If you’re from Louisville or the surrounding areas, chances are you’ve heard of the Pope Lick Monster. There are a couple of variations to the story, but the general tale is that a half-man, half-goat creature lures people to their deaths on top of the Pope Lick train trestle in eastern Jefferson County. People have actually died on the train trestle, so it’s important to remember that you should not, under any circumstance, climb to the top of the trestle. It’s a common misconception that trains no longer run on the railroad, but they do. Your best-case scenario is that a police officer finds you up there before an oncoming train does.

The trestle is located in eastern Jefferson County.
Google Maps
The sight of the trestle itself is pretty eerie.
Flickr/David Kidd
The most well-known version of the story is that a goat-man hybrid lives on top of the trestle, and uses either hypnosis or voice mimicry to lure victims to the top. Some people say a train then comes and strikes the victim, and others say that the sight of the monster is so disturbing that they are driven to jump off the 100-foot trestle to their deaths.

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Flickr/David Kidd
The most recent death related to the Pope Lick monster happened in April of 2016 when a 26-year-old woman was hit by an oncoming train when she was searching for the monster.
A street does run underneath the bridge, and another version of the legend says the monster will jump on top of passing cars.
Google Maps
It's okay to drive by the trestle and admire it from the ground, but instead of climbing it and possibly dying, why not visit Pope Lick Park instead, whose entrance is right near the trestle.
Facebook/The Parklands of Floyd’s Fork
Pope Lick Park is part of the massive Parklands of Floyd's Fork. It beautiful, fun, and way less dangerous than the Pope Lick train trestle, so visit that instead.

Remember, climbing the bridge to potentially see a crazed, murderous goat-man is not worth the very real danger. Has anyone ever heard other versions of this legend?

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