Weather Policy: For the safety and enjoyment of our visitors, all programs are subject to cancellation due to inclement weather, including rain, wind, and severe weather warnings and advisories.
Hikes and Programs
Global Big Day Birding Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesPut on your Citizen Scientist hat and join us in counting and identifying the birds at Floracliff.
Nature at Night: Frogs and Toads
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesOur native frogs and toads breed in shallow waters during Spring and the evenings are a great time to get close-up views of them.
Magic Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “magic hour” hike at Floracliff. Starting two hours before sunset, this 1.5-mile hike will head to Elk Lick Falls and feature the oldest documented chinkapin oak in Kentucky.
Elk Lick Valley Exploration Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesJoin us for a hike through the woods to the creek. One hike will head to Elk Lick Falls and feature the oldest documented chinkapin oak in Kentucky. The other hike will feature Elk Lick Creek, the heart of the sanctuary. We’ll spend about 30 - 45 minutes exploring and observing the surprises of Elk Lick Creek or Falls Branch. Use your smartphone or digital camera to share your observations on iNaturalist, or forget the technology and just enjoy the sights.
Autumn Magic Hour Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “magic hour” hike at Floracliff. Starting two hours before sunset, one hike will head to Elk Lick Falls and feature the oldest documented chinkapin oak in Kentucky. The other hike will feature the confluence of Elk Lick Creek and the Kentucky River. Each hike will be 1.5 - 2 miles in length.
Elk Lick Valley Exploration Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesJoin us for a hike through the woods to the creek. One hike will head to Elk Lick Falls and feature the oldest documented chinkapin oak in Kentucky. The other hike will feature Elk Lick Creek, the heart of the sanctuary. We’ll spend about 30 - 45 minutes exploring and observing the surprises of Elk Lick Creek or Falls Branch. Use your smartphone or digital camera to share your observations on iNaturalist, or forget the technology and just enjoy the sights.
Hike: Early Spring Wildflower Hike
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesJoin us for a wildflower hike to Elk Lick Falls. Hopefully, we will see some of our earliest spring wildflowers, such as bloodroot, trout lilies, and spring beauties.
Hike: Wildflower Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesBy late March, our spring wildflower season should be in full swing. We will be offering two separate hikes to view wildflowers throughout the sanctuary.
Hike: Wildflower Hike to Elk Lick Creek
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesThis should be a good time to view a variety of early spring ephemerals at Floracliff. We hope to see sessile trillium, Virginia bluebells, yellow trout lilies, and many more.
Wildflower Hike with Joyce Bender
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesCelebrate spring’s beauty and explore some of the connections between spring wildflowers, their habitats, and us.
Hike: Wildflower Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesJoin us for a wildflower hike during peak wildflower season. We will be offering two separate hikes to view wildflowers throughout the sanctuary. One hike will take our best wildflower trail and visit Elk Lick Creek. The other hike will head to Elk Lick Falls and Elk Lick Creek.
Hike: Wildflower Hike to Elk Lick Creek
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesThis hike will feature our best wildflower trail during peak wildflower season.
Hike: Wildflower Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesPeak wildflower season will continue for these hikes. We will be offering two separate hikes to view wildflowers throughout the sanctuary. One hike will take our best wildflower trail and visit Elk Lick Creek. The other hike will head to Elk Lick Falls and Elk Lick Creek. We hope to see dwarf larkspur, wood poppies, and more.
Hikes: Magic Hour Wildflower Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “magic hour” hike at Floracliff. We will be offering two separate hikes to view wildflowers throughout the sanctuary as the early evening sunlight shines through the trees. One hike will feature Elk Lick Falls and the other hike will feature the Kentucky River.
Hike: Wildflower Hikes
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesJoin us for a hike to see and enjoy Floracliff's wildflowers during their peak. We will be offering two separate hikes to view wildflowers throughout the sanctuary. One hike will take our best wildflower trail and visit Elk Lick Creek. The other hike will head to Elk Lick Falls and Elk Lick Creek. We hope to see bishop's cap, shooting star, Jacob's ladder and more.
City Nature Challenge: Nighttime Exploration
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesCalling all community scientists! This program will focus on exploring Floracliff's ponds and forest edges after dark for the City Nature Challenge. We’ll focus on discovering and documenting frogs, moths, and more. Each registered party must have at least one member who has, or can create, an iNaturalist account in advance of the program. Be prepared to photograph your findings and upload them to iNaturalist either during the program or by May 3rd.
City Nature Challenge: Creek Exploration
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesCalling all community scientists! This program will focus on exploring a section of one of our creeks to discover and document aquatic life for the City Nature Challenge. Each registered party must have at least one member who has, or can create, an iNaturalist account in advance of the program. Be prepared to photograph your findings and upload them to iNaturalist either during the program or by May 3rd.
City Nature Challenge: Field and Forest Exploration
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesCalling all community scientists! This program will focus on exploring an area of Floracliff known as Bird Hill for the City Nature Challenge. We'll focus on discovering and documenting birds, trees, wildflowers, butterflies, bees and more. Each registered party must have at least one member who has, or can create, an iNaturalist account in advance of the program. Be prepared to photograph your findings and upload them to iNaturalist either during the program or by May 3rd.
Hike: Creative Reflections at Elk Lick Creek
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnjoy a full hour immersed in the sights and sounds of Elk Lick Creek to write, create, meditate, or just enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. This program offers the opportunity to slow down, connect to nature, and disconnect from electronic devices. At the end of the hike, participants will have a chance to share as much or as little as they like.
Magic Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “magic hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This hike will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky's oldest trees.
Elk Lick Creek Walk
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesElk Lick Creek flows through the heart of Floracliff and provides habitat for a diversity of amphibians, reptiles, insects, fish, and more. Join Floracliff Naturalists on this trek along a scenic 1/2-mile section of of the creek to explore the biodiversity and take in the beauty of the area.
Sedges of the Palisades Hike w/ Kentucky Nature Preserves Botanists
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesMany of the grass-like plants one may encounter in Kentucky’s natural areas are not actually grasses. Although similar, they are members of an entirely different family of plants. This hike will focus on the largest genus within the sedge family (Cyperaceae), the genus Carex. With close to 150 species in this genus found in Kentucky, the diversity of sedges (Carex) is astounding and they can tell us a lot about the natural communities upon which they are found. Join OKNP botanists Devin Rodgers and Vanessa Voelker on a hike to learn some of the most common sedges found in the Bluegrass.
Field Day: Butterflies of Central Kentucky
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesThis field day will provide hands-on experience in butterfly identification at Floracliff and possibly another nearby location in Fayette County. It should be a great primer (or refresher) for those wishing to participate in the Central Bluegrass Butterfly Count in July.
Elk Lick Creek Walk
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesElk Lick Creek flows through the heart of Floracliff and provides habitat for a diversity of amphibians, reptiles, insects, fish, and more. Join Floracliff Naturalists on this trek along a scenic 1/2-mile section of of the creek to explore the biodiversity and take in the beauty of the area.
Elk Lick Creek Walk
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesElk Lick Creek flows through the heart of Floracliff and provides habitat for a diversity of amphibians, reptiles, insects, fish, and more. Join Floracliff Naturalists on this trek along a scenic 1/2-mile section of of the creek to explore the biodiversity and take in the beauty of the area.
Hike Leaders: Dan Patrick and Mark Wells
Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest trees.
Mindful Hiking: The Healing Power of Nature
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesJoin us for a sensory exploration of Floracliff. Our intention will be finding the peace of mind that comes from opening to sights, sounds, and scents of the woodlands. On our walk we will meditate and explore the mindfulness of movement while opening to a greater awareness of this amazing space.
Creating Art in Nature: Four Sessions
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesIf you have an interest or desire to broaden your skills as a naturalist and artist, come join us for four art making sessions sited within the beautiful nature preserve at Floracliff. We’ll be outside creating art! Session hosts: Steve Bennett and Laura Mentor
Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest trees.
The Aster family- Asteraceae: An introduction to navigating this large and important plant family
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesThe Asteraceae, or composites, contain more species of flowering plants than all others (but the orchids). There are more composites in our regional flora, and indeed any temperate flora, than any other plant family. They inhabit just about every habitat and are conspicuous throughout the growing season, especially in late summer and fall. Easy to recognize as a family when flowering, the large number of species and its sometimes inconspicuous but important identifying field characters, can overwhelm us. Knowing what to look for and how the family is organized will help! We will review the features and specialized terms that allow us to recognize a composite to the family. Then we will dive into Asteraceae organization (systematics)- learning to recognize groups of genera called tribes- that can help us work our way through and identify most composites, at least to genus. We will look at herbarium specimens and collected live plants, as well as explore late-blooming composites within Floracliff.
Tree Week Golden Hour Hike to Elk Lick Falls
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This will feature Elk Lick Falls and one of Kentucky’s oldest trees. We are offering this free hike in celebration of Tree Week. Hike Leader: Terri Koontz, Floracliff Volunteer Hike distances: 1.5 miles; […]
A Tour of Floracliff’s Old Oaks
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesFloracliff’s forested ravines are home to some of the oldest known trees in Kentucky. This hike will feature many of these 17th- and 18th-century chinquapin oaks. We will discuss the characteristics of old trees, the uniqueness of Floracliff’s old trees, and their significance to the region.
Golden Hour Hike to the Kentucky River
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesEnd your day with a quiet and relaxing “golden hour” hike at Floracliff while the early evening sunset shines through the trees. This hike will head down to the Kentucky River floodplain, where setting sun lights up the palisades.
Birding For Beginners
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesIf you’ve ever thought birdwatching would be fun or interesting but didn’t know how to start come join us for a Birding for Beginners walk and sit. We’ll discuss the use of binoculars (we have nice ones you can use for the day); what to look for when you see a bird; discuss some free apps that help you figure out what you are seeing and we’ll go see some birds! The bird walk will be slow and relaxing and we’ll end with watching some feeders for our most common feeder birds.
Fall Long Hike
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesOur “long hikes” provide a great opportunity to see a lot of Floracliff in one day. In late fall, most of the leaves have fallen, making way for scenic views of the Elk Lick Valley. This hike will cover about 5 miles and will feature Trail’s End, the Kentucky River, Elk Lick Falls, and Elk Lick Creek.
Thanksgiving Eve Long Hike
Floracliff Nature Sanctuary 8000 Elk Lick Falls Road, Lexington, KY, United StatesOur “long hikes” provide a great opportunity to see a lot of Floracliff in one day. In late fall, most of the leaves have fallen, making way for scenic views of the Elk Lick Valley. This hike will cover about 5 miles and will feature Trail’s End, the Kentucky River, Elk Lick Falls, and Elk Lick Creek.