Cherokee Park Louisville: Nature's Treasure Around Every Bend
Cherokee Park Louisville encompasses exactly 389.13 acres. To the thousands of frequent visitors to Cherokee Park Louisville, the expanse of greenery and recreational amenities seems a world unto itself.
One of the original parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Cherokee Park presents a mix of rolling hills, open meadows and woodlands in East Louisville.
According to the Trust for Public land, a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization, Cherokee Park draws 500,000 visitors a year. Any sunny weekend will bring what appears to be an endless stream of runners, strollers, dog-walkers, bicyclists, Frisbee-tossers, picnickers, golfers and nature lovers, but the park never feels crowded.
Because of the brilliant Olmsted design, Cherokee Park seems to offer secluded treasures around each bend, from the scenic “Big Rock” making its stony stand in Beargrass Creek to fountains, picnic tables, an immense gazebo, walkways, wooden bridges and more.
Winding through Cherokee Park is the 2.4-mile Scenic Loop, a one-way road with separate lanes for vehicle traffic and recreational users. The secret to navigating the park is to keep turning left to stay in the park, or keep turning right to leave the park.
Facilities include the nine-hole Cherokee Golf Course, an archery range, ball field, three basketball courts, a fishing lake, picnic areas with grills, Hogan's Fountain and adjacent gazebo, horseback riding trails, two horseshoe pits, mountain biking trails, the Nettleroth Bird Sanctuary, two tennis courts and more.
No matter where your outdoor interests lie, you can find something to do at Cherokee Park, so why not pay a visit. Even with half a million visitors a year, there’s always room for at least one more.
Posted on Feb 7, 2011 by Bill Wolfe
