A Kentucky trail perfect for a winter/spring hike

Louisville, Ky. – Part of what makes hiking interesting is seeing views of where I’m headed, landscapes along the way, and whatever is beyond.

While summer walks in the woods are invigorating, if you want to see past the leafy trees, winter or early spring is your best bet. (Click here for hike stats.)

On a drive to Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, my trekking partner and I found a perfect hike for getting outdoor exercise in the winter. It’s a good one for people with Parkinson’s disease, even if they worry that they may not be able to finish the entire 13-mile round trip.

That’s because – just like any trekking pole – the length of this hike is adjustable.

The hike is the Siltstone Trail, located 20 minutes south of Louisville in the Jefferson Memorial Forest.

Since it’s an out-and-back route, it really can be as long as you want to make it. No pressure.

Parkinson’s tip

Just because a trail is 10 miles or 6 miles or even 3 miles doesn’t mean you have to do it all. Think of mileage listed for a hike as a “suggestion,” and then do only what you feel you can do or want to do. Avoid making it a slog on the return trip!

The trail starts near a cute and cozy gift shop/forest office. We parked in the lot, stopped by the house to say hi and grab a map, and headed out on our journey.

The trailhead was across the road.

After starting we crossed a large field.

Immediately we came to the first of eight bridges we would see on the route, then climbed 20 steps up a hill.

On our right was a small lake with loud construction noise near it — annoying but short-lived.

The first two miles on the trail were intermittent rises and drops, but mostly heart-pumping elevation gains.

The path was clear with just a few roots here and there.

We appreciated the easy-to-read markers where paths intersected.

Fortunately, the weather gods smiled on us; it was an unseasonably warm and sunny day for February. It also was windy, so wearing layers was a good idea.

Seeing the forest for the trees

Ahh…higher up we started to see some of those views through the trees, including a tall “knob” to our left.

For those who don’t know (I didn’t), a knob is a rounded hill that’s not quite a mountain, and Kentucky is famous for them. They were formed from sediment 360 million years ago and contain shale and siltstone – hence the trail name.

A little before mile 2 we stopped for lunch just off the trail, too hungry to wait to find someplace better to sit.

Between the ups and downs, we traversed long, flat stretches and could cool down a bit. I saw no benches anywhere, but an occasional downed tree near the trail worked OK for taking a breather.

Parkinson’s tip

Legs tiring fast? Hiking poles are helpful not only for balance but for keeping your legs from wearing out too quickly. They help transfer some of the burden from the legs to the arms. Up to 20% of your weight gets distributed to your upper body.

We headed down to a road, and saw the 2-mile mark. Still a long way to go!

More ups and downs, but lovely scenery kept us going. If you hike the entire 13 miles, the elevation gain is a whopping 2,300 feet.

There wasn’t a lot of green, except for the moss. It really stood out among the winter browns.

After a fairly steep climb we reached one of the highest points on the trail, High Knob (850 feet), and took pictures. We could see through the trees for quite a ways.

We soldiered on. At somewhere around 4 miles, I proposed that we turn around, and Mr. Unshakable seconded the motion. I had gauged my energy level and figured our slow-and-steady 8 miles would be enough for the day.

The afternoon hike took us about 5 hours. Though the weather was perfect for outdoor activities, we could count on one hand the number of other hikers we saw.

Hike info

PD difficulty level (see chart): Moderate (difficult if you go entire length)
Distance: 13.4 miles round trip (or shorter if you want)
Elevation gain: about 2,300 feet
Trailhead location: 11311 Mitchell Hill Road, Fairdale, Kentucky
Bathrooms: inside gift shop (after hours across the street on Tom Wallace Road)
Emergency medical support: within 10 miles, Southwest Hospital in Louisville
Costs: free to park and hike