Last Updated: July 12, 2026
Shepherdsville, Kentucky sits just south of Louisville and serves as an ideal base for exploring two of the state’s great attractions: the lush, sprawling Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest and the legendary Kentucky Bourbon Trail. We arrived in late March 2020 from Cave City, eager to explore both — and found the same story we had been hearing across the country. COVID-19 restrictions were in full effect. Distillery tasting rooms, restaurants, and all social gatherings were closed as the country braced for what was coming. Bernheim Forest, however, was still open, and it turned out to be one of the most beautiful places we visited on the entire journey. The early spring blooms were extraordinary.
