Iroquois Park North Overlook Renovation and Restoration
The North Overlook is located in Iroquois Park, one of three flagship Frederick Law Olmsted designed parks in Louisville, Kentucky. Designed in the late 1890’s, Iroquois Park is noted for its rugged terrain, hilltop scenic overlooks, stone outcroppings and mature old-growth forest. Designed with circuit drives, bridle trails and pedestrian paths, this peaceful forest refuge is much intact today. The North Overlook had always permitted access for cars, however, problems with congestion and parking at the overlook spurred damaging results on the surrounding hillside and vegetation over subsequent years. In 2012, the process began to re-design the North Overlook with the removal all hardscape paving at the overlook itself and closing off of Downill Road to cars. Jones Landscape Architecture was the landscape architect on the design team that developed a plan to employ sensitive solutions in order to protect the surrounding historic landscape, while creating an ADA accessible path for all abilities. The plan redesigned the overlook to a pedestrian scale and opens the scenic view through selective cutting and pruning of hillside vegetation. Construction was completed in October 2016 through major community and non-profit support and funding. The removal of cars at the overlook required a change in park user behavior which comes with its challenges. However, as those park users continue to visit the newly re-designed overlook, many are in agreement realizing the benefits of a place without cars!