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Fall foliage in Louisville

Learn where to drop off your leaves after you rake at home + where to see the best foliage

October 20, 2023 • 
Jeff Milby
Fall leaves surrounding the pergola at Cherokee Park in Louisville

The fall leaves are beautiful in one of Louisville’s parks — like Cherokee — but mean a lot of raking when they land in your back yard.

Photo courtesy of Louisville Tourism

Table of Contents
What to do with fall leaves
Where to see fall foliage

Brrr — it’s been chilly the last couple of weeks here in Derby City, and this time of year that means trees are about to change — from growing green to ravishing red + yellow.

Peak fall foliage is right around the corner — expected around Halloween this year — so break out the gardening gloves + rake, and reach for the flannel ahead of an autumnal, sight-seeing drive.

What to do with fall leaves

The Louisville Metro government is holding leaf drop-off sites at four locations this fall, starting on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

  • Public Works Yard, 10500 Lower River Rd. | Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m
  • Public Works East District Operations Center, 595 N. Hubbards Ln. | Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Shawnee Park, 230 Southwestern Pkwy. | Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Ave. | Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. + Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Bring your leaves loose in a paper or compost bag, or in a reusable container you can take when you — um — leave. Pro tip: Avoid the drop-off lines altogether and use your lawnmower to turn those leaves into mulch to fuel your backyard garden.

Fall leaves on a trail

Scenes like this one, at Jefferson Memorial Forest, are never far away in Derby City.

Photo by LOUtoday

Where to see fall foliage

Louisvillians are proud of the city’s park system, and for good reason — there are tons of scenic views throughout — but those fall frames aren’t just limited to the city limits. From Bernheim Forest, 35 minutes from downtown, to Skyline Drive across the river in southern Indiana, Louisville and its surrounding areas have some sensational spots to soak in the season.