Calling all kayaks and canoes: Lexington opens first park with public river access
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- Lexington opened Kelley’s Landing, its first public park with river access.
- The park offers trails and a kayak launch; major development remains years off.
- City plans estimate full build-out at up to $14.6 million, guided by a master plan.
Lexington has opened its first public park with access to the Kentucky River.
Sitting along the Kentucky River off Old Richmond Road, Kelley’s Landing is a natural-area park, meaning it prioritizes preservation of the natural landscape.
The 30-acre park, which opened Wednesday, has been in the works since 2019.
“These invaluable spaces are perfect for enjoying the outdoors and serve as a powerful reminder of why protecting our natural land in rural Fayette County is so important,” Councilmember Hil Boone said.
Though the park is now open to the public, construction is not finished — because it’s not really started.
Right now, Kelley’s Landing is a green space with walking trails constructed by the city and a spot to drop kayaks and canoes into the Kentucky River.
The park could feature a playground, amphitheater, public restrooms, fishing pier, picnic area and more in the future, but that won’t be for a while as the plans aren’t set in stone.
The city is still finalizing the design of the park and is not expecting to start the next phase of construction for about two years.
“We heard the community’s desire to preserve the beauty of the region, highlighting important historical features, cultural features and connections,” Lexington Director of Parks and Recreation Monica Conrad said.
“Parks are essential to the fiscal, social, environmental and economic health of our cities.”
The Fund for Greater Lexington, a part of the Bluegrass Community Foundation, paid $175,000 to complete a master plan for Kelley’s Landing, which details the plans for what the community wants the park to offer.
The master plan estimates the total cost to build out the park to sit between $11.8 and $14.6 million.
Mayor Linda Gorton said the master plan is “a road map” for the future development of the park.
The city purchased the property in 2022 from John Kelley, for whom the park is named. His family owned the lot since 1924, and ran a general store on the property.
When recreational boating boomed in the 1960s and 70s, the family opened a boat dock. John Kelley ran the dock until the late 1980s, when his focus shifted to the family farm, according to a news release from the city of Lexington.