Fort Mitchell’s Hidden Oasis: Highland Cemetery Nature Trails

Tucked in the suburban neighborhoods of Fort Mitchell lies a greenspace gem known as the Highland Cemetery Nature Trails. The paths traverse six miles of Northern Kentucky woodland and creek beds, where black squirrels and birds are abundant. Follow the creek bed and stumble upon a small waterfall and the remains of a nineteenth-century springhouse. Take a closer look at the rocks under your feet and you will see the remnants of sea creatures in the form of fossilized shells.  If you’re lucky, you might spot a box turtle!

The 150-acre property is part of a Wildlife Enhancement Program, which entails the establishment and maintenance of a space to improve wildlife habitat. This type of protection includes the removal of invasive species, establishment of permanent vegetation, forest edge improvement, and leaving snags, dead or partially dead standing trees, as shelter for a variety of animals. In spring, wildflowers can be found blooming throughout the woodlands. Early summer is the perfect time for birders to experience the native and neotropical species. 

This second-growth woodland is the next location for the Greenspace Alliance’s Meet a Greenspace Hike on Friday, June 7th, from 3 – 4 p.m. The address for the Highland Cemetery Nature Trails is 2167 Dixie Highway. To reach the trailhead from the cemetery entrance, take all right-hand turns until you reach its parking area across from the bird feeders. It will be marked by a Little Free Library. The hike will include stone steps, crossing shallow creeks, step downs, and ducking under tree limbs. Please dress accordingly. 

Register here for this Meet a Greenspace Hike!

We hope that these hikes will provide those who join in the time and space they need to reconnect with nature. If you have any questions, contact Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance Manager, Claire Carlson, at claire@greenumbrella.org. 

Our lives can pull us from the places and experiences that ground and restore us.  Too often, we uncouple ourselves from the many forms of nature and mindlessly meander through our days: hopping from one meeting to another, rushing through the motions of life, jobs, hobbies, just to check another task off the to-do list.  

For those of us working either directly or indirectly in environmental conservation fields, this feeling can be amplified and lead to an internal abyss full of restlessness and disconnectedness. 

Sound familiar? Add our Meet a Greenspace Hike Series to your calendar!

This hiking series will take place once a month and explore both protected and unprotected greenspaces across the region. There is no agenda or plan of action other to reconnect to nature, ourselves, and each other.  

Each month, we will explore a different area, ranging from our greenspace gems to urban strolls.  They will last for one hour and are open to anyone and everyone interested.  

We hope that these hikes will provide time and space to reconnect with nature. Hikes will be posted on our Events Calendar with links to the month’s location (please look at the locations’ website for accessibility information). If you have any questions, contact Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance Manager Claire Carlson at claire@greenumbrella.org. We’ll see you on the trails!