Whenever an outsider asks me where they should run when they visit Louisville, my first response is always Cherokee Park. Situated in the heart of the city, Cherokee Park has hills, trails, and lots of beauty. The park dates back to 1891, when Frederick Law Olmsted turned this piece of military land grant land into one of the city’s largest parks. Due to its hills and heavily wooded areas, it wasn’t a good farming location and was mainly used for animal grazing before it became a park. But since 1891, it has become a top park in the country and a staple in the Louisville parks system.

The main feature of Cherokee Park that is pertinent to runners is the Scenic Loop. This 2.4-mile loop provides a great place to train on flat ground but also on hills. If you complete the full loop, you’ll pass by Hogan’s Fountain, a fountain built in 1904 with the Greek god Pan at the top; Cochran Hill, which is better known as Dog Hill because dogs are allowed off leash here; and the Rugby Fields, a nice flat stretch where you can find locals playing rugby or ultimate frisbee. A lot of races use this loop, including the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon and the winter Polar Bear Grand Prix races.

The hills of the Scenic Loop also provide a great setting for hill training. If you use the hill leading up to Dog Hill, between Lexington Rd. and the golf course, there are markers along the hill letting you know distance. My go-to hill workout here is to run one hill up for either 400m or 1-2 minutes, then walk down. At the bottom, I’ll either start back up for another hill repeat or do a short distance burst on the flat ground before going back uphill.

One aspect of Cherokee I’m not as familiar with are the trails. What I do know, though, is that there are many miles of trails you can run through Cherokee that are on the outside and inside of the Scenic Loop. You can extend your trail or road run by using the paths that take you over to Seneca Park. If you are running the trails, remember that they’re also open to cyclists and be aware of mountain bikes on the path.

Photo by Marvin Young from the 2017 Urban Bourbon Half Marathon

Another great feature about Cherokee Park right now is that it’s car-free. Thanks to the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, the Scenic Loop has been closed off from vehicles since the start of the pandemic to allow for pedestrians and cyclists to use full advantage of the entire road. The Olmsted Parks Conservancy is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989 to protect and restore the 18 Olmsted-designed parks in the city. While Metro Parks does do a lot of work inside Cherokee, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy is responsible for a lot of the improvements and preservation of the park. If you want to support Cherokee and the Conservancy, check out their website to volunteer and/or donate.

City Running Spotlight: Cherokee Park