Urban Hike to Fort Hill and the Fort Hill Ridge Loop

About this event

* # 🌄 **Hikers of the Bluegrass: Historic Fort Hill Civil War Fort Historic Neighborhood Walk + Full Ridge Trails + Overlook and Forest Descent Loop** **Frankfort, KY — [ Saturday September 5th] — 09:30 AM** **Meet at: River View Park — 404 Wilkinson Blvd, Frankfort, KY 40601** ## 🌿 **Why Hike These Trails** This loop combines a straightforward neighborhood warm‑up, preserved Civil War earthworks on Fort Hill, shaded ridge‑top forest walking, and a short descent trail that returns directly to River View Park. The route offers a mix of history, scenery, and accessible terrain without being strenuous. It’s a practical, varied hike that fits well into a morning or early afternoon. ## 🧭 **Route Overview** We begin at River View Park, walk through Frankfort’s older residential neighborhoods, enter Fort Hill from the Clifton Avenue entrance, explore all ridge‑top trails, and return to River View Park using the short forest trail. ## 🗺️ **Outbound Neighborhood Route** **All sidewalk. Flat. Easy navigation.** ### **Sidewalk Confirmation** The walk from River View Park to Clinton Street is **fully sidewalked and flat**. This segment is **easy**. ### **Turn‑by‑Turn** 1. West on **Clinton St** 2. Left on **St. Clair St** 3. Right on **Mero St** 4. Left on **Holmes St** 5. Left on **Wright St** 6. Right on **Wallace Ave** 7. Left on **Owenton Ave** 8. Left on **Thornhill Rd** 9. Left on **Clifton Ave → Fort Hill entrance** ### **Neighborhood Ages** * **St. Clair:** late 1800s–1920s * **Clinton, Clifton:** 1900s–1930s * **Mero, Holmes, Wallace:** 1920s–1950s * **Wright, Owenton, Thornhill:** 1940s–1960s ### **Distance & Time** * **\~–2.5 miles** * **\~50 minutes** at relaxed pace ## 🏞️ **Fort Hill Ridge‑Top Trails, Entrance at 400 Clifton Avenue, Frankfort** We will walk all trails shown on the Historic Trails Map. ### **Features** * **Earthworks & Fort Boone** * **Artillery platforms** * **Defensive ditch and walls** * **Soldier encampment area** *…