A popular Lexington hiking spot is growing. City will buy land to expand sanctuary
One of Lexington’s best hiking spots will soon be even bigger.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted July 2 to purchase a 62-acre property at 2325 Evans Mill Road to expand the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary. The city will purchase the property for $655,000 from its dedicated fund for buying land for parks.
Once the land is acquired, the nature sanctuary will be 796 acres. The new land will extend the sanctuary to the north and could provide an additional access point for visitors via Evans Mill Road.
While a conceptual plan shows a rough vision for parts of the Evans Mill Road site that could include prairie and meadow restoration, there aren’t any firm details yet for what visitors can expect to see in the expanded area.
Susan Straub, a spokesperson for the city, said Lexington’s parks department will begin a public input and design process for the new land in early 2027.
Raven Run Nature Sanctuary was originally created in 1977 with 256 acres of land. It has grown multiple times since then, including by reforesting a former landfill site in 2012. The sanctuary has over 10 miles of hiking trails and a scenic overlook by the Kentucky River.
