Knobs State Forest

Last updated

Knobs State Forest and Wildlife Management Area
Knobs State Forest.jpg
Terminus of the orange trail
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Location in the United States
USA Kentucky relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location in Kentucky
Location Bullitt County, Kentucky
Nearest city Shepherdsville, Kentucky
Coordinates 37°52′53″N85°40′35″W / 37.88139°N 85.67639°W / 37.88139; -85.67639 Coordinates: 37°52′53″N85°40′35″W / 37.88139°N 85.67639°W / 37.88139; -85.67639
Area2,035 acres (8.24 km2)
Max. elevation975 feet (297 m)
Min. elevation467 feet (142 m)
Established2006
Governing bodyDepartment of Natural Resources, Division of Forests
eec.ky.gov/Natural-Resources/Forestry/ky-state-forests/Pages/Knobs-State-Forest-and-Wildlife-Management-Area.aspx

Knobs State Forest and Wildlife Management Area is a 2,035 acre state forest located in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States. The forest is located about 28 miles south of Louisville, Kentucky. It is managed for sustainable timber production. [1]

Contents

History

The tract of land that would eventually become Knobs State Forest and Wildlife Management Area is a former tree farm that has a long history of logging. In the 1840s the forest was rapidly cleared and was then selectively logged in 1980s and 1990s. [2] Dr. James G. Kuhns and his sister Mrs. Anne E. Kuhns-van der Steur inherited the land, and out of concern of rapid industrialization in the area, sold it to the State of Kentucky in order to preserve it in perpetuity [3] using $3.3 million from the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund. In July 2006 1,110 acres from that purchase were used to establish Knobs State Forest. Making it the Kentucky's sixth state owned forest [4] and its first Forest Legacy Project. [5] It was expanded in November 2006 and again in October 2018 with the purchase of 429 and 496 acres respectively. [1]

The 2018 purchase was part of a project to create a wildlife corridor linking Knobs State Forest with nearby Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. [6] Incidentally, during the period 1959–1980, 4,000 acres of the Bernheim property was leased by the State of Kentucky and bore the name Knobs State Forest. [7]

Ecology

The area of the reserve is 93% forested with the remaining 7% being open land. [8] It contains at least 198 different plant species including one infrequent species; the butterfly pea. White and chestnut oak account for 60% of the tree canopy. [2] There are no lakes or ponds in the forest. The only water sources are Crooked Creek in the north of the forest and Cain Run which originates in the south of the forest. [8]

Recreation

Knobs State forest is open to the public for day use. Common activities are hiking, hunting, and wildlife viewing. [9] The forest contains 5.8 miles across three maintained hiking trails. All of which are old logging roads. In addition there is also one 1.2 mile trail that has been abandoned. Common Game species are deer, turkey, and squirrel. [8]

While fishing is allowed in the forest all water sources are intermittent. Limiting fishing opportunities.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankfort, Kentucky</span> Capital city of Kentucky, United States

Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the principal city of the Frankfort, Kentucky Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Franklin and Anderson counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullitt County, Kentucky</span> County in Kentucky, United States

Bullitt County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 82,217. Its county seat is Shepherdsville. The county was founded in 1796. Located just south of the city of Louisville, Bullitt County is included in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Metropolitan Statistical Area, commonly known as Kentuckiana. The western fifth of the county is part of the United States Army post of Fort Knox and is reserved for military training.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Boone National Forest</span> National forest in Kentucky

The Daniel Boone National Forest is a national forest in Kentucky. Established in 1937, it includes 708,000 acres (287,000 ha) of federally owned land within a 2,100,000 acres (850,000 ha) proclamation boundary. The name of the forest was changed in 1966 in honor of the explorer Daniel Boone.

Isaac Wolfe Bernheim was an American businessman notable for starting the I. W. Harper brand of premium bourbon whiskey. The success of his distillery and distribution business helped to consolidate the Louisville area as a major center of Kentucky bourbon distilling. Bernheim was also a philanthropist, establishing the 14,000-acre Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Bullitt County.

Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest is a 16,137 acres (65.30 km2) arboretum, forest, and nature preserve located in Clermont, Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clermont, Kentucky</span> Unincorporated community in Kentucky, United States

Clermont is a USGS-designated populated place in Bullitt County, Kentucky, United States, south of Louisville. It is an unincorporated community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve</span>

Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve is a forested gorge covering 2,639 acres near Whitesburg, KY in Letcher County, Kentucky. The deep and narrow gorge, adjacent to the Jefferson National Forest is carved into the face of Pine Mountain. Sandstone boulders and cliffs along with riglines and knobs provide views into the Appalachia area. The terrain is landscaped with streams, rivers, and a 60-foot waterfall. With a variety of habitat types, this nature preserve is home to many unique and unknown species of flora and fauna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Route 90</span>

Kentucky Route 90 is a major east–west state highway in southern Kentucky. The route is 134.734 miles (216.833 km) long, and it traverses Barren, Metcalfe, Cumberland, Clinton, Wayne, Pulaski, McCreary and Whitley Counties in southern Kentucky. It runs from the KY 70 junction near Interstate 65 in Cave City to US 25W about 8 miles (13 km) from Interstate 75.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 65 in Kentucky</span> Interstate Highway in Kentucky, United States

Interstate 65 (I-65) enters the US state of Kentucky from Tennessee, five miles (8.0 km) south of Franklin. It passes by the major cities of Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, and Louisville before exiting the state into Indiana.

Bullitt's Lick is a historic salt lick 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Shepherdsville in Bullitt County, Kentucky. It was the first commercial supplier of salt in Kentucky, and the first industry in Kentucky as well, supplying jobs for many residents but also using slaves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve</span>

Pilot Knob State Nature Preserve is located in Powell County, Kentucky, USA. It is a 1,257.93 acre nature preserve in Eastern Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robinson Forest</span>

The Robinson Forest is a research, education, and extension forest owned by the University of Kentucky and managed by the Department of Forestry in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. The forest covers 14,786 acres (59.84 km2) in Breathitt, Knott and Perry counties in Kentucky's Cumberland Plateau region. The main block of Robinson Forest contains approximately 10,000 contiguous acres while the remaining acreage is found in outlying tracts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Route 245</span>

Kentucky Route 245 (KY 245) is a 19.439-mile (31.284 km) state highway in Kentucky that runs from U.S. Route 150 in southeastern to Bardstown to Kentucky Route 61 south of Shepherdsville.

References

  1. 1 2 "Knobs State Forest and Wildlife Management Area". eec.ky.gov. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Knobs State Forest and Wildlife Management Area". eec.ky.gov. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  3. ↑ Bartley, Kelly (February 19, 2021). "Legacy of Leadership". Wildlands News. knlt.org/. Berea, KY: Kentucky Natural Lands Trust. Archived from the original on November 27, 2021. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  4. ↑ "TPL Helps Create New Kentucky State Forest". www.tpl.org. Clemont, KY: The Trust for Public Land. August 24, 2006. Archived from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Knobs State Forest: More to See" (pdf). Unbridled Voice. Frankfort,KY. January 2007. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  6. ↑ Landon, Amy (October 29, 2018). "Nearly 1,000 acres of Bullitt land now part of preserved property". bernheim.org. Frankfort, KY: The Pioneer News. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Bernheim at 90: Mac McClure, A Future of Preservation". bernheim.org. Clermont, Kentucky: Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. December 13, 2019. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 "Knobs State Forest and Wildlife Management Area" (pdf). fw.ky.gov. Frankfort, KY: Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. August 1, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  9. ↑ White, Bob (June 5, 2010). "Off the beaten path..." subscriber.thenewsenterprise.com. The News Enterprise. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.