March 2023

Floracliff

For those who may not know, Floracliff is a 346 acre nature preserve located in Lexington, KY, in the Palisades region. Hiking there is guided only, but they have several hikes to choose from if you go to their website and check their calendar. However, most of the hikes have a limited number of spots and they do fill up quickly. We had been trying to get in to see Floracliff for months! Realized that it was best to book as early as possible, we managed to snag one of the “Golden Hour” hikes down to the Kentucky River floodplain. The idea being, that during sunset, the setting sun would highlight the palisades and shimmer through the trees along the bank. Alas, our trip happened to be on a cloudy day so it was mostly overcast. Our group was friendly and our guides were very knowledgable, overall it was a very nice experience. No pets are permitted, so they were left at home for a change. Most of the trails are moderately difficult due to the terrain along the Palisades being steep. This is a great place to view wildflowers! They do have some special hikes geared towards wildflower viewing, which seems to be one of their more popular hikes. This preserve is also near the more well known Raven Run Sanctuary, which is open to the public.