Raven Run Nature Sanctuary

Fun place to get out in nature. Close to the city. Well marked trails. Easy trails. A couple good overlooks/views.

Very pleasant hike with lots of trees and shade. The view of the Kentucky River after a two mile one-way hike was spectacular. Going back from the river is almost entirely uphill. Nothing too strenuous, just note that it's a dirt tail.

A nice mostly quiet place for a hike.The paths range from a short leisurely stroll with the family to a real workout getting ready for an Iron Man Marathon. And a good assortment in between. I've seen lots of wild critters on these walks.The park used to host learning to camp outings. I don't know if they started them again since covid. If you're interested, especially for the youngsters, ask. They used to host nature walks. The spring flowers were a big hit.The staff and exhibits are great.This is a great asset for the area.Enjoy it.

This place has been on my list since undergrad but I never had the chance to go.It's a bit of a drive from downtown Lexington but totally worth a visit! Seems a bit underrated.We came around 10 on a Saturday morning and it wasn't busy quite yet, but there were a handful of cars.There are restrooms in one of the centers before the entrance to the trails. They likely do events and weddings here.Take a picture of the map! We got lost trying to find a view of the Kentucky river. Turned out one of the trails was closed and we had no idea.My friends and I did most of the trails. We spent about 3 hours climbing up hills and stairs of rocks. Some parts were muddy. There are some Serene creeks around here. Folks also come to do geocaching.The view of the river is the thing to see. Very beautiful and green and not polluted.I'm not a huge hiker. I can do about 3 miles. We were able to do almost 5 miles here! If you're an avid hiker, this won't be much. But for folks like me, it's not a light hike. You'd best get hiking boots. My body was aching later that day and the day after. I also saw people carrying walking sticks. In fact, many people had them! It's a difficult walk if you're not hoping to lose your balance a bit.

Very nice trails and beautiful scenery. We did the red trail and it was a decent length with great views.

Probably the biggest park of this sort in the greater Lexington area, it took me a while to try it mainly because they close rather early. Signs say the trails close at 6:30 (at present the sun sets at 9), and a loudspeaker blared this announcement through the park an hour before that. Having been there, I could see a case for early closing though, as the trails were quite muddy and were on inclines. I could imagine things going badly at dusk and it probably gets dark there well before the sun sets.While it had rained some in the preceding week, it was by no means flood season, and the mud was quite difficult in spots. I definitely suggest staying on high ground.The aesthetic is one of limestone-lined streams, and you get a variety of ecosystems in the park. The overlook of the Kentucky River was pretty minimal, and when I got there a number of people were just hanging out having conversation on the rock with no seeming intent of leaving. I thought the rest of the trails were more worthwhile anyway. While there are abundant trees, there is enough of a meadow without tree cover that sun protection would be wise. The Freedom Trail is a paved hilly path next to the parking lot that was somewhat worn down and not overly impressive; I'd head to the visitor center and do the main trails.You can certainly spend several hours doing that, and while I might have hoped for a slightly easier time on the trails, it was a nice dose of nature.

This is our escape. We don't live far from here, so we go to hike and destress. The landscape is beautiful this time of year.

Easy hiking, various trails, lots of shade if needed, ample parking, no dogs. Also includes an education center and there is a super easy hiking trail that's paved for strollers and young walkers.

Right now, due to covid, you need to make a reservation a day in advance. Go to ravens run website and the link to make a reservation will be there. You can choose a scheduled time of 9-11a, 11:30-1:30a, and 2-4p. When you pull up, they'll give you a car pass and check you in. They're incredibly nice.This place is a beautiful place to hike while staying close in Lexington. They have paved trails, too, that we do if my niece and nephew are here, and also have off road trails for more scenic and rough type trails. Great place to exercise and meet with a friend while social distancing!

Nice morning walk! Be sure you make a reservation at least a day in advance, and even though the nature center is closed, the restrooms were open. Even in late September the wildflowers were in bloom.