At over 6,600 acres, Jefferson Memorial Forest is the largest municipally-owned urban forest in the United States, and is managed by Louisville Metro Parks. It was established in 1948 to honor the area’s dead WWII servicemen. Since then it has been enlarged and has been rededicated to honor all who have served in the military. The forest offers over 60 miles of trails, several of which are longer and suitable for backpacking, a rarity in a metropolitan setting.
We had chosen the Mitchell Hill Lake Trail because we would be hiking with Cappy, our scrappy, aging, short-legged granddog, and the 1.6 mile of trail was at her targeted distance.
The trail starts at the parking area of the Horine Reservation, one of the four public areas of the forest, with a gravel path lined with newly planted trees.
At the entry to the forest we noted a mature, fruit laden Persimmon tree. Persimmons will ripen after the first significant frost in our area and have a rich, apricot or cantaloupe taste to them. They will change from green to an orange-gold over the course of the fall. If you bite into one before they are ripe they are shockingly bitter.
Once on the trail you find yourself on a gravel path through a shady, mature, mixed wood.
After a short distance however, the trail becomes bare dirt and courses over a wooded ridgeline with steep slopes to the left. The understory is open, allowing for good visibility.
With several trail intersections along our route, we noted signage that was practical and easy to follow.
The trees of the forest were outstanding. While not old-growth, they were mature. Old-growth means that the forest had never been logged. There were many oak species, including Chestnut Oak, which was the predominant one, with many towering specimens.
Chestnut Oaks have a unique, elongated, darkly pigmented acorn.
Since our hike at Jefferson Memorial I have read that the forest is home to fifty species of trees, including ten species of oak. The on-line description of the forest is that it has steep hillsides and we certainly noted that.
The trail that descended down into the Mitchell Hill Lake valley utilized switchbacks to make the grade more reasonable.
Once in the valley we had open vistas across the forest floor, where we could see a dry creek bed and a young Pawpaw patch.
We were walking along a creek in the valley when I realized that I had left my walking stick where we had stopped for a drink and to identify some ferns before our descent. After I climbed back up the slope, the photographer caught this photo of me returning. I think it gives a good presentation of the cathedral setting of the valley, with the canopy towering over me.
This photo was obtained from the same spot looking the other direction. There was just a sense of peace as we walked through this quiet valley. When in such a serene setting my senses sharpen and any tension ebbs. This section of forest made the road trip worthwhile.
Soon we found ourselves stopping for a drink at a picnic table on the shore of Mitchell Hill Lake.
The beauty of the lake had captured our attention, so we were surprised when we went to leave and noted this small pocket prairie that laid just behind us – a hiking bonus.
Amongst the grasses were numerous flowering prairie plants:
Downy False Foxglove, Great Blue Lobelia, Mist Flower, Illinois Bundle Flower seed head, Bearded Beggarticks, Meadow Pink, and Trailing Wild Bean. The Beggarticks are also known as Bidens and the flower petals can vary from 5 to10 in number, making their identification a bit of a challenge. The pinnately lobed leaf is a helpful identifying feature.
After passing through the prairie, the trail delivered us to the dam of the manmade lake, which provided the views as noted in the title photo and below.
From there the trail was all up hill back to the parking area – an enjoyable work out.
Odds and Ends:
In addition to the outstanding variety of trees at Jefferson Memorial, it is also known for its diverse fern population, which numbers seventeen species. I believe that I identified six species on our short hike. On the ridge top, Glade Fern crowded the trail.
In the valley we saw more isolated specimens like these New York Fern and Broad Beech Fern.
We identified two mushrooms that had similar, tight growth formations. The first was Orange Mycena, whose caps were about the size of a pencil eraser. They are saprophytic, growing on decaying wood.
Likewise, these Honey Mushrooms, were nestled tightly in the crux of tree roots. They were common along the trail on our descent.
These fungi, growing on a log, were the size of dinner plates.
The surprise of the day was when we came upon this small, fruiting tree on the edge of the dam. We have seen Devil’s Walking Stick several times on our outings, but never in flower or bearing fruit. In the winter it is easily identified by the narrow trunk armed with thorns of various sizes, in chaotic, circular patterns around the trunk.
In summary, our outing to Jefferson Memorial Forest was a good one and the old dog completed the trail with vigor. The forest’s website listed this trail as easy, which it was not. It had a 250 foot grade change over a relatively short distance. That said, the trail was in great shape and shaded, perfect for a hot August day. I particularly enjoyed the immensity and variety of trees that were noted, as well as the ferns. We will certainly go back to Jefferson to study more of the fern population and perhaps to inventory its spring ephemeral species, which I would expect to be outstanding. This spring Louisville Metro Parks announced a plan for large scale, staged improvements to Jefferson Memorial with the goal of making it a premier regional destination for outdoor recreation. It will be exciting to watch it unfold.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns.
Overview:
Location – 11311 Mitchell Hill Rd, Fairdale, KY 40118, 116 miles from downtown Cincinnati.
Parking – gravel pull offs for numerous cars.
Facilities – somewhat crude, gravity toilets at nearby campground. Good restrooms at the Welcome Center.
Trail Conditions – mostly bare dirt with the exception of gravel at the start and mowed grass at the prairie and dam. We walked the loop section of the trail counterclockwise. I think that direction presents a more impressive entry into the valley.
Benches – none.
Picnic Tables – 2 at the dam area on the trail, and elsewhere throughout the park.
Print Map Link – no good link on-line, stop by the Welcome Center for paper maps.
Kids – Kids 8 and over should do well on this trail. Perhaps too steep for younger kids.
Dogs – welcomed on a leash.
Suggested Paired Hikes – there are numerous other trails in the park but we have not hiked any others at this time.
Links:
https://www.wildernesslouisville.org/natural-areas/jefferson-memorial-forest/
https://louisvilleky.gov/government/parks/park-list/jefferson-memorial-forest