The non-stop pace of modern life can wear anybody down, and sometimes we need a place to just get away. Here in Kentucky's Heartland, that place is often right outside the door. Whether it's a quiet hike in the woods, taking the dog for a long walk around a lake or the thrill of a rock climbing adventure, we've got many ways and locations to help you enjoy the great outdoors.

If your ideal adventure is climbing a sheer rock wall, then Otter Creek Park in Meade County is the place for you. Offering excellent cliffs with a stunning view of the Ohio River, this 2600-acre park, which is part of the Louisville Metro Parks system, offers an abundance of other outdoor experiences including hiking, mountain biking, rappelling, camping and educational nature programs. Additionally, the park hosts numerous events throughout the year. This month features Halloween Family Fests that includes crafts for kids, haunted hayrides, and pumpkin carving contests.

Five miles north of Springfield in Washington County, recreation and history meet at the Lincoln Homestead State Park. The 153-acre park is the land Abraham Lincoln's family settled in the late 1700s. The cabin in which Nancy Hanks, Abe's mother, lived during her courtship with Thomas Lincoln is painstakingly preserved. There's also a replica of the 1782 cabin where Thomas Lincoln lived as a boy. The park also has a museum, gift shop, picnic area, playground, three fishing lakes, and an 18-hole championship golf course including a pro shop. Each June, you are invited to attend the Wedding Celebration of Thomas Lincoln & Nancy Hanks — the beginning of the Lincoln Legacy.

Grayson County boasts its share of recreation areas as well including Nolin Lake State Park. The park is one of Kentucky's newest state parks located on the northern edge of Mammoth Cave National Park. With over 330 acres of rolling hills and lush green forest along with Nolin Lake's 5,795 acres, the park has much to offer, from boating and fishing to hiking and biking. Relax on the sandy beaches along the shores of Nolin Lake, enjoy a picnic or barbeque in the picnic area or cast your line on Nolin Lake and catch bass, walleye, catfish and crappie.

Rough River Dam State Resort Park straddles both Grayson and Breckenridge Counties, and offers some of the finest opportunities for fishing and water sports in the state. The resort also features a 9-hole, par-3 golf course and the beautiful 18-hole Lafayette Golf Course is just a couple miles from the park. The park also includes a 40-room lodge and 17 cottages. There is a 167-seat dining room, two conference rooms, swimming pool, gift shop, and boat marina.

If you want to visit the inspiration for the Stephen Foster's ballad, "My Old Kentucky Home," then be sure to plan a trip to the state park that bares its name - My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Nelson County. Today, the Georgian-style mansion is as endearing to visitors as it was in 1852, the year Foster wrote what has become the official state song while visiting his cousins, the Rowan family. Step into the days of the antebellum South as costumed guides escort you through the stately mansion and formal gardens. During summer months, the outdoor drama "Stephen Foster -The Musical" is performed under the stars in the park's amphitheater. In the wintertime, Christmas candlelight tours highlight the holidays when the mansion is adorned with holly, pine and fruit garlands. The park also boasts an 18-hole golf course and camping sites.

Travel south on route 31E and to the LaRue County Environmental Education & Research Center, located a leisurely three-mile ride from downtown Hodgenville. The center serves as an outdoor classroom providing educational opportunities in ecology, genetics, forestry, natural resource conservation and wildlife management. Visitors can research the center's library, view the documents and maps of forest inventory, review the resource plans and learn about the biological assessments. There are also planned activities and interpreter-led programs and hikes. As long as you're in the neighborhood, you can also visit the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site. Here you can visit a 19th century cabin like the one in which Lincoln was born and hike the trails on the land the Lincoln Family once farmed. The visitor center contains exhibits, a gift shop and features the 18-minute film, "Lincoln--The Kentucky Years."

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Bullitt County can serve as a place of quiet respite and a living classroom with more than 1900 labeled varieties of trees, shrubs and other plants as well as 30 miles of hiking trails. This year, Bernheim opened its canopy treewalk allowing visitors to spend some time in the treetops overlooking a peaceful valley.

Hardin County is not without its green space either, from Saunders Springs Nature Preserve to Freeman Lake Park outdoor concerts, hiking, fishing and picnicking are among the many activities you can enjoy.

So cast a line, hit the trail, or take a seat under a big shade tree and enjoy all the splendor of outdoor life here in the Heartland.

Lifestyle Profile Archives