Fayette County High Point Trip Report
Date: June 10, 2002
Author: Ken Oeser
two areas 1/2 mile east of Walnut Hill
From the junction of US Highways 25/421 and KY418, drive south on
Highway 25/421 about 1.5 miles and turn left onto Athens-Walnut Hill Road. We drove into the first
driveway on the left at 0.3 mile from the highway. We were surprised when we drove up to the gate with a
keypad and the gate just opened, so we drove in to ask permission at the barns. The driveway is as shown
on the topo, and ends a large horse barn. Nobody was around, so we hiked from the second barn along on
open area between fences to its crest, then about 100 feet into the field to the southern area. This one
leveled higher from both directions. The northern area is about 100 feet into a field from the third barn at
the end of the drive. We pulled up to the gate, which opened and let us out.
two areas 1/2 and 3/4 mile north-northwest of Pleasant Ridge Church
From the intersection of New Circle
Road (KY4) and KY1927, turn east onto KY1927 for 0.1 mile and turn left on Christian Road, and follow
this to a junction with another road that goes left back to KY4. Turn right onto this road and pull into US Filter.
We pulled left in front of the building and parked, walked left to the fence line, which seems to be the
highest area in this contour, returned to the car, and left. The gate is probably closed when the plant is closed.
Return to KY4, turn right, and go north a short distance, and turn right onto Trade Center Drive
just before the US Highway 60 junction. Drive east 0.2 mile and turn right onto Brock-McVey Drive. Go a
short distance, pass the tower site and contour, and pull into Brock-McVey parking lot at the near corner.
We walked across the drive and climbed the grass slope to the tower fence and walked around toward the
trailer park behind it to satisfy that we had hit high ground. This could also be reached by pulling into the
trailer park from KY4 or Trade Center Drive.
one area 1/2 mile south-southeast of Pleasant Ridge Church
From the above two areas, go south about 0.5 mile on KY4 ,
pass the railroad track, and turn left onto Palumbo Drive. We didn't measure distance, but
drive southeast to the road crest. We 'got lost' and turned left into a fenced trailer storage area with a tank
at the back at high ground, then went back onto Palumbo Drive to the next business southeast, a tile
company, and pulled to the rear of it at high ground. We couldn't tell which was higher since we couldn't
see through the building, but it was easy since both businesses were open on this weekday.
two areas 2000 feet east of Walnut Hill
From the junction of US Highway 60 and KY1973, 5 miles east of Lexington,
go west about 0.2 mile and drive south on Walnut Grove Lane for 1.6 miles to a driveway on the left.
A sign for a new subdivision, Walnut Grove Estates, is another 0.3 mile down the road, and a plot
indicates both these highpoints will be in the new subdivision, but they are not in the development stage yet.
Follow the driveway first mentioned past an abandoned house on the right, and bear left, then right, to a
horse barn at the end of the drive. Hike south from the barn along a fence line to the highest ground, area one,
then into an open pasture toward the barn at the top of area two. We climbed under the fence and
walked up to the barn. Hand-leveling showed these two areas to be about equal elevation.
Construction crews were working on new houses at the end of the development, but nobody was around these two
contours except some cows on the north side of the barn on the western area. These may be easier or
tougher in the future.