Five-Star Trails: Louisville and Southern Indiana. Valerie Askren

      Overview

      The White Oak Nature Trail at Beargrass Creek State Nature Preserve lies near the heart of Louisville and within easy reach of every child in Jefferson County. Take your kids (or someone else’s) to explore every nook and cranny of this 41-acre woodland wonder. Beargrass Creek is the only urban forest owned by the Kentucky State Nature Preserve Commission. Comanaged with the Louisville Nature Center, the preserve provides four seasons of opportunity to tire those little rascals out and get them to bed early.

      Route Details

      If this is your first visit, you should begin at the Louisville Nature Center. As you approach, you’ll notice small signs identifying many of the trees and native plantings that dot the landscape. A new sensory garden has been installed in front of a small pond, with a raised “table” for planting flowers and vegetables. Rain chains dangle as downspouts on both sides of the front entrance to the center, designed to catch both your eye and the surplus water that runs off the gutters. Operated as a nonprofit, the nature center gratefully accepts donations for the upkeep of its facilities and sells rain barrels as one of its fundraisers.

      Inside the center you’ll find several hands-on exhibits for the kids to investigate and a room that serves as both a library and a gift shop. Be sure to say hello to Amie the stuffed armadillo, who’s visiting from Texas.

      The nature center also has an informative display on the Beargrass Creek watershed, which drains 61 square miles of Jefferson County. Every drop of metro-Louisville runoff ends up in this watershed—encompassing Muddy, Middle, and South Forks—on its way to the Ohio River. Think about that impact while you try to keep your lawn and garden chemical-free.

      The Louisville Nature Center takes its educational outreach programs seriously, offering a preschool program for the little tykes, hosting school groups throughout the year, and operating youth camps in the summer. Scout troops frequently roam the area dressed in those adorable blue and brown outfits, complete with neckerchiefs. The facility is also available for rent (think birthday parties), and the Jefferson County Master Gardener Association uses it for luncheons and meeting space.

      A large bird blind lies just out the back door of the nature center, overlooking several feeders. Frequent avian visitors include dark-eyed (or slate-colored) juncos, cardinals, white-breasted nuthatches, tufted titmice, and downy woodpeckers. Walk about the blind slowly and quietly—although the exterior wall has tinted one-way glass, the birds are very aware of shadows and noise as you move about the room.

      The White Oak Nature Trail starts just to the left of the bird blind. The nature center provides a small brochure that fits easily in your back pocket and describes the 20 information markers posted along the way. To follow the guided trail sequentially, start your hike here, looping clockwise to return to the parking lot on the front side of the nature center. Highlights include several small wooden bridges and walkways, the sycamore “hugging tree,” and some of the largest poison ivy vines you’ve ever seen. Known in scientific circles as Toxicodendron radicans, poison ivy produces an irritating oil called urushiol. Curiously, wildlife is immune to this irritant: a variety of birds, deer, rabbits, and other small mammals eat the grayish-white berries throughout the fall and winter. Adhere to the old adage “leaves of three, let it be,” and maybe you won’t wake up itching. (For more on the subject.)

      If you want to shorten your hike to less than 0.7 mile, take the shortcut across the Red Maple Trail to the other side of the White Oak Nature Trail. But if one of your objectives is to wear out the kids, don’t even mention that as an option.

      Shortly after you pass the Red Maple Trail, about 0.3 mile into the hike, you’ll notice an increasing number of old bricks embedded within the dirt path. This section of the White Oak Nature Trail was an old paved roadbed that led to Basil Prather’s homestead. Prather, a Revolutionary War captain, bought this property in 1789. The roadbed is elevated above the surrounding wetlands—a.k.a. mosquito-breeding grounds. Hikers may want to avoid this section during late spring and early summer.

      At the far northeastern end of the trail, about 0.7 mile from the trailhead, the path traverses a wooden walkway before ascending gently and eventually returning to the nature center. Along the second half of the trail, you may see two or three paths veering left (southeast); these lead to Joe Creason Park, just south and east of the preserve.

      To keep kids interested as they walk along the trail, try a photo scavenger hunt. Provide an inexpensive digital camera and a list of sights to find and record photographically. Hunt items could include a left- or right-hand mitten hidden in one of the many old sassafras trees that line the trail; white blooms or red berries on an invasive honeysuckle; sightings of snakeroot, witch hazel, or poplar (Kentucky’s state tree); a photo op with Amie … you get the idea.

      And don’t forget about Beargrass Creek on inclement-weather days. Load up with raincoats and boots or a warm winter coat with hat and mittens, and look for animal tracks. It’s always surprising how many mammals frequent our urban backyard. And on cold days, the bird blind will be chattering with activity.

      Nearby Attractions

      Both Joe Creason Park and the Louisville Zoo are just south of the preserve. All three