Boone County Cliffs State Nature Preserve (Blog Hike #42)

Trail: Main Trail

Hike Location: Boone County Cliffs State Nature Preserve

Geographic Location: west of Burlington, KY (38.99077, -84.78045)

Length: 1.75 miles
Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: Summer 1999

Overview: A scenic hike around the rim of a cliff-lined ravine.

Preserve Information: https://eec.ky.gov/Nature-Preserves/Locations/Pages/Boone-County-Cliffs.aspx
Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=100909
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From Burlington, drive west on SR 18 6 miles to its intersection with Middle Creek Road, a paved road marked with a green street sign.  Turn left on Middle Creek Road and follow the narrow winding road 1.7 miles to the small gravel parking area on the left.  Note that the parking area can only hold four cars at a time, so plan a visit in the early morning or on a weekday to ensure a parking spot.

The hike: Set in rural western Boone County, the rugged terrain of Boone County Cliffs State Nature Preserve is a naturalist's dream.  There are only a couple of exposed rock outcrops visible from the trail, so the name “Cliffs” is a bit misleading.  The rest of the preserve is characterized by mature forest and steep ravines.

            Despite the fact that the land was purchased by the The Nature Conservancy only 25 years ago, most of the land in the preserve has never been farmed or grazed.  In 1987, the land was transferred to Boone County Fiscal Court and dedicated as a park.  Today the park is managed by Boone County Parks and Kentucky State Nature Preserve Commission.  Enjoy this walk through the hills of northern Kentucky.

            Begin along the main trail, which departs from the northwest side of the parking area.  The trail soon reaches a small but pretty stream and takes two right turns before beginning a steep ascent out of the creek valley.  At the top of the hill, take a quick detour to the left to see an overlook of the creek valley from the top of a shale rock outcrop.  The view is somewhat obstructed by trees, but it is still a good reward for the hard climb up the hill.

Rock outcrop

            Retrace your steps to the main trail and go straight at the intersection to continue the loop.  The trail now begins meandering through mature forest along the east side of the ravine.  Maple, beech, and oak, with an occasional basswood dominate the canopy.  The ground is completely covered by the alien herb garlic mustard in the warmer months, which looks like a green carpet on the forest floor.

Main Trail at Boone County Cliffs

            After dipping in and out of a steep drainage for the last major climb of the hike, the trail takes a left turn around the head of the main ravine in the preserve.  Now on the west side of the ravine, the trail continues along a narrow ridge with a steep ravine on either side.  Larkspur and violets seem to like this section of the forest. 

            Soon the trail passes through a section of woods that is considerably younger than the rest of the forest.  This area was farmed probably only 40 years ago, before the land was purchased by the state.  Once clear of this area, the trail continues along the ridge, which is even narrower now.  Once the end of the ridge is reached, the trail begins a steep descent back to the creek valley that runs through the middle of the preserve.  Elm and ash dominate the creek valley.  Cross the small creek without the aid of a bridge and then come out onto Middle Creek Rd. a couple hundred feet west of the parking area.  A short uphill walk on the paved road ends the hike.

Crossing the stream