to the point of ineffectiveness now. Now, this may not even bother you and I did get used to it to some degree. And the faster you go, the less you'll feel them. But for me, it was the only drawback. Even if you think it might bother you somewhat, it shouldn't stop you from riding this beautiful, unique trail.
I ride some portion of this incredible park system of trails 3-5 times a week and it’s never the same ride twice. The actual “Louisville Loop” is a proposed 100 mile trail around the city, but right now it’s more like three disconnected segments , each great in its own right. I’d estimate you can ride about 60 miles of it now. You can ride along the Ohio River on the Louisville waterfront and take the very cool Big Four Bridge across the Ohio River into Indiana and ride for 15-20 miles there as well. It’s big city but you don’t share the road with cars and it’s a great ride. Amazing views of the river with restaurants, coffee shops and ice cream on the Indiana side. It’s cool to sit in the middle of the bridge with classical music being piped in! The next major portion open is along the west side along the Ohio River from the Farnsley Moreman House towards Louisville. The trail is flat, paved , with multiple rest areas along the way. It’s often called the levee trail as it runs along the top of the levee! Mike Linnings is a local favorite fish place and it even has its own “off ramp”. Great views of the Ohio River and very little traffic. But the absolute jewel of the system that is worth a drive from anywhere in on the east coast or mid America is the portion called The Parklands. It’s a system of five separate parks, all connected with a wide, paved bike and pedestrian path. No cars to deal with. It covers every kind of terrain you could want, from very challenging hills, to pristine meadows, rolling hills, cool forests, river views, winding paths through cornfields and wildflowers everywhere. There are numerous access points but the trail runs from Shelbyville Road in the north (Beckley Creek Park) to Bardstown Road in the south (Broad Run Park). It’s a little over 40 miles round trip but quite a workout with some big hills near Broad Run. There are five segments, each with a trailhead, water, restrooms, picnic area and bike repair stations at most parking areas. From Beckley Creek it’s very scenic with rolling hills, meadows and a few decent hills. As you descend into Pope Lick Park, there are all the facilities you need. Heading out from Pope Lick is easily the most pristine and enjoyable part of the trail system. It’s called the Strand and is almost all flat following the river. Numerous bridges cross back and forth over Floyd’s Fork. It’s worth the drive alone. That part ends at Seatonville Road in Turkey Run Park. Restrooms and shade and water available. Leaving Seatonville you head up some challenging hills through the hills and woods of Kentucky and it’s absolutely gorgeous. More cool bridges await! You will come to the silo and another rest area in Turkey Run Park as well and if you have a hybrid or mountain bike they’ve just opened a mountain bike park right near the silo. You can climb the silo and get a birds eye view of it all. It’s great for the adventurer. There are several side trails, well marked for mountain or hybrid bikes to add some variety! The last portion goes from the silo to Broad Run Park, another hilly ride that flattens out at Broad Run Park with lots of bike options, including dirt paths along the river, paved paths through the meadow and a huge pavilion, spray park, picnic area and restrooms. If you combine this with the levee trail and Ohio River portion it makes a great biking weekend! I’ve ridden the Silver Comet, Great Allegheny Passage, Monon Trail, Katy Rail Trail and The Little Miami trail and would put this up against any of them. Not nearly as long as those iconic rail trails but a GREAT bike experience!
We stopped off for a 10 mile out and back (20 miles total) starting from Beckely Creek Park and heading south/southwest. The trail was a nice wide concrete trail that follows the creek and winds it's way through a lot of different areas (housing, farm, parks,...). Given the many average reviews on this trail we almost skipped it, but are really happy we stopped. It was a cooler late October day on our way back to Minnesota and it turned out to be our last ride of the year. Not sure what the trail is like further along but this section is world class and worth a ride.
This is a scenic trail through 4 beautiful parks and a 5 mile connecting section (all off road) all along Floyd's Fork in easy reach of Louisville Metro. The trail is nicely paved the entire way with access to water fountains, restrooms, and bicycle repair stations strategically placed along the way. The trail provides a nice mix of terrain ranging from flat to rolling to hilly. This is a family friendly destination with canoe / kayak and bike rentals along with shuttle service in the park. There are even play and spraygrounds in a couple of the parks.
it has potential, under heavy construction as i write this; some new construction, some resurfacing the existing. interesting that the old part has been around long enough to need resurfacing before these new parts have been laid. the equipment on this sunday was parked trailside. on the west side of town beyond milemarker 14-25 in either direction, the trail presently doesn't appear to be rideable or perhaps even existing.
Entered this trail at Shelbyville road and completed a 30 mile round trip. The hills can be a real challenge if you are not accustomed to them. The surface is great and is a mix of asphalt and concrete. If you ride a recumbent where you sit back so far that you use a neck rest the expansion joints in the concrete can become annoying. The trail is very scenic with plenty of trail access points and several restrooms available along the way. When the whole Louisville Loop Trail is completed and circles all of Louisville (100 miles of trails I believe) this will be a real jewel for Kentucky.
Great easy riding trail with wonderful food at Mike Linings of Louisville on one end and Pearls Yogurt of Jeffersontown IN on the other. Lots of interesting sights to see in between. Got in 44 miles in one day which is good for us.
The trail was clean and clear the day I took it. The views are nice and stopped at the riverboats to talk with some other bikers. I ended up going just short of Shawnee park as the trail had a detour.
If you do this, you most certainly need to link in the Big four bridge which allows bikes and spans the Ohio river. Jeffersonville Indiana has some great places to eat and yet another trail , the "Levee" trail can be caught there
When you include the nearby trails this can become an afternoon affair
Not too long ago, I hiked the Riverwalk from east of the Big Four bridge to Shawnee Park. The Riverwalk was pretty and seemingly well-kept east of about 31st Street. But from west of there, the path became terribly overgrown with tall weeds and was covered along most of the path with inches of mud and many logs and other driftwood. Sadly, the artistic and attractive bricks which spelled out history were mostly covered by debris. Even the caged-in area along the back nine at Shawnee Golf Course was in terrible shape and closed off. There was a very short section of pavement from Market Street to Broadway that was in pretty clean shape where the Riverwalk ended at its western terminus. It is too bad the city of Louisville, which touts itself as the 16th largest city in the US (certainly laughable statistics) will not keep the Riverwalk, which could be a real city treasure, clean and secure. I understand that occasional flooding will bring some mud and driftwood. But apparently this large section (miles) of the Riverwalk has been closed to bicycles and in progressive disrepair since 2011. I would expect much more from a city which aspires to be great and loves to tout its accomplishments. Louisville certainly has a LONG WAY to go to equal river cities like Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Memphis. In the meantime, bicyclists are unable to enjoy the western half of Louisville's Riverwalk, which I consider to have been its most enchanting section in former years.
My girlfriend and I began our ride just to the eastern side of the Big Four Bridge with the goal of riding along the Riverwalk to Shawnee Park (about 8 miles) and back. The short ride to Waterfront Park seemed to be well-maintained (but not very clearly marked for the bikers). It all went downhill from there. After reading the reviews from a couple of years ago, most of the same problems persist. As we left the downtown area, the pavement became uneven and dangerously narrow, and we passed a few homeless tent camps and intoxicated people alongside the trail. The trail was mowed but the tall weeds, brush, and trees left us feeling quite unsafe even at noon! We pressed on to the portion of the trail that had been closed due to flooding/erosion back in 2011/2012. In July of 2014, the people of Louisville are STILL waiting for the necessary repairs. Instead, we took the detour on the highway, which was STILL poorly marked (as mentioned by another reviewer). I would not recommend this trail to a small group or family until the city of Louisville ramps up its bike patrols of the area and makes much needed repairs and upgrades to the trail. As a local resident, I felt ashamed that a trail with such potential for bringing in tourism and local dollars to the more impoverished areas of Louisville had been forlorn over just a few years. To top the trip off, we rode into downtown for lunch and were panhandled no fewer than three times on 4th St.
We ride this trail, sometimes, but not on a regular basis anymore. We started out on River Road way up east and ride through downtown Louisville and up to Shawnee Park. Going through with train cars, trash everywhere, beer bottles galore, along with liquor bottles, there were plenty. We get pass that and into a scary area where pit bulls are the norm. Seems everyone in this area, Portland and along the way, everyone has a pit bull. Seems that way anyway. Some would jump at us, even though they were contained, they are scary. It is not an area you want to get caught with no protection. The area is poor and the people are, well, the area is not good to ride through. Not sure what can be done, but it should be maintained by security. That would help.
On 11/25/12 my daughter and I took our tandem out for a spin to break up the long drive home from Thanksgiving. We started from the Shawnee Park end, heading in toward downtown, and found that a large section of the trail through the park was closed due to the flooding damage (much) earlier in the year. We diverted onto the golf course paths (not many golfers that time of the year!) and accessed the trail again further upstream. A mountain bike could probably handle the trail in this closed section, but with a tandem it was a no-go, even with wide tires. The asphalt trail was covered by several inches of river silt, and even deeper in spots (in addition to the logs, leaves, and litter one would expect). Alas, the good folk of Louisville have a lot of work to do to bring this trail back to life. The posted detour is apparently onto city streets, and was difficult to determine or follow (why we wound up on the golf course). Hopefully someone will post an updated review when the path is reopened, as I think it would make a nice stop.
On March 30, 2012 my wife and I road our bikes from Lannan Park to Eva Bandam Park and are pleased to say that the trail was free of debris. Based on previous reviews good clean up job Louisville!
This ride has its beauty and its lesser moments. The river is always an eye catcher, and especially at certain times of the day, but there are places on this trail that one might not want to have a flat tire or be a stranded target. When we went over this trail, we encountered a lot of glass (beer bottle type glass), and we were very glad we had purchased a very high grade of tire that was less susceptible to puncture than regular tires. In the past we have ridden some high end bikes along this trail before it was finished, and racing tires are not a good idea along this trail. Even with the greatest care and slowest of speeds, it is hard to keep from getting something bad punturing your tire. We carry little brooms and try to contribute to the safe pathway that we all desire, but it really does seem to be a losing battle. That said, and knowing the city budget is what it is, we should pitch in order to keep all of our inner city trails passable and less hazardous. Our most wonderful ride was in Bethpage Park on Long Island. Don't know how they keep this thing so beautiful and well lit and swept, but it was a real wonderful experience we ought to try and mimic NYC here in Louisville.
Wa Dok
We believe in giving everything a second chance so tried this trail again. Started at the riverfront near Joe's Crab Shack and rode west. Much of the graffiti we had seen in the spring had been cleaned up. Less trash along path but could be better. Please, Louisvillians, stop throwing your garbage down where ever you happen to be, this makes our city look terrible. The tent camp of homeless people had moved elsewhere. Vegetation had grown up alot and covered up some of the areas of abandoned and run down buildings. In all, some improvement was noted. I believe our mayor gets this cleaned up right about the time of the Kentucky Derby. The trail itself was in mostly acceptable condition with only a few areas of pavement fractures and holes. The views of the river and the bridges was very nice. Also there are a few areas of tree canopy providing some shady relief from the sun.
We did this trail on a quiet Saturday morning. The surrounding area was full of trash, debris, graffiti etc. One person had sprayed "ugly" on the concrete posts under the interstate overpass. This area was often dark, and went by many abandoned and run down buildings. I kept thinking we had to be in the wrong place but was assured by other riders that this was the right place. The whole area had a very unpleasant smell as well as garbage and trash everywhere. We turned around after about 3 miles when we came upon tents and a "camp" of homeless people. We rode in the other direction from Joe's Crab Shack and to the east around the park, river, and ballfield area. This area was much cleaner and out in the open. While there is no defined trail, there is plenty of room to ride here.
A beautiful ride through the tree canopy. For a extravagant time follow up with dinner in old Louisville.
"This is a wonderful trail along the river. As an out-of-towner, I found no signage pointing to the trail, but it’s easy to follow once you find it. To get to Shawnee or Chickasaw Parks, take exit 3 off I-264, and head west on Hale Avenue. I started at Shawnee Park. Signage on the trail shows the trail starts further south in Chickasaw Park. Find any paved trail in one of the parks heading toward the river, and you’ll (probably) easily find the trail. I found it very, very lightly used, except within a mile or so of the city center. From the Crab Shack east to Litterle Rd it’s a collection of sidewalks and paths without markings. Check out the “Flock of Finns”, 32 colorful sculptures of birds, in the park southwest of the Crab Shack."
Nice ride along the Ohio River and Park.
"We stayed at the Gault House in downtown Louisville on our way south in order to skate the riverwalk trail.
The hotel was great.
We should have brought our bikes.
We have thousands of miles on our skates and found this trail to be difficult.
The trail is narrow with railroad crossings, ramps, rocks, long stretches of slippery mud, speed bumps, hills and rough pavement.
We only found about one half mile stretch where we could get going on our skates watching carefully for rocks from parallel railroad tracks.
It was wonderful to be on the trail early on Sunday with the river boats following along close to the shore.
Inline skating should be removed from the trail description. Unload your bikes for an interesting ride."
"We started in Shawnee park, with no directions to get there, and biked almost 11 miles until we dead ended at Letterle Ave. Floodwall/Butchertown Greenway. When you reach the crab shack, go uphill about 50 yds and get on walkway/sidewalk/kids parkway and go down river road about 3 miles then into a park area to trail under the highway. Paved all the way."
"This trail, however nice, does not run all the way to Chickasaw Park. It ends in Shawnee Park. The last section, which is approximately 0.6 miles, has yet to be opened. I ran the first last 3.2 miles of this trail and found it to be a good run. "
"The Louisville Riverwalk is an interesting, scenic path. It starts downtown at the Ohio River and then heads west along the river through the Portland, Shawnee and Chickasaw neighborhoods and parks. Parts of trail will flood if the river is high."
There is some beautiful scenery along the trail. We rode to the park and back -- a 14 mile ride that was fun for whole family. We'll be glad when the trail is done the other way too.
"The trail is fairly lightly used, in my experience, but weekends bring out a lot of walkers and bikers. The Ohio River is usually fairly busy, with barge and recreational traffic. The trail passes along the side of the Portland Canal, which takes river traffic away from the Ohio River falls. The trail goes along the edge of the river in several places, and Shawnee and Chickasaw Parks provide additional recreational activities. The eastern end of the trail is in downtown Louisville, and one can ride from there to Cherokee Park, about 3 miles away."
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