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 Reporter |
Summary: Bernheim has long been known as a great spot to meander on short trails along ponds and the arboretum. But the creation of the Millennium Trail has provided one of the longer loop hikes in the Louisville area. At 13.3 miles this trail is a great way to spend a day putting up some serious trail miles. We've hiked this trail several times, and prefer it as a cool/cold weather hike. It can be pretty steamy in the summer time, with our infamous humidity. The heavily wooded hike provides little chance for a cooling breeze. The loop is full of ups and downs, with several sections of nice ridgeline hiking. You're nearly guaranteed to see wildlife on the trail; we've seen deer, turkey, hawks, a skunk and your usually small furries and feathered friends. The trail crosses several roads, which provide you the oppurtunity to cut the hike short if you wish. Trailhead: From Louisville, take I-65 to exit 112. Turn east onto Highway 245 in Clermont. Turn right into the entrance after approximately 1 mile. The trail can be accessed at several locations where the trail intersects a road. The official beginning of the trail is at the west end of the Guerilla Hollow Picnic Area. Admission is free on weekdays, $5 per vehicle weekends and holidays. (Lat:37.90961 Lon:-85.66623) Trail Guides for Millennium Trail, Bernheim Arboretum: Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Winter, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Bernheim Arboretum & Research Forest - (502) 955-8512 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Ron Long, who has posted 22 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 2 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Scott on 7/20/2008 The Millenium Trail in Bernheim is a very challenging trail for the moderately conditioned hiker. If you have little or no experience/conditioning you will no doubt have a difficult day with the nummerous 'ups and downs' this hike offers. However if you are a seasoned and well conditioned individual, you will probably find nothing here that will throw you for a loop (no pun intended). This trail does offer a lengthy (almost 14 miles) and representative 'slice' of Kentucky's knobs, ridges and 'hollers'. We hiked the trail today, July 20, and got a real taste of hiking in temps in the upper 90's. It was stifling hot, and due to thick foilage, very little breeze. The Millenium Trail is great and should be hiked by anyone interest 
Reviewed by Keith & AmyBeth on 7/10/2008 Great exercise if you hike a good pace. Not much scenery to stop to see, so we did the trail in 5 hours flat. LOTS of ticks, some poison ivy, a deer sighting, and a nasty yellow-jacket sting were the only notable things on this hike. We agree that this trail would be better in early spring or late fall before/after foliage is in. We may do it again then for exercise and distance, but thats a BIIIIG maybe.
Reviewed by Michael W. on 6/30/2008 Hiked this trail over the weekend and was more than impressed by its seclusion, beauty, and difficulty. To echo others, the intensity of this trail can catch you off guard. Both steep uphills and long distance uphill grades are numerous on this trail. As the previous reviewer has stated take plenty of water. Upon reaching the halfway point, I realized that 3 of my 4 liters of water had already been consumed, forcing me to shorten the trip by taking the blacktop to the starting point. Also allow yourself an entire day to do the whole trail or you wont have time to enjoy the beauty the arboretum has to offer.
Reviewed by Matt on 6/8/2008 This trail quite honestly caught me off guard. It was much tougher than expected. When people tell you to bring water on this trail they mean it. Definitely take plenty of water. I brought 3 bottles of water and could have used at least another one or maybe two. The trail was excellent and I plan on tackling it again in the very near future. The real killer about this trail is the steep uphill climbs. They are much more numerous and frequent than I expected. Overall the trail was great. Got lost a few times trying to find the trail, but once on the trail it really was well marked. And also be prepared to be sore the next day. I just hiked it yesterday and feel like I was run over by a truck. Make sure to wear proper hiking boots, important.
Reviewed by Tony on 7/22/2007 This isn't the trail for you if you like a flat clear path. There's plenty of up and down, some deadfall, and some weeds. There's nothing here to challenge an experienced hiker, other than the obvious. There is an occasional nice view, nothing spectacular. In the spring, expect to cross some water, especially on the southern loop. The path crosses over a few roads so you can cut it short. Our scout troop has too many old guys so we always do it in 10 mile segments.
Reviewed by Doug on 6/14/2007 I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared for the toughness of this hike. I ran completely out of water about 3/4 of the way through, and we actually got somewhat lost despite the trail markings. Highlights included: seeing a decent sized black snake right in the middle of the trail & the overall shape of the trail. It was also wierd seeing a gravestone marker of a hiker who died on the trail at that exact spot. It was at a time when the climb was at its most strenuous, and then all of a sudden you see a marker where a man apparently had heat stroke. Very sad indeed... The best part of this hike was hearing civilization near the end and knowing it would be over soon. I woul ddo it again maybe next fall.
Reviewed by Katie on 8/6/2006 A fun day of hiking, but yes, there was poison ivy all over the place. Also, watch out for the deer ticks. Overall, the trails are marked well, but we still got off track a couple of times. The people at the Visitors' Center are fabulous and very generous with their Purell wipes to wash away the deer ticks. Hikers definitely need to sign in before starting the Millenium. 
Reviewed by WM on 10/27/2005 I just hiked this last weekend. I would hike again because of to the lack of good day-hikes anywhere near Louisville. The trail is overgrown in some places, but I didn't see any poison ivy. You can pretty easilly make your way going either direction just by following the yellow triangle markers. Nothing spectacular but good if you just want to get out and hike for a few hours. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Kentucky Hiking, Kentucky Trails, Kentucky Hikes, Bullitt County Hiking, Bullitt County Trails, Bullitt County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||