The Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest is a natural preserve and an arboretum located in Clermont, Kentucky. The facility was founded by German immigrant and brewer Isaac Wolfe Bernheim in 1929. Bernheim?s brewery made it big thanks to the whiskey which also created the I.W. Harper brand.

The arboretum?s land was purchased by Bernheim in 1928 for the price of $1 per acre. The price was greatly reduced due to the absence of iron ore which was stripped years prior to the purchase. Bernheim enlisted the Frederick Law Olmsted landscape and architectural firm to work on the project in 1931. The Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest officially opened its doors to the public in 1950 and was later given to the State of Kentucky.

The forest features a total of 1,900 labeled species and cultivars of trees, shrubs and other plants; 185 of which are cultivars of the American holly species. The collection includes crab apples, conifers, maples, oaks, ginkgoes, buckeyes and dogwood.

Visitors can expect the arboretum area to feature both formal and informal types of plant collections. The arboretum also features different walking paths where guests can look at the different types of plants. The area also holds the visitor?s center, a caf? and a gift shop. Visitors can also check out four different lakes inside the 14,000 acre park plus several hiking trails. The majority of these trails feature a beech-maple forest with paved roads. The Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest boasts of the 21.4 kilometer Millenium Trail and the Hike-Bike Pike trail which has a total of 5.1 kilometers.

Other activities that guests can do when visiting the forest include biking, fishing, hiking and picnicking. The park?s opening and closing differs from season but the park constantly opens at 7 in the morning. Members of the park can enter for free while non-members will be charged $5 for parking on Saturdays, Sundays and Holiday.