On the first day of spring, here are 6 outdoor spots in Louisville to celebrate the season

Goodbye bare trees, long nights and cold weather – Monday is the first day of spring.

The new season brings a lot to look forward to: flowers are beginning to bloom, days are getting longer and temperatures should start rising soon. We'll have more opportunities for activities like hiking and gardening, and traditional holidays like Easter and Ramadan are coming up as well.

Here are a few places around to get out and to soak up some springtime vibes.

Looking to get outdoors?Here's a list of Louisville's major parks

Cave Hill Cemetery

The grand Cave Hill Cemetery has a reputation as notable place to visit for its beauty, emphasized by its arboretum status, and the fact it houses grave sites for well-known local names like Muhammad Ali and George Rogers Clark.

The property had a long history as a farm before the cemetery was added in 1846. Even then, it wasn't meant to be a garden-style property, but the concept was gaining popularity in the U.S. at the time and Edmund Francis Lee, the engineer who designed the site, persuaded city officials to move forward with plans for a graveyard. Cave Hill eventually became a place for families to show off their wealth through "true monumental art" during the Victorian era.

Cherokee Park

Cherokee Park, at 745 Cochran Hill Road, features a scenic loop comprised of a 2.3-mile trail split between pedestrians and vehicles. It's one of several parks that Frederick Law Olmsted, a famed landscape architect, designed for the city in the 1800s. The park has a "pastoral setting" with nearly 400 acres of "rolling hills, open meadows and woodlands of the Beargrass Creek valley," according to the city website.

Part of the scenic loop at the base of Cochran Hill Road is closed off until May for construction, but visitors can still throw down a blanket, cycle or take a walk in other parts of the park.

Iroquois Park

Another one of Olmsted's park designs, Iroquois Park is focused on "forested hillsides and breathtaking vistas," according to the city website. The park at 5216 New Cut Road spans 725 acres and features an amphitheater that seats about 2,400 people with shows starting this year in May.

The park also has more traditional options like hiking, biking or picnicking for folks who want to take it easy along with archery, golf and disc golf for those who want to break a sweat.

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Jefferson Memorial Forest

Jefferson Memorial Forest is about 6,600 acres of woodland that covers about 10 miles from one side to the other at 11311 Mitchell Hill Road. There are scenic trails, a fishing lake, recreational space, a conference area and Welcome Center where you can find trail maps and a small store.

There are dozens of activities to choose from, including hiking and cycling, camping and equestrian trails or taking part in the forest's public programming.

Waterfront Botanical Gardens

In 1993, a gardening organization called Botanica was established "to help enlighten, entertain, and educate the community" about the natural world, according to the botanical garden's website. In 2001, the group received funds from a trust that helped Botanica refocus the organization's efforts into what would become the Waterfront Botanical Gardens, which opened in 2019 after years of planning.

The gardens, at 1435 Frankfort Ave., hosts tons of programming to jump headfirst into spring. Chair yoga, a bento box demonstration and gardening boot camp are on the agenda just in the next few weeks.

Waterfront Park

Waterfront Park is situated near the Ohio River in downtown Louisville and features 85 acres of green space. It's also home to Louisville's Big Four Bridge which connects the city to Southern Indiana. The park is home to several spring and summer events each year, including WFPK's Waterfront Wednesdays, beginning on April 26 this year.

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Additional places to enjoy springtime include dozens of other Louisville parks that have basketball, tennis and pickleball courts, canoe access, fishing lakes, dog runs or inclusive playgrounds.

Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville outdoors: 6 spots around town to enjoy spring weather