Peterson Forest, City of Louisville Metro Parks and Kentucky Division of Forestry, Jefferson County, 112 acres.
This former award winning certified tree farm provides an important buffer for Floyd’s fork creek which is one of the best streams for water quality remaining in Jefferson County. The project is an important addition to the Floyd’s Fork Parks Project which will ultimately protect and link more than 4000 acres and 22 miles of stream. The project begins at Shelbyville Road on the north and ends at Bardstown Road on the south. The Floyd’s Fork Project will be interconnected via continuous scenic park drive and a 20-mile portion of the Louisville Loop. Over 100 miles of new hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails will be created in addition to, children’s playgrounds, bark parks, accessible fishing holes, canoe launches, ball fields and other numerous facilities for family picnics and community events. Pope Lick Park is also part of this project. The Peterson farm is located on the flood plain with 10 acres of natural floodplain forest dominated by green ash, bur oak, and silver maple. Approximately one-half the farm was converted to black walnut plantations for genetic research and practical forest demonstrations. The remaining acreage is in open fields and buildings with road frontage. Once the entire project is completed it is projected to protect more than 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, 40 fish, 20 mussel species, 19 mammals including the federally endangered gray and Indiana bats, 138 species of birds and over 450 species of native plants including the endangered Kentucky glade cress.
Access:
Not open to the public at this time unless attending an approved forestry event or with permission from the Kentucky Department of Forestry or Louisville Metro Parks.