Jessamine County: Gorges, Trails and History

Explore Jessamine County through its distinctive landscape and history: the Kentucky River Palisades provide a setting for gorges, trails, and overlooks. Camp Nelson, a historic railroad bridge, and wineries also tell stories of different chapters in the region’s history. When choosing a hotel, you can first consider whether nature trails, cultural history, horses, or wine will shape your stay.

Gorges and River Landscapes

Jessamine Creek Gorge is a 155-acre nature preserve in the Kentucky River Palisades. More than 560 plant species grow there, including seven rare species. A wooded, unpaved trail leads to Overstreet Creek; an overlook offers a view of Jessamine Creek.

Jim Beam Nature Preserve is located in Jessamine and Garrard Counties. Its trails wind through the Kentucky River Palisades; one trail has an overlook of the Kentucky River. The overlooks therefore center on two different waterways: Jessamine Creek in the gorge and the Kentucky River in the preserve.

Local History

Camp Nelson National Monument preserves one of the best-preserved landscapes associated with Civil War-era recruitment camps for the US Colored Troops and the African American refugee experience. The monument includes reconstructed barracks and a museum with archaeological artifacts from life in the camp. The 0.5-mile Fort Trail is a loop with views of infantry positions, Fort Jackson, and reconstructed barracks.

When High Bridge was built in 1877, it was the world’s highest railroad viaduct. The publicly accessible High Bridge Park features a Victorian pavilion, an overlook of the Kentucky River gorge, a playground, a museum, and picnic facilities.

The Valley View Ferry also has a long history: founded in 1785, it connects Jessamine and Madison Counties via KY 169. In Wilmore, the Railside Caboose Museum is housed in an authentic former Southern Railway caboose with bay windows. The two places tell the region’s history in different ways: one offers a connection across the river, while the other uses a railroad car as a museum.

Trails, Parks, and Horses

Nicholasville/Jessamine County Parks & Recreation maintains more than 15 parks totaling 250 acres. The parks department offers an aquatic center, sports fields, fishing lakes, and walking trails. The Asbury Trails include more than two miles of hiking trails available to students and the public.

In Nicholasville, Taylor Made Farm offers a 1.5-mile scenic walking tour through Kentucky Horse Country and the farm setting. Another bookable experience focuses on mares and foals, includes yearlings, and is enhanced by expert commentary. The two offerings have different focuses: the tour explores the landscape on foot, while the other experience puts the horses at the center.

Wineries and Their History

First Vineyard traces its history to its founding in 1799 and claims to be the first commercial winery in the United States. In September 2015, First Vineyard was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The winery grows original historic grape varieties and offers wine tastings in its tasting room.

At 1922 House Vineyards & Winery, wine is made from grapes grown in Kentucky, with production taking place locally in Jessamine County. Together with First Vineyard’s history and grape varieties, this offers another facet of the region, while the two wineries retain distinct profiles.

Discover more destinations: Nicholasville, Wilmore, Boone County, Union County, Owen County, Hardin, Estill County, Perry County.

For the broader travel overview: Kentucky.