Parks are treasures. They’re places people can hike, picnic, throw a ball, or just sit and watch the world go by. When I visit a city, I try to find at least one park nearby and take in its unique features. I’ve discovered beautiful trails, water views, inventive playgrounds, and more than one friendly local wanting to chat about their city. The Elizabethtown Nature Park in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is a unique park with a creek and much more.

The Elizabethtown Nature Park is more than 100 acres and is located on Ring Road in the northeast part of the city.

The park preserves softly sloping green space in the city which was once pasture.

Freeman Creek runs through Elizabethtown Nature Park.

The creek, which drains into nearby Freeman Lake, is home to several types of wildlife. I bet the sound of the gently flowing creek is divine.

There are two beautiful memorials in Elizabethtown Nature Park: the Elizabethtown Veterans Tribute and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

The veterans tribute honors the living and deceased veterans in Hardin County. Visitors can move along a polygon-shaped walkway to view five stunning bronze sculptures, one dedicated to each military branch.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, dedicated in 2018, displays the names of more than 58,000 people who served in Vietnam.

Ten Vietnam veterans each contributed $1,000 for the down payment of the Elizabethtown wall. Incredibly, the wall is 80% of the size of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

Hikers can access an easy 2.6-mile trail from the park called the Elizabethtown Nature Park Loop.

The trail follows the park’s perimeter and is perfect for walkers and runners. The area surrounding the trail is also home to many species of feathered friends, making it an excellent trail for birders.

Elizabethtown Nature Park is adjacent to Freeman Lake Park, which has 170-acre Freeman Lake. Freeman Lake is stocked with several fish species, including crappie, rainbow trout, channel catfish, and largemouth bass, making it an awesome place to fish.

Freeman Lake Park also has kayak and boat rentals, pickleball, sand volleyball, disc golf, playgrounds, and a dog park. Elizabethtown Nature Park connects to Freeman Lake Park through a tunnel under Ring Road, so visitors can check out both parks in one visit. Isn’t this view stunning?

Have you visited the Elizabethtown Nature Preserve in Elizabethtown, Kentucky? If you did, what did you think of the memorials and the creek?

Visit the park's website for more information.

Elizabethtown is a great place to spend a summer weekend. The city has fantastic local restaurants, like the Wicked Eye Woman pub and Back Home Restaurant.

If you’d like to stay overnight in Elizabethtown, this rooftop Airbnb may be the perfect place to stay.