Munfordville’s Allure Grows With Outdoor Adventure Certification
When Sandy Ladd-Russell and her husband, Johnny Russell, want to enjoy a day outside, the Canmer residents drop their kayaks off at Harry Wilson Park in Munfordville before heading to Thelma Stovall Park. There, they hop on the Green River Walking Trail, also known as the Jenny Wilson Byrd Memorial Trail, and enjoy its 4.5-mile path alongside the Green River.
“It’s so pretty,” says Sandy, describing a trail that winds through the woods, a meadow often populated by deer, and even past blue holes in the Green River.
Sandy and Johnny then hop in their kayaks for a trip on the river.
It’s a great way to get outside in nature with family and friends, Sandy says. When the couple isn’t hiking and paddling that route, they often ride their electric bikes through the area. Sandy, a retired insurance agent, can also be found working with Hart County Tourism at the nearby Mammoth Cave Visitor Center, telling tourists about the many local attractions they can visit.
Sandy’s enthusiasm for local trails reflects a broader effort in Munfordville to cultivate a thriving outdoor culture, which led to the town’s designation as a certified Kentucky Trail Town.
That designation highlights the intentional planning, community involvement, and infrastructure development that turned Munfordville into a hub for hikers, paddlers, and cyclists, making it a destination for anyone who wants to get outside.
Connecting Trails
The Kentucky Department of Tourism created the Trail Town designation, says Rachelle Wright, project director of Cave Country Trails, a nonprofit designed to get travelers and locals alike to spend time on trails across South Central Kentucky. Through that organization, Rachelle is connected with Munfordville and several other area Trail Towns.
Towns apply to be designated a Trail Town. While there are several facets to the application, 1 of the most important is that the community’s trails connect to other places.
U.S. Bicycle Route 23 is a good example of that, Rachelle says. Munfordville is 1 of 3 towns on the route, which runs through Mammoth Cave National Park and ultimately ends at U.S. Bicycle Route 76, right outside of the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park.
Clocking in at 109 miles, “It’s a pretty substantial bike route,” she says.
Hart County Tourism Director Sandra Wilson says the application to be a Trail Town also needs to prove that a city has the community resources to support trail users. That means things like ensuring health resources in case someone is injured, livery services for equipment, and more.
“Anytime you see ‘Trail Town’ as a trail user, you’re like, ‘Oh, they get me,-” Rachelle says. “They prepared a way for me to come and use the trails in their community, and so this is going to be a positive experience. It’s a big, flapping welcome sign right in the gateway community saying, ‘We welcome you, and we’ve helped build this infrastructure for you to come and enjoy our outdoor systems here.’”
Rachelle often works with local tourism organizations like the Munfordville Tourism Commission. Aaron Jaggers, its director, said the body’s goal is to bring tourism to both Munfordville and Hart County. Its Trail Town designation helps it do just that.
“As a Trail Town, people looking for hiking, bike riding, pedaling, canoeing— there’s a lot of promotion that goes on through the state that people can find,” Aaron says. “And with our regional partners, Cave County Trails and so forth, people can plan their whole visit around that.”
8 "Trail Town" Years
Munfordville was named a Trail Town on April 27, 2017, in recognition of its traditional and nontraditional trails that all can explore.
In addition to the Green River Walking Trail, Munfordville has 2 other traditional trails—the Green River Park and Arboretum Walking Trail, a paved, half-mile loop, and U.S. Bicycle Route 23, a long-distance route that passes through Munfordville.
It also has several nontraditional trails, Aaron says, like the Historic Munfordville Walking Tour, a self-guided stroll showcasing the town’s landmarks and history.
Aaron uses social media to get the word out about Munfordville’s various trails. Facebook is his top platform. Hart County also invites social media influencers to the area to showcase its trails, Sandra says.
Social media promotion helps generate interest in Hart County and Munfordville, but Sandra points out the Trail Town designation is more enduring.
“It’s something that’s not trendy,” she says. “It’s something that’s going to develop and last us for a long, long time. And some things are great and wonderful short term, but I think our Trail Town designation and what it has begun, it is creating something that’s going to last a very long time.”