Five-Star Trails: Louisville and Southern Indiana: 40 Spectacular Hikes in the Derby City Region

Discover the Best Hikes in Louisville, Kentucky, and beyond!

Louisville is known as the City of Parks, and its population has long valued the natural landscape and the provisioning of outdoor recreation. Nestled within the Ohio Valley and bordered by the Knobs region to the south and the heavily forested areas of Indiana to the north, Louisville lies at the heart of an endless array of hiking opportunities: a patchwork of national forests, state and local parks, and nature preserves that house a network of winding trails.

Explore 40 of Louisville’s five-star trails—including the best walking paths and hidden hiking treasures in central Kentucky and southern Indiana. With hikes in this guide divided into five distinct areas, you’ll wind through hilly woodlands, around beautiful lakes, along meandering creeks, and across expansive meadows. Kentucky author and hiking expert Valerie Askren details easy strolls along Louisville’s many paved trails, treks past lovely ponds and fields of wildflowers, and longer hikes traversing densely wooded hills—all offering a broad spectrum of diverse landscapes.

Inside you’ll find:

Descriptions of 40 five-star hiking trails for all levels and interests

Full-color GPS-based trail maps, elevation profiles, and detailed directions to trailheads

Insight into the history, flora, and fauna of the routes

Ratings for scenery, difficulty, trail condition, solitude, and accessibility for children

Lace up, grab your pack, and hit the trail!