Top 5 Place to Visit Near Lexington, Kentucky

Kentucky is incredibly beautiful with all the greenery, hiking areas, and murals, so here are our top 5 places to visit near Lexington, Kentucky!

Check out these top-rated Lexington adventures while you’re here. If you book an excursion through these links, I get a commission. So thank you!

1. Red River Gorge Hiking

This unique area is part of the massive Daniel Boone National Forest and contains many hiking trails, stunning overlooks and beautiful rock formations.

We hiked on two trails; Sky Bridge Trail and Sheltowee Trace.

Sky Bridge Trail

This trail is just what it says – a trail that cross a hanging bridge. It is a nice stroll through the forest that travels along a creek. There is a swimming hole, a large rock to jump off of, and a small beach area, so be sure to bring a swimsuit. Bonus: you also get to drive through a cute tunnel to reach the trail head.

Sheltowee Trace

This trail is a nice stroll through the forest that travels along a creek and leads to a rope bridge. There is a swimming hole, a large rock to jump off of, and a small beach area, so be sure to bring a swimsuit. Bonus: you also get to drive through a cute tunnel to reach the trail head.

2. Thursday Night Live

This event runs from April – October in the evenings and the dates vary each year. (Check out the dates here!) There are local vendors, live music, food and drinks and it varies every week so you can go multiple times and experience something different! Bonus points because it is free to attend 🙂

3. The Burl

The Burl is a restaurant, a bar, an arcade, a music venue, and even has outdoor games and a fire pit. It is an all in one stop with friendly people that is fun to visit and experience. Plus, it has an adorable mural on one of the walls.

4. Lexington Arbortum

The Arboretum is located at the University of Kentucky and is 100 acres. It is free to visit and absolutely beautiful. There are walking trails, hundreds of flowers and gardens, and artwork. There are also shaded areas and pavilions to take a break and just enjoy the beauty.

5. Kentucky Waterfalls

Dog Slaughter Falls

A ridiculous name, but a beautiful hike and waterfall. The water is freezing but refreshing after the hike and you can even go behind the waterfall. There are multiple places to enter this trail so we recommend deciding if you want to hike 8 miles roundtrip or 1 mile roundtrip and making sure you enter at the correct trail head.

Cumberland Falls

Known as the Niagra of the south, this waterfall is 125 feet wide and 68 feet tall. You cannot get close to the waterfall since it has a fence around it, but it is worth coming to see and walking around on the trails in the area.