Jim Beam Nature Preserve

Bloodroot © Tom Barnes

Why You Should Visit
The Palisades are the majestic limestone cliffs that run along the Kentucky River between Frankfort and Clays Ferry, to the west of Lexington. Some of the most dramatic cliffs are found in the area surrounding the Jim Beam Nature Preserve, around Camp Nelson and High Bridge in Jessamine County, Kentucky.

There are numerous scenic vistas of the Kentucky River Palisades during the fall and winter months. Wildflowers and migrating birds are abundant in the spring.

Location
The preserve is at the center of the Inner Bluegrass Region, where the Kentucky River cuts down into the oldest rocks exposed in the state, in Jessamine and Garrard Counties

Size
115 acres

Conditions
The Jim Beam Nature Preserve is open all year from sunrise to sunset. Fall, winter and spring are the best times to visit. Visitors may enjoy low-impact activities such as hiking, photography and bird watching. Camping, biking, horses and off-road vehicles are strictly prohibited.

In order to protect the unique habitat of the preserve, we ask that visitors stay on trails at all times. Approximately 1 mile of marked trail loops through the preserve.

How to Prepare for Your Visit
For more information on visiting this and other Nature Conservancy sites in Kentucky, see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines page.

Directions

• From I-65 and I-75, take exit 115 to the New Circle Road exit
• Exit right onto New Circle and proceed to the Nicholasville Rd. exit (U.S. 27 South)
• Take a right at the end of the exit ramp onto Nicholasville Road.
• Follow this road for approximately 16.6 miles to Hall's Road.
• Turn right onto Hall's Road (You will see large distillery buildings up on the hill to the right.)
• Proceed on Hall's Road about 0.7 miles to the blacktop lane on the right marked Payne Lane.
• Turn right onto Payne Lane.
• Proceed 200-300 yards, and when the road curves, continue straight onto a gravel drive to a fenced area.
• This gravel drive leads to the preserve parking area.
• There are no signs or brochures at the preserve because of the high incidence of vandalism that has occurred.  The trail is located beyond the parking area on the left.  There are trail markers throughout the one mile loop.

What to See: Plants
The steep cliff tops surrounding the Kentucky River also harbor the largest concentration of forest within the Inner Bluegrass, which is otherwise largely agricultural or suburban. Blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata), chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), and sugar maple (Acer sacharum) are abundant on the steep limestone slopes, along with less common trees like rock elm (Ulmus thomasi), yellow wood (Cladrastis lutea) and yellow buckeye (Aesculus octandra).

Also of interest are sites on old sandy river terraces and bluff-top ridges which have more acid or infertile soils than are typical for the Inner Bluegrass Region. Here exist beech (Fagus), tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), and oak/hickory (Quercus/Carya) forest types similar to those in Appalachian Kentucky.

The Palisades region harbors the largest concentration of rare plant species with the Bluegrass Region, which are concentrated in some of the more unusual habitats of the Palisades - the rocky riverbanks and the clifftop sites.  These include:

• water stichwort (Arenaria fontinalis)
• Svenson's wild-rye (Elymus svensonii)
• mountain lover (Pachistima canbyi)
• starry cleft phlox (Phlox bifida ssp. stellaria)

What to See: Animals
The Palisades is home to at least 25 mammal species and 35 reptile species. Two endangered bats -- the Gray bat (Myotis grisescens) and Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) -- utilize this habitat. Bats require forested corridors that serve as a source of insects. The bats feed on these insects over streams and along forest edges.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
In celebration of Jim Beam Brands Company's 200th anniversary in 1995, Jim Beam and The Nature Conservancy created the Jim Beam Nature Preserve. It protects a large concentration of rare plant species.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
The main concern for this site is to provide adequate public access without compromising the delicate nature of the preserve. Other objectives include preventing significant damage to native species by invasives, and gathering additional information on the species present at the site.