Outdoor Adventure: Guide to ShelbyKY

Hiking, biking, and even horseback riding are all abundant in ShelbyKY. One of Kentucky’s few guided trail ride centers, Red Fern Riding Center at Shelby Trails Park is perfect for both beginner and advanced riders of all ages. Find more than 25 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails in Simpsonville, KY, the heart of horse country and the American Saddlebred Capital of the World. Shelbyville’s Greenway Trails are paved trails ideal for walking, running, and biking along the shaded banks of Clear Creek. Red Orchard Park, just south of Shelbyville, has more than 130 acres of rolling hills with beautiful, mature walnut, blue ash, and sycamore trees. Natural trails, including the two-mile Bluebird Trail, circle the park and are the perfect opportunity to embrace the outdoors.

Camping in ShelbyKY provides the best of both worlds — you're close to nature with the proximity to town for all the amenities to which you're accustomed. Sleep beside the water at Lake Shelby Campground at either one of the ten RV spots or 15 tent and primitive sites dotted throughout the park. Guist Creek Marina and Campground is available March 1st through November for primitive tent camping or pull-through RV camping.

The 317-acre Guist Creek Lake is Shelby County’s largest lake, and anglers can catch anything from largemouth bass to hybrid stripers and catfish to rockfish. Search all of Guist Creek for the largest catch — the current record is over 10 pounds — and bring your own boat or rent one of the marina’s for the day. Lake Shelby is another excellent spot for fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. Canoes are available for rent by the hour and daily fishing licenses are available. 

Five golf courses can be found in ShelbyKY. Play the 9-hole course at the Clear Creek Golf Center that’s perfect for beginners, take in the scenery at Weissinger Hills Golf Course, or enjoy private courses at the Shelbyville Country Club, the University of Louisville Golf Club in Simpsonville, and Persimmon Ridge Golf Club in western Shelby County. 

If you’ve wanted to give disc golf a try, consider the free public course found at Red Orchard Park! Ryan’s Disc Golf Course is an 18-hole course with a total par of 64. Completed by Ryan Lee as an Eagle Scout project, the course is open to the public during Red Orchard Park hours. Bring your own frisbee!

Plan to stay in one of ShelbyKY’s unique accommodations, including bed-and-breakfasts Yellow Carriage House and the Cerulean Farm Bed & Breakfast, where you can bring your own horse! Bottled in Bond, on Shelbyville’s historic Main Street, has been featured on HGTV and can arrange chauffeured transportation, a private chef, and dinner reservations at area restaurants. See all of ShelbyKY’s lodging options here.