Central Kentucky Trail Running
- Veteran’s Park – 650 Southpoint Dr. Lexington, KY – Has approximately 3 miles of trails on grass paths and wooded singletrack, along with a 1 mile asphalt path. Located off Tates Creek Rd. just beyond Man-O-War Blvd.
- Masterson Station Park – 3051 Leestown Rd. Lexington, KY – Has 4+ miles of cross country style paths. Located on Leestown Rd. about 1 mile beyond New Circle Rd.
- University of Kentucky Arboretum – Alumni Dr. Lexington, KY – Has approximately 1 mile of grass path along the fenceline of the property and another .5 mile loop in the woods. Also has a 2 mile asphalt path. Located on Alumni Dr. directly across from Commonwealth Stadium.
- Raven Run Nature Sanctuary – 5886 Jack’s Creek Pike Lexington, KY – Has approximately 10 miles of trails, many of which are wooded singletrack. The closest thing to true trail running in Fayette Co., Raven Run is about 14 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Falling Springs Park – 275 Beasley Dr. Versailles, KY – Cross country style course with approximately 4 miles of trails and grass paths. Approximately 13 miles from Lexington.
- Capitol View Park – Glenn’s Creek Rd. (Off East-West Connector) Frankfort, KY – Has approximately 7.5 miles of mostly singletrack trails. These are heavily used by mountain bikers year round and can get pretty muddy in wet weather. Located about 30 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill – 3501 Lexington Rd. Harrodsburg, KY – Located just across the Kentucky River on Rt. 68 South. Has several miles of trails, most of which are grass paths but with a few sections of singletrack sprinkled in. Located about 27 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Brushy Fork Park – Berea, KY – This is used as the Berea College cross country course but much of it is a wooded trail. You can get creative on the backside of the property by heading to the top of the ridge and adding more mileage. Located about 40 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Camp Nelson Heritage Park – Rt. 27 Nicholasville, KY – 5K cross country style course around the property. Located about 20 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Asbury College Cross Country Course – Wilmore, KY – 5K cross country style course. Located about 20 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Red River Gorge Geological Area – Slade, KY – The Red River Gorge Geological Area consists of approximately 26,000 acres inside the Daniel Boone National Forest. The main section of the gorge has approximately 140 miles of mapped and unmapped trails most of which are rugged singletrack. Very popular with hikers and climbers, this is arguably the best trail running within an hour drive of Lexington. Located about 50 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Cave Run Lake – Farmers, KY – Has approximately 90 miles of trails many of which are wooded singletrack. Heavily used by mountain bikers and horseback riders, the trails can become pretty muddy during wet weather. Located about 63 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Laurel River Lake Area – London, KY – Park at the KY 192/KY 1193 intersection and you can run the Sheltowee Trace south to Laurel River Lake or north to the Rockcastle River. Both sections are very scenic with the northern option being the more technical of the two. The northern route is very similar to the Red River Gorge area but sees much less traffic. Located about 90 miles from Lexington.
- Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest – State HWY 245 Clermont, KY – Approximately 2,000 of Bernheim’s 14,000 acres are open to the public. There are approximately 40 miles of trails many of which are wooded singletrack. Bernheim was designed by the Olmstead Co. who were also responsible for the design of New York’s Central Park, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, Louisville’s City Park system, and many more. Located about 75 miles from downtown Lexington.
- Daniel Boone National Forest – 707,000 acres of public land east of Lexington. Many, many miles of singletrack and dirt roads to explore.
