I've been coming to Jefferson Memorial Forest since childhood. As a teenager I loved the trails at Paul Yost. As an adult I have visited Tom Wallace a few times for fishing. This park in particular has had some amazing improvements. The water is much clearer now you can actually see the fish. They've added a new playground, big rocks along the lake, a couple swinging benches, and more. The walk around the lake is quick and easy. read more

Red Trail was well-maintained. Even so, I directed my eyes to the ground in front of me for much of the 5-mile walk. A misstep on one of the trail's narrow hill sections could easily lead to a bad fall. Most amazing for me was the total lack of wildlife. I live in a Louisville suburb of 1/4 and 1/2 acre lots. Squirrels and birds abound, including hawks. We see deer regularly and occasionally see a fox or a coyote. On this Red Trail hike I rarely heard a bird (didn't see any). No squirrels, no nothing. Why? Is all of Jefferson Forest so devoid of creature life? read more

So many things are changing for the better at Jefferson memorial. Impressed with the capital improvements going on. Happy to see government resources given to a unbelievable county asset read more

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I was pleasantly surprised with this trail. So Many new things. A great playground nestled back in the woods, fresh pavement, swings, picnic tables & plenty of different spots spread out to have your own space. Can't wait to go back. read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest - Parks Near Me - Fairdale, Kentucky

My wife and I enjoyed hiking here. The trails are wonderful. We returned when we had the chance to secure a reservation to see the waterfall and hike up the creek to its base. We are looking forward to going back. read more

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I started visiting Jefferson memorial Forrest with my then girlfriend and now wife back in the year 2000. So many great memories over the last 20 years visiting this park with my wife and now my 4 kids. Jefferson memorial has a large round lake and to the right of that they have cookout areas and a smaller but nice and fun playground. If you walk further right you will approach a moderately difficult walking trail that circles up the large hills of the Forrest and around the Lake back through the other side. This is a very steep walk with lots of climbing. But it is a fun and breathtaking trail to take. Fun story I always tell my kids is back before cell phones were a common thing my wife and I as teenagers was doing the walking trail for what had to be the 50th time and we spotted a road nearby. Thinking we were now hiking and navigational experts of the area we veered off to the road thinking if we just take a left we can take the main roadway of Mitchell hill back towards the front entrance of the park. Boy we're we wrong. About 3 hours later of walking on pavement roads through some Amish country looking areas we finally reached the graveyard at the top Of Mitchell hill which let us know where we was. We tell this story to hammer home the point Don't venture off the beaten path to our kids now. What is now a fun memory was a scary situation originally. I can remember knocking on a strangers door to ask and use there home phone to call our parents right when my wife noticed the graveyard. Over the years other than playing at the playground and taking on the fun walking trail we have taken some fun family photos at this park. It is a smaller area that has less traffic then a bernheim or broad run and it makes for some perfect photos ops. My now oldest took her 1 year old pictures here and they are by far my favorite pictures we've ever taken. Lots of fun times and memories can be made here. This park holds a special place in families hearts. Would highly recommend this slice of nature located in the bullitt county and Fairdale area of Louisville. read more

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This is a awesome place that my family and I like to visit frequently and hike and visit all the sites and see all the pretty Trees and sites on their trails. It's a fun place free to get in and have a variety of things to see read more

This place was amazing. We would've never known about this Zip-lining attraction had it not been for Kentucky Kingdom advertising it. We did a walk in appointment on a Saturday. We got there around 1:30pm. The staff said we could join the 2:30 group and didn't actually start until 3:00pm. The instructor was thorough and went over what to expect while zip-lining. The safety rules were very simple and easy to understand. There's a total of five Zip-line sites that you would think would take about an hour. Well these five sites actually take between 3-4 hours to complete do to the fact you get paired in groups of 14 or less. So make sure to come when you have a lot of free time. This was my first time Zip-lining so I really didn't know what to expect but likely before we went on main sites there's sort of a test mini zip-line sort of to get your feet wet so you'd know what to expect. They have a safety phrase that everyone needs to know before going. That phrase is "Always Stay Attached". Always stay attached means that as long as your attached to one of the safety lines you reduce your chances of falling from 30 plus feet. This isn't just zip-lining, but it's always an obstacle course that includes climbing up and using different types of upper body muscles. ******Customers Need to Know *Make sure to wear clothes that you aren't afraid to get dirty *You will get dirt on you *You can make a non refundable online reservation for $10 to guarantee your spot *Walk in's are accepted but doesn't guarantee the time you got there *Kentucky Kingdom Season Pass Holders are free the first time then $35 for your second visit *Non Season Pass Holders the price is $70 *They have men and women's restroom(aren't the best) *Weight requirement(Can't exceed 285 Ibs) All in all this is an awesome attraction. It's great for family and friends. I recommend at-least trying this once if you haven't Zip-lined or if your looking for something to do. read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest - First time Zipline with Tamika M. - Parks Near Me - Fairdale, Kentucky

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This is a great hiking spot! There are different trails and they are marked well. It looks like there are a lot of other things to do so I'll be back for more than hiking. read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest - Forest Fest 2018 - Parks Near Me - Fairdale, Kentucky

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Great hiking trails! JMF offers a variety of trail options. I love hiking there year round. It's probably my go to hiking spot in the Louisville area. read more

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Loved this hiking area. There are several areas to choose from so a little bit for everyone, depending on how long you want to go and how strenuous of a hike you want. I really liked how it offered longer hikes as many places don't have that. read more

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Like. Good forest. Largest municipal urban forest in 'murica. Hiking trails. Good hiking trails. Place to fish. Go Ape nearby. Good for picnics. Walking dogs. Exercise. Etc. I don't know what else there is. Didn't see anything else. Maybe there are other things. I would explore if I were you. Visit. Enjoy. Walk around. Drive through. Very pretty. read more

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Lovely hiking trails, which are very well marked. Which is not something that is common in other parks. I enjoyed my hike here. It was beautiful and a great way to spend the day. read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest - Hiking buddy - Parks Near Me - Fairdale, Kentucky

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Quick update from my previous review. I wanted to include the Paul Yost Area. There are three loops to hike in this area along with connector trails between each loop. We decided to spend a day hiking all three trails. You start on the Coral Ridge Loop until you arrive at the first connector trail. From there you make your way to the next loop which is the Holsclaw Hill Loop. Take that trail until the next connector. From there you make your way to the final loop which is the Button Mold View Loop. It was around 10 miles for the day. We went out and back. Each loop is different. The park map has icons for something called 'Scenic Vistas'. Those vistas aren't that scenic AT ALL. There's not a lot to see on these trails, but the landscape does change from one trail to the next. We found a few frogs along the way blending in with the leaves on the trail, but no other animals bugged us. The elevation isn't crazy high, but you're sure to get a workout. We connected those loops together to do 10 miles, but there are two other trails(Yost Ridge Trail and Mitchell Hill Lake Trail) that would likely give you a 13-15 mile day out. I'm not familiar with the Mitchell Hill Lake Trail, but according to the map it connects to the Red trail which can send you into another part of JMF. We saw one trail runner on the way in. On the way back out, we ran into someone walking their dog. Since you have to take the first two loops to get to the third, the further you go out... the less likely you are to see anyone. The trail is easily followed and the junctions are marked clearly. read more

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This is my favorite spot for hiking near Louisville! There are lots of paths that vary by length and difficulty (including some that are more difficult than other parks in the area). The views are beautiful, the trails are well-marked, and it's clean and safe. read more

Very nice forest with a variety of things to do for locals and tourists. There are several beautiful and maintained hiking trails (although with the children, we didn't walk any trails in their entirety). There's a lake for fishing, and a small playground the kids enjoyed. I also saw signs for camping areas and saw several campers registering in the welcome center. The park itself is beautiful, and I'm very happy that we have such a pristine and natural place to visit only 20 minutes or so from the city. read more

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I barely scratched the surface here! We came by on a Sunday and did a light hike before the sun went down and took photos as we walked. What a spectacular place to be! Louisville is lucky to have such beauty so close by. The hike trail we went on was well maintained and the people we came upon walking the trail were friendly. The drive was only twenty minutes to get to the trail! I'm making sandwiches and coming back for a hiking picnic! read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest - Beautiful relaxing scenery! - Parks Near Me - Fairdale, Kentucky

The Forest is a wonderful hidden treasure in southwest Jefferson county. 38 miles of hiking trails in 6500 acres of wooded forest. The welcome center has a few gifts to purchase and plenty of maps. Welcome center staff were friendly and helpful. We walked the Yost trail which is about 2 miles up hill and then back to welcome center. 4 miles total. Trails are well maintained and the forest is a 5 minute drive from the Snyder freeway. Great hiking read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest - Parks Near Me - Fairdale, Kentucky

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As with most of the parks in Kentucky, this one is amazing too. It's pretty big and there are many trails and places to enter and exit the forest. Not a lot of bathrooms to speak of but plenty of wildlife to be found - especially at night. read more

4.8 mile moderate difficulty trail almost solely through the woods. Two rapid ascents and descents into valleys (200 feet each). That's the basics. It was a decent hike, a good hike even, if you like difficult walks through the woods. We both prefer scenic, destination hikes but that's a personal preference not a problem with the trail. It was pretty and peaceful. The uphills kicked my butt, the downhills hurt my ankles. We caught a brief glimpse of a deer and stopped off in the family cemetery (small and probably not worth the side trip). It was nice to be back in the woods and moving. We'll be looking for other destinations as it definitely whetted our appetites. read more

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I have been here multiple times to hike. It is a great hiking location, with multiple trails. The grounds have been clean every time I have been there. I love Forest Fest!! Bummed it was cancelled with covid - but completely understand. Can't wait for the next one !!! read more

We did Zip Line Kingdom and it was amazing! It was extremely exhausting, but so much fun! We are season pass holders at Kentucky Kingdom and the first zip line experience here is free, and $35 per visit after that. The website said it is a three hour long adventure, but it took us four hours because we went on the busiest day (Saturday) during the busiest time. The website says they accept walk-ins but spots are not guaranteed. If you are to walk in, it is best to arrive on the hour or half-hour because each group of 14 or less goes every 30 minutes. We got there at 130p, but we couldn't go until 230p since they were so busy. We were placed in a group with seven other people and our group was a lot of fun. I'm glad because we spent four hours with them lol. There are five courses total and each course has different obstacles you have to go to get to the zip line for each course. Some of the courses are more difficult than others and it gets a little annoying waiting for large groups to finish each course, but it is a lot of fun! I would suggest you wear clothes and shoes you don't mind getting dirty because those landings are not guaranteed sucesses lol! read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest - Parks Near Me - Fairdale, Kentucky

Whoa! The red trail is long.... way longer than expected... it's a beautiful trail and hike and look forward to hiking it in the spring...

I have been to Jefferson Memorial a few times, and there is still a lot of it left to explore. All areas I have been to are well maintained and the trails are clear. I look forward to going back. This particular check in was for a trail run they were having in the park, the Viking Dash Trail Run. The event...was honestly not great, BUT that is not on the park. I would not do that event again, but the park itself is great. read more

I love this entire forest! The Tom Wallace recreational area has ample parking. From there it's a short walk to the fishing lake. The trails there will take you to the other side where they have picnic tables and shelters for birthday parties or cookouts! The Purple Heart Trail is also a good hike for beginners, not too rough but certainly not easy. I don't remember how long it is, but it's not going to take you more than 90 minutes. If you haven't, this place is cool to drive around as well. Surrounding the forest are some cool scenic driving routes! read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest is a hidden gem in the Louisville area. It is in the Fairdale suburb of Louisville and about the only reason to go to that part of town.Situated on over 6200 acres in Jefferson and Bullitt counties,the forest offers a wide range of activites. There are over 35 miles of hiking trails ranging from strenuous to flat paved trails. A 5 acre lake stocked with trout,bluegill,and catfish.A bird blind that can be used to birdwatch. And,of course, camping sited for tents with latrines and water available nearby. Me and Mister headed out one Saturday last fall for the Mayor's Hike at the forest. They had music,concessions,and different activities for all ages. We hiked a bit, and went to check out the 50' tower climb. He wanted to do it, Dad like to stay on terra firma. There was a bit of a wait,signing of the release forms and three choices of climbing challenge of varying degrees of difficulty. Dad was relieved when Mister chose the easiest route. The little monkey make quick work of the climb and considered a more challenging route but the wait was too long so we hit the trails again. After walking about 1.5 miles,passing a wedding party, we came to the lake where they were offering canoe and kayak rides, so we boarded a canoe for a trip around the lake. Mister had his fill of outdoor adventure as we walked back to the festival site so we grabbed a hot dog and grilled sausage and headed to the car. It is great to live in a town where you can hit an Olmsted park like Cherokee Park in the city or drive 30 minutes and be in a grand forest like Jefferson Memorial or Bernheim. We will be back again and again! read more

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Update: we found 16 total ticks on our dog. She is on regular tick/flea medicine and this is an OUTDOORS dog who we take camping, etc. often. This forest is gross. We're never going back. It only gets one star because you can't give zero. read more

This is a bit of wilderness within a few minutes of the interstate and less than 30 to downtown. Wide variety of trails from short and easy, to moderate, to steep hills and serious hiking. Fishing lake that pretty clean and has parking around it. A visitors center with maps and restrooms and fishing licenses during business hours. Hills. Serious hills on most trails. Great workout just bring water and take a buddy along. No real scenic views but you can feel miles and miles away from the city at a park close enough to get to after work in the evening or for an easy half-day trip. There is a campground, the park's website has the costs and available sites. Some trails aren't accessed from the main area around the visitor's center/lake and can be harder to find the trailheads for first-time visitors. After major storms or in the fall when the leaves come down thickly there are some trails that can be hard to follow if you aren't very familiar with them. Better signage overall would be an improvement. This is a FOREST. There may be snakes, ticks, deer, ticks, mosquitoes, poison ivy, stinging nettles, etc. All that stuff that occurs naturally in well, nature. It isn't a paved walking path, groomed landscape city park and that's part of what makes it such a nice park. read more

It's a great recreational park with a nice lake, tons of trails, small playground, 3-4 pavilions and restrooms! Get for fishing, feedinf ducks,hiking, playing and spending the day! It's just a few miles from the Gene Synder Freeway and the park visitors cnt is right across the st from the park! There is a Circle K store about a half of a mile or so up the street! Plus Walmart is about 2-3 miles away so you can get everything you want/need on the way to the park or just a few minutes away if you need to pick up something you forgot for ur picnic! The reviewer Abby who said she found ticks on her dog from the woods/forest...well yeah it's the wood's where ticks live and they live in the grass right in the open! Wear some off/ bug spray and check ur self when you leave and you should be fine! If ur not I will always thought you should have been!!! read more

Great for trail runs! I wouldn't bring your dogs on most of the trails since they are so narrow. Women, please keep cell phones with you or go with someone. Great for family to do hiking, fishing, play park, or the zip lines. read more

I didn't really know what to expect from Jefferson Memorial Forest, but I was extremely happy with the hiking trails. They have a decent sized playground and a paved trail the follows a creek. The hiking trails here are fabulous! They take you up to the top of Mitchell hill- on a clear day you can see downtown Louisville. On the day we went, we only saw a handful of people on the trail. It was quiet and very peaceful. There are several spots along the trail that uphill or straight downhill, but overall the trails are pretty easy. read more

Great place to go hiking. The scenery is awesome as well. We have some of the best places to go and hike or run. JMF is one of them. You can get a good workout at JMF. And it's close to home. read more

Jefferson Memorial Forest - Parks Near Me - Fairdale, Kentucky

The campground is very well laid-out with good spacing between the sites. It is quite basic, though...not much more than a firepit, a picnic table, and a post with a hook on it (for a family site -- group sites have more). There are port-a-potties that are pretty gross, and no showers. So, know that going in. But for a basic, roughing-it kind of campground, it's excellent. I brought a tent and air mattress, but some people just brought a hammock or nothing more than a sleeping bag. You park your car right at your campsite, which is very convenient. The folks at the main office are very friendly, and for an extra ten bucks we got a lot of firewood -- much more than we needed for one night. Easy access from the campground to the Orange and Red trails. One caveat: the park is directly underneath the flightpath for Standiford (the main Louisville airport), which is a UPS hub, so you will hear lots of planes, including late at night. read more

We camped there in July as we were also going to Forecastle festival. When I made the reservations, they told me there was going to be water and toliets for use. They didn't say there was only 2 port-a-pottys for the whole campground area and zero water access. They also stated there were no shower facilities available but we could go "across the road" to the truck stop. Across the road was actually 5 miles through curvy back-country roads. Showers were then 12 dollars each. I have stated at much better campgrounds that actually offer showers and usable toliets. It's not worth staying here unless you really, really don't want amenities. read more

I LOVE this place!!! The only place within reasonable driving distance of Louisville with good hills and well maintained trails for nice challenging hikes. LOTS of trail option. There's a Louisville Hiking Meetup group that is very nice and can introduce you to lots of different trails. My wife and I visit at least once a week, sometimes 4-5 times a week when the weather is nice. The Purple Heart Trail is our go-to trail of choice, but we'll do the Siltstone, Scott's Gap, or Horine Red/Orange combo if we have more time. The Horine Cemetary at the far reach of the red trail is a nice place to rest and contemplate. At Tom Wallace lake we see people fishing regularly, but it's not crowded, and there is a nice playground/picnic area close to the lake, too. One caution: If you park at the Tom Wallace rec area, only use the overflow parking if the place is busy and there are lots of cars already there. I've had my car broken into there when it was the only one present, and this weekend when the main lot was full we drove through and saw that nearly every spot in the overflow lot had the remains of smashed windows on the ground. read more

I finally made it out to Jefferson Memorial Forest for some hiking with a couple of friends. Wow! You don't even feel as though you are in Louisville and I love it. Once you get far enough on the trails there is no car honking, trains, etc. It was lovely. We ended up taking a 6 mile hike and enjoyed every minute of it. The trails are mostly marked. It is possible to get lost if not familiar with the area so I do recommend having a GPS or map. It's not impossible, but the trails do veer off now and again. We saw a few other hikers and some runners running the trails. Dogs are allowed and we saw a few of them all on leashes and well behaved. There is a gift shop near the Go Ape area of parking. When we were there I recommended to my friend (also a colleague) that we should recommend a corporate team building at work. Maybe we will be able to check it out. Either way I'm so down to do it. Looks like so much fun. The restroom facilities weren't too bad either so not a bad place to stop before or after your hike. There are also picnic tables, grills and playgrounds within the park which was very nice. Not the screaming children, but the atmosphere was nice otherwise. I will be finding myself here a lot more now that I know how it is. Not too bad of a drive from Louisville either. Worth a look if you're looking for some activity! read more

Totally agree with Tom C., re. Great park and great find close to Louisville. 3 1/2 stars--the extra 1/2 is for being so accessible from the city. Pretty and peaceful walk through the woods. Views aren't as wow-factor as red river gorge area, but it's a wonderful place to get away from the crowds and just take a "natural" walk. Unlike Bernheim, it's free. It reminded me a bit of the hike we did at Audubon, but without the long drive. We hiked the Host Ridge Trail down to the small lake (starts in back of the visitor's center and is approximately 1.5 mi each way). The trail is rated moderate, but we would call it more like an easy/moderate--and more on the easy side: there was some gradual elevation gain, but my husband carried a toddler on his back, and I carried a baby on my back, and we were not having a difficult time. Well maintained trail, not crowded. Although we prefer the gorge area, I think this will be our more frequented hiking spot how that we've finally discovered it read more