To be honest, this hiking destination was chosen by its proximity to a good brewpub, more so than based on confident knowledge that it would be a great hiking experience. While the sanctuary did not have its own website to define the venue, its association with the Audubon Society and recognition as a “birding hotspot” gave it credibility – so we charged ahead.
Since we really did not have much information on the features of the property, I was excited to see a naturalist nearby as we pulled into the parking area. I asked about a recommendation for a trail and she gave me two pieces of advice. She suggested the Blue Trail and the associated Pond Loop as she had been seeing Green Herons around the pond for the past few weeks, and she suggested that we take precautions with regards to ticks as they had been particularly prevalent of late at Buckley and throughout Central Kentucky.
As I understand it, Buckley has been around since the 1960s and at this time its primary focus is on environmental education, with thousands of students, teachers and families attending programs each year. It totals 374 acres, with two ponds, areas of mixed forest, 50 acres of fields, and is bisected by a limestone gorge.
This bluebird silhouette directed us across the terrain.
The Blue Trail primarily wove through a progression wood and a mid-aged deciduous forest. The trail was well maintained and easily passable.
Along our route we saw several items of interest. You know that you are in the Central Kentucky Bluegrass Region when you stumble upon a historic dry stone fence.
After passing through the wood we found ourselves on the dam of the pond and was startled as a Green Heron took to the air.
We crossed the dam and sat on the unique, pondside bench shown in the title photo. The forgotten walking stick was a repurposed old tobacco stick. I frequently comment on the presence of benches, not because I often need the rest, but because they cause me to slow down and observe, and overcome my natural, track meet pace. So we did – sat and observed and enjoyed the view across the pond.
The Green Heron, or perhaps it was more than one, teased us, staying just out of good photography distance, roughly 60 yards away. Moving from one side of the pond to the other, as we likewise orbited it.
We walked the pond loop three times, hoping to get a better photo opportunity, but the Heron was too sly for us, always perching just out of good photographic reach. But this allowed us to study the many dragonflies that were darting around us:
Male Eastern Pondhawk
Male Widow Skimmer
Female Widow Skimmer
Eight Spotted Skimmer
This close up image of a dragonfly gives one a better appreciation for some of the detail of their anatomy. Notice the size of its eye disc.
As we left the pond area we entered an unusual young wood where the understory was thick with a grass that offered a very peaceful atmosphere.
I believe that this is Inland Sea Oats – a funny name when you are 700 miles from the nearest ocean. It goes by several other names including Northern Sea Oats, Indian Oats, and River Oats. We have seen it on hikes before but never in such a blanketing swathe.
It is found in much of the eastern U.S. including a focus in Central Kentucky were we found it.
Along the trail we saw a collection of summer wildflowers worth mentioning:
Bergamot, Deptford Pink, and Yarrow.
Odds and Ends –
We enjoyed the contrasting images of a Musk Thistle at two stages of its life cycle.
For the second outing in a row I had a close encounter with a Common Wood-nymph that I startled along the path. Each time it flew up at me, causing me to flinch, and then settled on the bark of a nearby tree, using its coloration as camouflage.
At first glance this plant looked like the shrub form of Poison Ivy, but on further study was Fragrant Sumac. Sumacs and Poison Ivy are related and both members of the Rhus genus. Fragrant Sumac and Poison Ivy have compound leaves with three leaflets. They can be differentiated by the fact that the end leaflet in Fragrant Sumac does not have an extended stem (petiole). Fragrant Sumac leaves also tend to be a little more wavy along the margins. Like Poison Ivy, Fragrant Sumac can cause a rash in susceptible individuals as it also contains urushiol, the substance that causes the Poison Ivy rash. This Fragrant Sumac was afflicted by Poison Ivy Gall Mite. Each of the red structures in the second photo is a nursery for a mite larvae.
We were excited to stumble onto this frog just a few feet from the pond. I am not sure but I believe that this is a Wood Frog.
And lastly, its been a while since we have done a Seek and Find.
Did you see it?
Yes, another frog. A Pickerel Frog. My field guide says that they feed on insects in grassy areas near bodies of water – exactly where we found him. This fellow was abut 2 inches in length, suggesting that it was probably an adult.
In summary, our jaunt to Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary was a good outing. I enjoyed seeing the Green Herons, who always seem to be overly evasive compared to their cousin the Great Blue Heron. We were rewarded for our patience by taking a seat on the bench and circling the pond three times, as the heron(s) returned again and again. And after our hike in ninety degree weather, the lunch at he Goodwood Brewpub, overlooking the Kentucky River, was most enjoyable. I have penciled in a hike at Buckley for the winter, when the geology of the gorge should be better appreciated, and when the Goodwood Frankfort brewpub should have a porter or stout on tap.
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Photo credits to Caroline Burns Grizzle. The excellent range map for Inland Sea Oats was taken from wetland plants inc website.
Overview:
Location – 1305 Germany Rd, Frankfort, KY. It is 99 miles south of downtown Cincinnati.
Parking – large gravel lot. There is an $8 per car fee payable at the parking lot.
Facilities – at the parking area.
Trail Conditions – mowed grass in meadow areas, and bare dirt through the woods. Rolling terrain that would be considered an easy walk. We walked about 1.6 miles on this outing.
Print Map Link – https://bggreensource.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1_Full_Sanctuary_All_Trails_50_foot_Contours.pdf-compressed_1.pdf
Benches – one noted at the pond.
Picnic Tables – several noted under a shelter near the parking lot.
Kids – kids 4 and over should do well.
Dogs – allowed on a leash.
Suggested Paired Hikes – there are many other trails at Buckley totaling 6 miles in length.
Links:
For the close-up images, does the photographer use a macro lens?
Sometimes they use the macro lens, but in the heat of the summer they generally do without the extra weight to tote. Those in this article were taken with the telephoto lens from 5 to 10 feet away.
Thanks so much for sharing this. Much enjoyed your article! Tim Williams, Warden-Naturalist Emeritus, is my foremost first cousin. He taught me half of everything I know.
Glad you enjoyed it. We will be releasing a second Buckley article in about three weeks.