Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve is a

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

located in Louisville, Kentucky's Poplar Level neighborhood, in roughly the central portion of the city. It is named for Beargrass Creek, the south fork of which passes along the northern side of the preserve. The preserve is adjacent to Louisville's Joe Creason Park and the Louisville Nature Center. It is owned by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves and the LNC assists with management. The preserve includes of walking trails, which cross

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (Anoxic waters, anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in t ...

s and a ridge top. There are also 180 species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers. It is managed by the Louisville Nature Center, which is located on the west side of the preserve in a building which opened in 1997. The center claims it is "one of the largest inner-city nature preserves" in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. The preserve and nature center run on about a $90,000 annual budget, and in May 2007 reported about $100,000 in operational debt. In 1982, the State Nature Preserves Commission purchased a wooded tract that became the preserve. It was a part of the Collings estate (which became Joe Creason Park) that had been acquired by the

Archdiocese of Louisville The Archdiocese of Louisville is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church that consists of twenty-four counties in the central American state of Kentucky, covering . As of 2018, the archdiocese contains appro ...

in 1960.

Additional Trail Information

As well as the walkable trails, there is a boardwalk that leads to a platform where individuals can listen in to an educational podcast on the preserve. Beargrass Creek trails offer a diverse amount of plants and wildlife for people to explore. These trails give hikers the chance to explore and discover said local flora and fauna, with many wildlife viewing opportunities available as well. Native plants of Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve include Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea), Kentucky Coffeetree (Gymnocladus dioicus) for trees; Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), and Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) for shrubs; Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), and Shrub Yellowroot (Xanthorhiza simplicissima) for wildflowers. With plants there are bound to have native wildlife to accompany them with over 150 species of documented birds, which are detailed in an article for Wildlife Trails in Kentucky, and 30 recorded butterfly species.

Accessing Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve

Starting from Freys Hill Road or Westport Road, take I-265 to I-64 and head to exit 19. Your next step involves taking I-264 to Newburg Road, taking exit 15. Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve Trail Map

Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve Trail Map

References

External links

Office_of_Kentucky_Nature_Preserves
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- Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve page">Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves">Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves
- Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve pagebr>Trail Map
Nature reserves in Kentucky Parks in Louisville, Kentucky Protected areas established in 1982 Nature centers in Kentucky 1982 establishments in Kentucky {{Kentucky-protected-area-stub

Additional Trail Information

Accessing Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve

See also

References

External links