Why a popular area inside Louisville's Jefferson Memorial Forest is closing early
A notable recreation area inside Jefferson Memorial Forest is closing early moving forward due to "repeated incidents of vandalism."
Jessica Kane, program manager and interim park administrator, confirmed the forest's popular Horine Reservation is currently closing to the public at 7:30 p.m. Hours in other areas at Jefferson Memorial Forest remain unchanged, she added, and the closure does not impact campers with campground permits or individuals renting the Horine Conference Center.
Park officials have been dealing with the ongoing issue of vandalism and misuse for a year now, Kane said. She wouldn't elaborate on any specific incidents that had taken place but noted the early closing is a preventative measure used to curb any more egregious activity from happening.
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Under normal circumstances, the Horine Reservation is open from dawn to dusk. Those hours remain unchanged in other areas of the park, Kane said.
A more than 5-mile loop and several other popular hiking trails are inside the Horine Reservation, along with a number of camping sites and a sizeable conference center. The area, according to Louisville Parks and Recreation, "offers moderate to strenuous trails" and is "ideal for car camping, and offers what feels like complete immersion in the forest, aside from an occasional passing airplane."
The reservation is just one part of Jefferson Memorial Forest, which straddles the line with Bullitt County in southwestern Jefferson County. It serves as headquarters of Louisville's parks department's Natural Areas Division, which manages several outdoor properties around the city.
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Jefferson Memorial Forest is the largest urban forest in the Louisville area, according to the parks department, with about 6,600 acres of woods, lakes, streams and other recreational areas in about a 10-mile area.
More information is available by contacting Jefferson Memorial Forest personnel at 502-368-5404 or forest@louisvilleky.gov.
Culture and diversity reporter Jason Gonzalez can be reached at jgonzalez1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Jefferson Memorial Forest Horine Reservation closes early over vandals
