About the Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge

The Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge is a 500-acre preserve, located 13 miles from Danville in the Parksville knob land and bordering a stretch of the beautiful North Rolling Fork. The refuge is open to all as a protected area for the enjoyment and study of nature in its many fascinating forms -- a large, typical area of Boyle County set aside as a permanent sanctuary for plant and animal forms native to Central Kentucky, to be enjoyed by future generations. It is open year-round from dawn to dusk.

If you like the outdoors, you will discover here a chance to escape the crowds and traffic and find enrichment in the simple beauty of nature. Birds, animals, plants and other forms of wildlife may be seen on each visit, and they vary with the changing seasons. See the Trails page for trail descriptions.

Visitors are encouraged to record each visit in the Guest Register near the door of the Mary Ashby Cheek Nature Center. The Center houses information about the area, displays, and educational materials. It is open by appointment. See the Contact Us page.

The Fred Loetscher Bird Blind near the caretaker's home provides close-up views of feeding birds for study and photography and also includes a Guest Register for recording visitors and numbers of species seen. The feeders are stocked from October through May. During that time, one may easily see 12 to 15 species in a half-hour visit—more during spring and fall migrations. Common resident species include Northern Cardinal, Bluejay, Carolina Chickadee, American Goldfinch, Downy Woodpecker, and White-Breasted Nuthatch, to name a few.

Scheduled wildflower walks, hikes, and star-gazing events are open to the public. See the Events page for dates and times.

The Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge is a non-profit organization and relies on volunteers and donations for its upkeep. See the Membership and Donations page for more information.