The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

The Palisades along the Kentucky River. © Chris Minor

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This winter The Nature Conservancy had an opportunity to make a significant dent in the invasive bush honeysuckle which has come to dominate the understory at the Crutcher Preserve.  This aggressive shrub grows in dense monocultures which repress most native species and severely limit the diversity of habitat for wildlife.  The Conservancy used a specially designed bush hog to chopped down several acres of honeysuckle.  The site will be seeded with annual rye, rough leafed dogwoods will be planted and any resprouting honeysuckle will be treated.  Although the area may look rough at first, this effort should allow the native plants to recover and a more diverse habitat to be reestablished in the Crutcher Preserve.

In a world where dividing and conquering has become the norm, The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky is putting things back together at the Sally Brown, Crutcher and Earl D. Wallace nature preserves. The preserves are located within the Kentucky River Palisades where steep, 450-million year-old limestone cliffs capture the hearts of many who visit. This is what happened with three generous Kentuckians who worked with the Conservancy to protect a portion of this special landscape.

Establishing this collection of nature preserves began in 1997 when the Conservancy acquired the 632-acre Sally Brown Preserve, named after a local conservationist and founding member of The Nature Conservancy of Kentucky. Over many years, Sally Brown [link] doggedly raised money to purchase and preserve a part of the Kentucky River Palisades, eventually collaborating with the Conservancy to secure a narrow stretch of limestone cliffs and surrounding habitat winding along the banks of Bowmans Bend on the Kentucky River.

Sally Brown’s actions inspired Dr. and Mrs. Richard Crutcher to do the same. In honor of their 50th wedding anniversary in 1999, these long-time members worked with the Conservancy to purchase additional land adjacent to the Sally Brown Preserve to establish the 127-acre Crutcher Preserve. Complementing the Sally Brown and Crutcher preserves is an 8-acre tract of river cliff donated by Mrs. Betty Tenney in memory of her father and local businessman Earl D. Wallace, who founded and presided over restoring the nearby historic Shakertown Village.

Over time, the Conservancy secured conservation easements for hundreds of additional acres of surrounding farmland parcels to buffer the Sally Brown, Crutcher and Earl D. Wallace preserves. A portion of these were secured through the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements (PACE) program. With conservation easements in place, several parcels were sold to the Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Jessamine County and conservation-minded individuals willing to permanently protect view sheds, water quality and natural habitats on their properties.

Thanks to the creative vision and generous contributions of these Kentuckians, the Conservancy preserves a natural corridor that includes more than six miles of river frontage stretching up the Kentucky River from its confluence with the Dix River. It’s an area which harbors the largest concentration of forest and rare species within Kentucky’s Inner Bluegrass, a largely agricultural or suburban region.

Size:   The Sally Brown Preserve is 632 acres, the Crutcher Preserve is 127 acres and the Wallace Preserve is 8 acres. Conservation buyer lands total 540 acres and PACE easements total 805 acres, serving as a buffer against development.

Location:  Garrard County

What’s At Stake:  The Sally Brown, Crutcher and Earl D. Wallace nature preserves boast the Bluegrass region’s most unusual habitats. Rocky riverbanks, bluff-top ridges and old sandy river terraces harbor large concentrations of rare plant species, including Kentucky viburnum and purple melic grass. Steep limestone cliffs and river bottomland create a unique biological and geological environment which attracts rare and endangered plants and animals.

The preserves and broader Palisades area are home to at least 25 mammal species and 35 reptile species. Two endangered bats – the Gray bat and Indiana bat utilize large, unfragmented forested corridors as a source of insects.

Blue ash, chinquapin oak and sugar maple can be found on the steep limestone slopes, along with less common trees like Rock elm, yellow-wood and yellow buckeye. More acidic soils on old sandy river terraces and bluff-top ridges harbor beech, tulip poplar and oak/hickory forest types more common in Appalachian Kentucky.

Wildflowers are also abundant in the Palisades region, including Virginia bluebells, blue-eyed Mary’s, fringed phacelia and trilliums.

Threats:  Incompatible residential development and agriculture practices, which affects water quality of the Kentucky River, creeks and wet weather streams, and fragments forest habitat within the Palisades area. Aggressive non-native invasive plants such as bush honeysuckles and garlic mustard.

Milestones:  The Conservancy acquired the land comprising the Sally Brown Preserve in 1997 thanks to a 2:1 challenge grant provided by the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation and met by donations from Mrs. W.L. Lyons (Sally) Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Alan M. Bond and the W.L. Lyons Brown Foundation. In 1999, Dr. and Mrs. Richard Crutcher donated an adjacent property to create the Crutcher Preserve. In 2000, the Conservancy bought and resold, with conservation easements in place, hundreds of acres of agricultural land as a buffer to the preserves and in 2001, added the 8-acre Earl D. Wallace Preserve thanks to a gift from his daughter, Mrs. Betty Tenney.

Action:  Provide public access without compromising the delicate nature of the preserves. Maintain trails, implement educational outreach and eradicate non-native, invasive species such as bush honeysuckle.

Partners:  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, Bluegrass Sportsman’s League, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky River Authority, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Division of Conservation – Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements (PACE) Program, Jessamine County Government.

Things To Do

Take a hike. The Sally Brown and Crutcher preserves include two loop hiking trails of about 3 miles each. One leads to the river and the other includes a walk along a beautiful creek complete with mill stones. Both trails are well marked, involve changes in elevation, and offer great views of the river and the limestone cliffs. Prime hiking times include the spring wildflower season, the changing of the leaves in fall, and winter when the absence of leaves makes the geology of the preserves even more apparent.

Volunteer! One of the best ways to explore these preserves is as a volunteer.

Visitors to the Palisades area can also explore the landscape further at the Nature Preserve at Shaker Village’s 40-mile trail system and the Conservancy’s Jim Beam Nature Preserve in Jessamine County.

Explore the river Cruise the Kentucky River Palisades aboard the Dixie Belle, Shaker Village's 115-passenger riverboat. One-hour narrated cruises travel along a scenic stretch of river with high limestone cliffs and untouched natural beauty while guests learn about the river's diverse ecosystem and the historical importance.

Plan Your Visit

The Sally Brown, Crutcher and Earl D. Wallace preserves are open to the public all year from sunrise to sunset for low impact activities like hiking, photography and bird watching. In order to protect unique habitats, visitors should stay on designated trails at all times.

For more information see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines page.

Directions

Travel south on Nicholasville Road (U.S. 27) from Lexington; proceed 19.2 miles from the intersection of Nicholasville Road and New Circle Road; turn right onto KY 1845 after crossing over the Kentucky River; travel on KY 1845 for 3.4 miles to Camp Dick Fire Station; turn left and travel 0.2 miles; turn right onto High Bridge Road; go 2.0 miles and turn right onto Bowman's Bend Road. Please use caution on this narrow road. Travel 1.5 miles to the Sally Brown Nature Preserve parking lot on the right. Follow the Sally Brown trail from the parking lot to the kiosk and the Crutcher trail will be to the right off the main trail. Note: There are no hiking trails at the Earl D. Wallace Preserve.

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