City of Parks facts for kids
City of Parks is an exciting project in Louisville, Kentucky that aims to create a huge network of parks and trails for everyone to enjoy. It was first announced on February 22, 2005. The plan is to build a continuous paved path for walking and biking all around the city.
This project also includes adding lots of new park areas. For example, about 4,000 acres of land near Floyds Fork in eastern Jefferson County will become park space. There are also plans to make the Jefferson Memorial Forest even bigger and add more land along the riverfront for trails and docks. The goal is to connect Louisville's trails to a planned 7-mile (11 km) trail that links nearby cities in Southern Indiana like New Albany, Clarksville, and Jeffersonville.
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The Louisville Loop: A Giant Trail for Fun
The Louisville Loop is a planned 110-mile (177 km) trail for bikes and walkers. When it's finished, it will circle the entire city of Louisville, Kentucky. This amazing trail will connect many of the city's current parks and future green spaces.
How the Louisville Loop Started
Louisville's first bike path was called the Beargrass Bikeway. It opened in 1980 and connected Cherokee Park to the Belvedere. Later, in 1988, people started talking about extending a section of the trail from the Belvedere all the way to Shawnee Park.
Parts of the Loop You Can Use Now
As of May 2012, about 30 miles (48 km) of the Louisville Loop are already completed. You can use these sections to explore the city!
The oldest part of the Louisville Loop is called the Riverwalk. It's a 6.9-mile (11.1 km) trail for biking and jogging that runs along the city's Ohio River waterfront. It stretches from the Belvedere to Chickasaw Park. Along the way, it goes through Lannan Park in Portland and Shawnee Park. Some parts of the trail are on city sidewalks in Portland. As you travel, you'll see markers every tenth of a mile. There are also signs that share interesting facts about river life in the 1800s, like old measurements and types of riverboats.
Another older section of the Louisville Loop is the Levee Trail. This trail is 3.6 miles (5.8 km) long and runs along the flood protection system. It goes from Riverside Park in Pleasure Ridge Park to the Farnsley-Moremen House and then to Lees Lane.
In 2007, the 10-mile (16 km) Mill Creek Trail was finished. This trail connects the Levee Trail and the Riverwalk, ending at Lee Lane in Riverside Gardens. A small part of the Mill Creek Trail was actually built earlier, in 2002, by LG&E, an energy company. The city then added an extension in 2007, which included a $2 million bridge over Mill Creek.
Future Plans for the Louisville Loop
When the Louisville Loop is fully completed, it will be an amazing 110 miles (177 km) long! The next parts of the trail are planned to be finished by 2013. These new sections will connect important places like the Jefferson Memorial Forest, McNeely Park, the Floyds Fork area, EP Sawyer State Park, and the River Road corridor. The proposed trails include:
- Jefferson Memorial Forest Trail
- Floyds Fork Trail
- Eastern Suburbs Trail
- River Road/Waterfront Trail
Images for kids
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The RiverWalk near a special liftgate bridge.
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A rail crossing along the trail in Rubbertown.
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A section of the trail in West Louisville.
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The RiverWalk passing under the I-64 Causeway.
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Where trails meet, leading to the Mill Creek bridge and landing.
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The RiverWalk at the historic Old Portland Wharf.
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A house from the Civil War era located near the RiverWalk.
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The Louisville skyline as seen from the RiverWalk.
