Otter Creek- Brandenburg, KY

Posin' like a pro!

It costs $3 a person to get into Otter Creek, but it's well worth it.  The park has a lot of trails for hikers, horseback riders, and for mountain biking and if that  wasn't enough to get you to drive to Fort Knox, there's fishing and disc golf too!

Make sure to grab a map at the gate on your way in.  Also, you'll want to bring your hydration pack and someone who knows how to navigate, because all the trails intertwine and while it's pretty well marked, I can see someone who is directionally challenged getting lost out there.

The route we took was about 6.5 miles and it took us less than 3 hours.

We  started at the parking area near Otter Creek, which is a popular fishing spot.  We hiked along the creek and enjoyed the sounds of the of the flowing water.  Along the edges of the creek there are millions of flat rocks perfect for skipping, so of course, we took a break to enjoy some rock hopping.

From there, we took the Red Cedar and Valley Overlook trails.  Here's the thing about overlook trails- they tend to run uphill a lot.  This trail was no exception!  There were spots were we were running out of breath, but I prefer to think about all the calories we were burning.  The view from the top was pretty sweet and we all agreed that we will be returning in the fall to see the autumn colors.

This trail had a lot of cool things to see along the way to keep the trek interesting such as gigantic birds, dogwood, random structures, and leftover woods of terror props.

My only complaint would be about horse poop.  That's just what you get when you share trails with horses.  I will definitely be going back this September/October.