Cove Spring Park
Park
228 acres5.2 mi of trail
OsageHollyPerimeterHolly Shortcut+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Mobilus In Mobili · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Frankfort
10% of Frankfort’s land is conserved: 979 acres
1,034 acres are parks and preserves, 36 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Cove Spring Park (5.2 mi), Juniper Hill Park (0.7 mi), Fort Hill Civil War Park (0.6 mi). 8.8 miles of mapped trail cross Frankfort, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #12 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
979 acres · of 14.8 sq mi of land
Trails
8.8 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,034 ac
36 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
75%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
14 mi paths
Highest peak
571 ft
Fort Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Frankfort?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Frankfort have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Frankfort is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #12 of 142 in Kentucky. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Frankfort’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical KY town 2% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (9 mi) · KY 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land36 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,034 acres) · KY 8 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home75% of residents within a half mile of a park · KY 59% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
Kentucky towns of 2,500+ (142)Ahead of 92%
Few Kentucky towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Frankfort’s 10% is ahead of 95% of Kentucky towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Cove Spring Park, with 5.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Fort Hill Civil War Park
Park
140 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 12 parks & preserves
Cove Spring Park228 acres · 5.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJuniper Hill Park118 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsFort Hill Civil War Park140 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLakeview Park35 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverview Park27 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTodd Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCapitol View Park223 acres
DirectionsEast Frankfort Park46 acres
DirectionsOld Lawrenceburg Road Boat Ramp and Public Use Area8 acres · Kentucky Department of Tourism
DirectionsDolly Graham Park3 acres · City of Frankfort
Blanton Landing Park2 acres · City of Frankfort
DirectionsFantasy Forest and Community Garden1 acres · City of Frankfort
Who protects it
979 conserved acres
10% of Frankfort’s land. Who manages Frankfort’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city867 ac
State conservation101 ac
County77 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits34 ac
Local Park · 944 acConservation Easement · 101 acPrivate Conservation · 34 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol View Park Local Park | Town or city | 312 | Open |
| Cove Spring Park Local Park | Town or city | 210 | Open |
| Leslie Morris Park on Fort Hill Local Park | Town or city | 158 | Open |
| Juniper Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 121 | Open |
| Lakeview Park Local Park | County | 77 | Open |
| East Frankfort Park Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Vaughn Branch Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 34 | Closed |
| River View Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Todd Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
Things to do
21 places to go in Frankfort
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Frankfort
8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Frankfort
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Frankfort
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Frankfort
Capitol OverlookIn Fort Hill Civil War Park
DirectionsState Capitol Overlook
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Frankfort
Fort Hill571 ft elevation · In Fort Hill Civil War Park
DirectionsButtimer Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Frankfort
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Frankfort
Community GardenIn Fantasy Forest and Community Garden · Volunteers
DirectionsTrails & water
14 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.2 miUnpaved · 2.2 mi
Osage1.0 mi
Holly0.8 mi
Perimeter0.4 mi
Holly Shortcut0.3 mi
3D Range0.3 mi
mulch path0.3 mi
Creekside0.3 mi
Blackberry Meadow0.2 mi
Peaks Mill0.2 mi
Upland Trail0.2 mi
4 more trails
Spring Spur
0.2 miRaceway Spur
0.2 miMeadow Loop
0.1 miConnector
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
14 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
14 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
30Tennis
14Baseball
8Soccer
7Basketball
5Football
4Pickleball
2Tracks
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →39 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 37 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Corner in Celebrities Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1971
About itOld Governor's MansionBuilding · listed 1971
About itKentucky Governor's MansionBuilding · listed 1972
About itGlen WillisBuilding · listed 1972
About itJackson Hall, Kentucky State UniversityBuilding · listed 1973
About itKentucky State ArsenalBuilding · listed 1973
About itKentucky State CapitolBuilding · listed 1973
About itOld U.S. Courthouse and Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1974
About itFrankfort Cemetery and ChapelStructure · listed 1974
About it27 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Frankfort
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 47 | 56 | 68 | 76 | 84 | 87 | 86 | 81 | 69 | 56 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
November is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 5.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Frankfort →
Questions about parks and trails in Frankfort
Where can I hike in Frankfort?
The longest trail networks: Cove Spring Park, 5.2 miles; Juniper Hill Park, 0.7 miles; Fort Hill Civil War Park, 0.6 miles; Lakeview Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Frankfort is conserved land?
10% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Kentucky town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Frankfort’s trails?
Cove Spring Park and Juniper Hill Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Frankfort?
14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 14 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Frankfort?
5,370 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Frankfort or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,034 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Frankfort have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #12 of 142 in Kentucky. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Frankfort neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →