Description
Pine Creek Barrens is considered one of the finest examples of limestone/dolomite barrens complex in Kentucky. The nature preserve also serves as a tranquil respite from the fast-pace of nearby Louisville and Elizabethtown. A trail map is available for the three-mile hiking trail.
Location
Eight miles east of Shepherdsville near Cedar Grove.
Threats
Invasive species, cedar encroachment, hardwood tree and shrub encroachment into open areas.
What’s At Stake
This open woodland with a prairie-like ground cover hosts a diversity of native glade flora. Other natural communities at Pine Creek Barrens include the dry upland woods which surround the glade. On the southwest boundary, scenic Pine Creek flows through a beautiful mesic ravine forest lined with small limestone cliffs.
Specifically, at least eight rare and endangered plant species have been identified at the nature preserve, including the globally threatened glade cress (Leavenworthia exigua var. Laciniata), which has adapted to grow in small depressions on the exposed bedrock. This plant is found only in select areas in Bullitt and Jefferson counties.
Other plant species include indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), which wave majestically on windy days. Depending on the season, colorful wildflowers sprinkle the landscape, including pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), and various species of blazing star (Liatrus).
Milestones
The Nature Conservancy’s began acquiring parcels in 1991 and opened the nature preserve for public hiking in 2017.
What TNC Has Done/Is Doing
At Pine Creek Barrens, TNC is working to maintain and restore the rare plants and natural communities by identifying and treating invasive species, cutting and removing cedar trees and hardwoods, and implementing controlled burning.
