Lincoln Boyhood Trail

If you want to go on a scenic and historic trek with your pup, the Lincoln Boyhood Trail is perfect for you! This trail is located within the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, and it takes you through a wooded area and past Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home. Pups are welcome to join on this mile-long loop trail on-leash.

The trail begins at the Memorial Visitor Center. As you start walking, one of the first sights you’ll pass is the Pioneer Cemetery. Lincoln’s mother and many other pioneers are buried in this wooded cemetery. After you leave the cemetery, you’ll walk through a beautiful, shady deciduous forest. Then, you’ll go through a field filled with cultivated crops.

After you go through the field, you’ll reach the Cabin Site Memorial. Here, you’ll see a replica of the wood cabin Lincoln grew up in. Then, you’ll reach the Lincoln Living Historical Farm. This area features reconstructed barns and fields. Staff members also dress up in period clothing and demonstrate the tasks farmers did during Lincoln’s time.

The Lincoln Boyhood Trail ends at the Living Historical Farm, but if you’d like to extend your hike, hop onto the Boyhood Nature Trail! This trail goes through a dense forest. As you walk through this untouched area, you’ll get a sense of what it was like when Lincoln and his family arrived in the wilderness back in the early 1800s. The forest is filled with native hardwood trees, including redbuds, white oak, sweet gums, and red maples. There’s also tons of wildlife in the forest, including possums, white-tail deer, and over 50 species of birds. A walk through this beautiful forest is a woofderful way to end your day at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial.

The Lincoln Boyhood Trail provides visitors with tons of fascinating information about what life was like for Abraham Lincoln when he was growing up in southern Indiana. Remember to bring some doggy bags so you clean up after your dog during your hike, and have a furrific time trekking here!