Raven Run Nature Sanctuary
Park
729 acres10.2 mi of trail
Red Loop TrailBlue TrailMeadow TrailOrange Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Keeneland-Keeneland Racetrack · Photo: Jason Phillips (user:Wildcat~commonswiki) · CC BY 2.5A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Lexington
13% of Lexington’s land is conserved: 23,605 acres
The biggest trail networks: Raven Run Nature Sanctuary (10.2 mi), Hisle Farm Park (4.8 mi), University of Kentucky Arboretum (3.2 mi). 90% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 6,117 acres are parks and preserves, 19 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #15 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
23,605 acres · of 283.9 sq mi of land
Trails
83 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,117 ac
19 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
90%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
179 mi
94 mi lanes · 61 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
11
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Lexington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lexington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lexington is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #15 of 142 in Kentucky. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lexington’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical KY town 2% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (83 mi) · KY 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land19 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,117 acres) · KY 8 · U.S. 13BParks close to home90% 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 77%
LessMore
Kentucky towns of 2,500+ (142)Ahead of 90%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Lexington ranks #219 on Outdoors.
Few Kentucky towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Lexington’s 13% is ahead of 97% of Kentucky towns, while its trails per square mile lead 52% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to 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 Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, with 10.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hisle Farm Park
Park
277 acres4.8 mi of trail
Hisle Farm Park
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Hisle Farm Park parkingWebsite ↗
University of Kentucky Arboretum
Park
107 acres3.2 mi of trail
Unpaved Arboretum PathArboretum Woods Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kentucky Horse Park
Park
1,195 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Masterson Station Park
Park
648 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 98 parks & preserves
Raven Run Nature Sanctuary729 acres · 10.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHisle Farm Park277 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsUniversity of Kentucky Arboretum107 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKentucky Horse Park1,195 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMasterson Station Park648 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsWellington Park36 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLiberty Park48 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans Park144 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKelley's Landing33 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
DirectionsAshland Estate20 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Constitution Park23 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsJacobson Park164 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCardinal Run Park South48 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCastlewood Park29 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSweet Clover Greenway15 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsShillito Park179 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMcConnell Springs23 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBelleau Woods Park21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsValley Park20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHighlands Park11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsShaker Run Greenway11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · LFUCG
Douglass Park26 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsIdle Hour Park21 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSunningdale Greenway12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Duncan Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Martin Luther King Park40 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKenawood Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodhill Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFalling Leaves Greenway9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Addison Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthpoint Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · LFUCG
DirectionsDeer Haven Park28 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · LFUCG
DirectionsBeaumont Preserve25 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHartland Park19 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMary Todd Park16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRiver Hill Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHartland Swim and Racquet Club13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEcton Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWhitney Young Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMapleleaf Forest Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Green Acres Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Squires Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGardenside Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGarden Springs Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsZandale Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Pine Meadows Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Thoroughbred Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGratz Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKirklevington Park36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Meadowbrook Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMount Tabor Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Gatton Park on the Town Branch11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBerry Hill Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wildwood Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Beaumont Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lou Johnson Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCourthouse Plaza1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBuckhorn Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lexington Division of Parks & Recreation
Kenwick Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary344 acres
Woodland Park21 acres
DirectionsSouthland Park19 acres
DirectionsDogwood Park17 acres
DirectionsGainesway Park16 acres
DirectionsJohnson Heights Park15 acres
DirectionsCoolavin Park13 acres
DirectionsPleasant Ridge Park12 acres
DirectionsStonewall Park12 acres
Cross Keys Park12 acres
DirectionsWaveland State Historic Site11 acres
Waverly Park11 acres
Oakwood Park11 acres
DirectionsMarlboro Park11 acres
DirectionsMasterson Hills Park9 acres
Lakeview Park9 acres
Wolf Run Park9 acres
DirectionsDixie Park9 acres
Higbee Mill park7 acres
DirectionsElkhorn Park7 acres
DirectionsDavis Park7 acres
DirectionsAdena Mound5 acres
Meadowthorpe Park5 acres
DirectionsArmstrong Mill Parkway4 acres
Firebrook Wetlands and Nature Sanctuary4 acres · Firebrook HOA
Bell Park4 acres
Charles Young Park4 acres
DirectionsElizabeth Park4 acres
Hill N Dale Park1 acres
Eastland Park1 acres
Kingtree Park1 acres
Triangle Park1 acres
DirectionsLondon Ferrell Community Garden1 acres
DirectionsPyramid Park1 acres
Back Circle1 acres
DirectionsLFUCG Greenspace1 acres
Clay's Spring Park1 acres · Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government
DirectionsIsaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden1 acres
DirectionsRidgeview Park1 acres
Who protects it
23,605 conserved acres
13% of Lexington’s land. Who manages Lexington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
USDA easements (NRCS)13,923 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits4,430 ac
County2,189 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government2,146 ac
Other state land2,129 ac
Joint1,816 ac
Town or city632 ac
Agricultural Easement · 16,737 acLocal Park · 4,681 acConservation Easement · 2,887 acRanch Easement · 1,619 acState Other or Unknown · 1,015 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 16,474 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 431 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coldstream Research Campus State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 1,015 | Restricted |
| Kentucky Horse Park Local Park | Other state land | 1,013 | Open |
| Raven Run Nature Sanctuary Local Park | County | 737 | Open |
| Masterson Station Park Local Park | County | 578 | Open |
| Floracliff Nature Sanctuary State Conservation Area | Joint | 346 | Restricted |
| Hisle Farm Park Local Park | County | 270 | Open |
| Jacobson Park Local Park | County | 216 | Open |
| Kearney Links Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Joint | 209 | Open |
| Shillito Park Local Park | County | 184 | Open |
| Lakeside Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Joint | 171 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
148 places to go in Lexington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Lexington
Belmond Run swimming pool
DirectionsLansdowne Signature Club
DirectionsWillow Oak Swimming Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Lexington
Belleau Woods Park PlaygroundIn Belleau Woods Park
DirectionsCoolavin Park PlaygroundIn Coolavin Park
DirectionsEastland Church Playground
DirectionsPhoenix Park Playground
Directions100 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Lexington
Phoenix Park Dog Park
DirectionsService Dog Park
DirectionsWellington Dog ParkIn Wellington Park
DirectionsPlus 10 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Lexington
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Lexington
Elk Lick FallsIn Floracliff Nature Sanctuary
DirectionsSilver FallsIn Raven Run Nature Sanctuary
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Lexington
Kentucky River (Palisades) OverlookIn Raven Run Nature Sanctuary
DirectionsSilver FallsIn Raven Run Nature Sanctuary
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Lexington
Brandywine Community Picnic Site
DirectionsBrandywine Community Picnic Site
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Lexington
Kentucky Horse Park CampgroundIn Kentucky Horse Park
DirectionsDisc golf in Lexington
River Hill Disc Golf CourseIn River Hill Park
DirectionsShillito Disc Golf CourseIn Shillito Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Lexington
Baby Health GardenSeedleaf
DirectionsBascayne Apt Garden at Urban FarmSeedleaf
DirectionsCastlewood Community GardenSeedleaf
DirectionsCastlewood Park OrchardIn Castlewood Park · Seedleaf
DirectionsGTP Forest GardenSeedleaf
DirectionsGrace GardenSeedleaf
DirectionsKilrush Food Forest
DirectionsNelson Avenue Community GardenSeedleaf
Directions5 more community gardens
North Pole Community GardenSeedleaf
DirectionsOhio Street/Kids Cafe GardenSeedleaf
DirectionsRoosevelt Blvd Community GardenSeedleaf
DirectionsSmith Street Food ForestSeedleaf
DirectionsWhitney Avenue Community GardenSeedleaf
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
15 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 25.6 miHorses · 2.1 miUnpaved · 29.0 mi
Hisle Farm Park4.3 mi
Red Loop Trail3.7 mi
Blue Trail1.5 mi
Meadow Trail1.3 mi
Lansdowne-Merrick Park path1.2 mi
Orange Trail1.0 mi
Arboretum Woods Trail0.7 mi
Unpaved Arboretum Path0.7 mi
Green Trail0.7 mi
Prather House Trail0.3 mi
5 more trails
Yellow Trail
0.3 miWhite Trail
0.2 miWhite Trail (Evans Mill Pond Dam)
0.2 miGreen Meadow
0.1 miShortcut to Lafayette (no bridge)
0.1 miBiking & sports
179 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
94 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
61 mi
off-road bike paths
24 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
187Tennis
85Baseball
65Basketball
47Soccer
31Tracks
27Pickleball
16Football
7Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →173 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 26 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Clay, Henry, Law OfficeBuilding · listed 1971
About itMary Todd Lincoln HouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itWavelandBuilding · listed 1971
About itLoudoun HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itBotherumBuilding · listed 1973
About itGratz Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itRidgely HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itWalnut Hill Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itMatthew Kennedy HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About it161 more on the History page.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Lexington
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 | 10.1 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 46 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 80 | 68 | 56 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
November is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 5.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Lexington →
Questions about parks and trails in Lexington
Where can I hike in Lexington?
The longest trail networks: Raven Run Nature Sanctuary, 10.2 miles; Hisle Farm Park, 4.8 miles; University of Kentucky Arboretum, 3.2 miles; Kentucky Horse Park, 2.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lexington is conserved land?
13% 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 Lexington’s trails?
Raven Run Nature Sanctuary and Hisle Farm Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lexington?
179 miles of bike routes are on the map: 94 of painted or protected lanes, 61 of off-road paths and 24 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Lexington?
10,886 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lexington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,133 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lexington have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #15 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 Lexington 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 →