Read an Excerpt
Saunders Springs Nature Preserve
Scenery: 4 / Trail Condition: 4 / Children: 3 / Difficulty: 2 / Solitude: 2
- GPS Trailhead Coordinates: N37° 51.285' W85° 56.319'
- Distance & Configuration: 2.2-mile loop, with more mileage readily available
- Hiking Time: 2 hours
- Highlights: Cascading streams, 1880s log cabins, two small lakes
- Elevation: 746' at trailhead, descending to 467' at low point
- Access: Daily, sunrise–sunset; free admission, but donations are gratefully accepted
- Maps: Posted at multiple trailheads, but paper copies may not be available
- Facilities: Visitor center, restrooms, water, picnic tables, and pavilions
- Wheelchair Access: Very limited access
- Comments: Dogs are permitted on leash.
- Contacts: Radcliffe Tourism Office, 270-352-1204; tinyurl.com/TiogaFallsTR
Overview
Don’t let the relatively short 2.2-mile suggested route fool you. With a 200-foot elevation variance, there are more than 900 steps embedded on the 11 trails that crisscross this nature preserve. But every step takes you farther along cool, rushing streams; past prolific wildflower displays; and around spring-fed lakes. Four 19th-century log cabins have been reconstructed on the property, and the remains of an old mill provide additional grist for many a discussion. Adjacent to this 26-acre preserve is the 73-acre Saunders Springs Annex, offering an additional 8 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails.
Route Details
You can leave your Fitbit at home for this hike and skip the StairMaster the next time you’re at the gym. To reduce erosion and help you navigate the steep changes in terrain, the City of Radcliff and the Radcliff Forestry and Conservation Board have your back. Or at least the arches of your feet. Yes, there are some steep sections along these trails, but the workout can leave you feeling better than when you arrived.
There is a lot packed into this little nature preserve and something for everyone. While the wooded areas and cascading streams are undoubtedly picturesque, the multitude of springs located on the preserve account for the rich history of the area. It is believed that both Union and Confederate soldiers camped in the vicinity, and Saunders Springs was the site of the original water reservoir for what was then called Camp Knox.
If you haven’t been here before, your first stop should be the Vincent Kieta Welcome Center (open limited hours), repurposed from a 1920s one-car brick-and-timber garage that stood on the property. In addition to a map and informational brochures, the center has several photographic displays to peruse. Although the four log cabins reconstructed on the preserve are only open for special events, each has a story to tell.
Honestly, with its multitude of named trails, connectors, and switchbacks, Saunders Springs is meant to be wandered rather than hiked. At the nature preserve, it’s so easy to be distracted by a charming lake view, the sound of a cascading stream, or a log cabin window just waiting to be peered through, that you may not want to have an agenda here. This is particularly true if you have kids along, as they are rarely linear hikers to begin with.
But if you feel like you need some direction, park near the welcome center and, from the east side of the park road, hike down the Eagle Trail. Immediately you’ll begin a steep descent down a set of steps made from old railroad ties, secured into the hillside. The sound of a rushing stream will be on your right, and glimpses of the spring-fed and well-stocked High Lake reservoir are ahead of you. Bear left (west) on the Tranquility Trail, which will connect you to the Lake Trail as you circumnavigate the small lake clockwise.
On the other side of the reservoir, bear left (east) on the Cascade Trail and descend to the lower parking area and picnic pavilion. The “Hidden Trail” (signed but not marked on the map) loops downstream of the reservoir outflow before bringing you back to the picnic area. Take a few minutes to explore the Native Plants Garden and the Stith cabin. From here you can pick up the short out-and-back Comeback Trail (chock-full of wildflowers in the spring), before winding your way around the Fern Trail and the small reservoir fed by Saunders Spring, which flows directly out of a small cave.
Return to the larger reservoir via Tranquility Trail, then take the Canyon Trail to the main road and overlook. From here follow the North Cabin Trail west toward the Stovall (circa 1873), Raine (built 1836), and Atcher (about 1873) cabins at the front entrance to the park. The South Cabin and Wilderness Trails will take you back to the welcome center.
All of these directions and trail names hide the real beauty of the nature preserve. Scattered around the park are a multitude of signs identifying the six different ferns found at Saunders Springs. Plus, signs that point to old beaver activity, a small bladdernut shrub, bluestar flowers, and swamp milkweed. And signs adorn each cabin explaining who built the structure, where it originally stood, and the fact that log cabins built after 1850 typically have square roughhewn logs rather than round ones.
Notably, the wildflowers here are magnificent in spring. Perhaps one trail should have been named Hepatica Heaven.
Nearby Attractions
Serving the greater Fort Knox area, the town of Radcliff offers a tantalizing array of restaurants, from Korean to German and Caribbean. But barbecue is also big here, as are steaks and burgers. And if all that hiking has left you thirsty, try the Boundary Oak Distillery, which produces small-batch bourbon and moonshine. Free self-guided tours are available (also open to those under the age of 21); tastings are $8 with proof of age. Located at 2000 Boundary Oak Drive in Radcliff, the distillery is open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sunday, noon–5 p.m. For more information, visit boundaryoakdistillery.com.
If staying on the cutting edge is important to you, Red Hill Cutlery (Kentucky’s largest cutlery dealer) is located just next to Boundary Oak Distillery. For those less informed, we’re not talking silver place settings here. We’re talking hunting knives, filet knives, multitools, axes, whetstones, and much, much more. You can’t miss the store, located at 92 Bourbon Trace in Radcliff, as the world’s largest pocketknife—made from 6,200 pounds of American steel and featuring a 17.5-foot blade—is visible from the highway. Open Tuesday–Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday; redhillcutlery.com.
Directions
Take I-265 (KY 841/Gene Snyder Freeway) to Exit 1, then turn south on Dixie Highway (US 31W/US 60) toward Fort Knox. Drive a little over 19.0 miles. Turn left (east) on Redmar Boulevard and drive 0.4 mile. Then turn right (south) on North Wilson Road and drive 0.3 mile. Finally, turn left (east) on Saunders Spring Lane and into the preserve parking area by the welcome center.
