A Kentucky Golf Course Is Becoming a 225-Acre Public Park — and It Just Broke Ground

In late September, Kenton County, Kentucky broke ground on Fox Ridge Park, beginning a nearly two-year transformation of the former Fox Run Golf Course into a 225-acre recreation and outdoor adventure destination, as reported by Local 12 (WKRC). That's 225 acres of fairway in Independence, Kentucky that will never become a subdivision — it's becoming trails, a fishing pond, climbing walls, and a whole lot of protected green space instead.

What happened

Shovels are officially in the dirt. The county hosted a groundbreaking celebration on Monday, September 21, and the property closed to the public on September 14, 2026, as construction gets underway, with an expected reopening in August 2028 — when visitors will find a dramatically transformed park with new amenities, trails, and opportunities to connect with the outdoors.

The park will be organized around three natural ridges, each with its own personality. Discovery Ridge will include a fishing pond, dog park, playground, outdoor fitness area, water features, shelters and restrooms. Adventure Ridge is planned to feature mountain bike trails, a pump track, climbing areas, a four-season pavilion and a Go Ape aerial course. The third ridge is all about trails.

And here's the part we like best: county leaders anticipate approximately 70 percent of the property will remain untouched by construction, preserving significant areas of natural greenspace for future generations.

Why it matters

This is a story about land staying public. Kenton County converted the former Fox Run Golf Course to passive public recreation in 2020 after officials said the course was not financially sustainable — Fox Run had averaged about 9,000 to 10,000 rounds each year, compared with the roughly 30,000 rounds typically needed to sustain an 18-hole course. A struggling golf course is exactly the kind of property that often gets sold off and paved over.

Not this one. Because the land was originally acquired using Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars, the property was required to remain in recreational use. In other words, a decades-old conservation commitment held, and the county leaned in rather than looking for a way out. County officials called Fox Ridge Park the largest investment in the county park system's history.

What it means for Northern Kentucky

Independence sits in the fast-growing suburbs south of Covington and Cincinnati, where open land is getting harder to come by every year. A 225-acre park with mountain bike trails and climbing in the middle of that growth is a genuine amenity — the kind of place where a kid learns to fish, a retiree walks a dog every morning, and a teenager gets hooked on riding singletrack instead of a screen. Kentucky's outdoor identity usually gets told through the Red River Gorge or Mammoth Cave, but it's county parks like this one where most people actually spend their Saturdays. It's a good reminder of why we keep adding to our Kentucky collection — the Commonwealth keeps giving us reasons.

What you can do

The park itself is closed during construction, so this one's a patience play — mark your calendar for 2028. In the meantime, Northern Kentucky has no shortage of places to get outside, from the trails at Devou Park in Covington to the riverfront in Ludlow. If you're the type who likes watching a good thing take shape, Kenton County posts updates on the project through its official channels. And if you want to wear your Commonwealth pride while you wait, the Script Kentucky Tee will hold up just fine on a trail or a porch.

Common questions

When will Fox Ridge Park open?

The park is expected to reopen in August 2028, after roughly two years of construction. The former golf course property closed to the public in mid-September 2026 so work could begin safely.

Where is Fox Ridge Park?

The park is located in Independence, Kentucky, in Kenton County — the site of the former Fox Run Golf Course, in the suburbs south of Covington and the Cincinnati metro area.

What will be in the park?

Plans call for three distinct areas: a family-oriented ridge with a fishing pond, dog park, playground, outdoor fitness area, water features, shelters and restrooms, an adventure ridge with mountain bike trails, a pump track, climbing areas, a four-season pavilion and a Go Ape course, and a third ridge dedicated to trails — with most of the property preserved as natural greenspace.

Reported by Local 12 (WKRC). Details as published at the time of writing.