How is it possible that in the 10 years that I’ve lived in Louisville, Kentucky I haven‘t been to the beautiful Red River Gorge? Last week I finally got to experience this outdoor paradise practically in my backyard! The Red River Gorge is within the boundaries of the Daniel Boone National forest in Wolfe County, Kentucky. The gorge was sculped by wind and water over 70 million years. The gorge itself is home to the largest number of naturally occurring bridges and arches east of the Rocky Mountains. Which is exactly why my family (all outdoor adventure seekers) decided to get together last week for a week exploring the geographical area and all the outdoor activities it offers. Me, Rick, my mom, aunt and uncle, sister and brother in law spent the week (no kids) hiking the many trails and exploring the rock bridges and arches. We ziplined, rock climbed and kayaked an underwater cavern too! If you are in the area or looking for a place for some outdoor adventure I highly recommend visiting the area. I shared our trip below to help you plan your own outdoor adventure to the Gorge!
Hiking
All of the hikes we traversed this week had terrain that varied and included steep slopes, narrow ravines and cliffs. The actual hikes ranged from easy to moderate in difficulty. Although there are numerous trails and hikes to explore in the area, here are the ones that we explored this week:
2 mile loop hike. Took us 2 hours 15 minutes to hike the loop. Grays Arch was our first hike of the week and the arch gave us a taste of what was to come for the rest of the week. There were several people on the hike from the parking lot to the arch. Most people were doing this hike as an out and back. We hiked the entire loop and saw no people after the arch.
CREATION FALLS LOOP & ROCK BRIDGE TRAIL
Nice little waterfall feature less than a mile into hike that is about 1.5 miles long (took us 50 min to hike this section). Follow trail signs to pick up the Rock Bridge Arch trail (.9 miles) to see two small arches. Trail will take you back to picnic area parking (that section took 30 min to hike).
TIP: Start trail at the steps and go down the steps first. This way you will gradually walk back up at the end of hike instead of ending walking up the steep stairs.
Less than 1 mile hike loop (some stairs at end). Took us 33 minutes to hike loop. Start by crossing on top of the arch (bridge) with great views. Continue loop trail to under arch (great spot for pictures there) and trail continues along cliffside through woods and ends with going up several stairs. Short hike with stairs at end. A good short hike with a great view.
This is a loop trail but we did it as an out and back (read on for WHY). This hike takes you to many terrific views of the gorge and Courthouse Rock. Highly suggest you ONLY do this trail by staying ON TOP of the ridge. DO NOT DO THE STAIRS unless you want a lot of work and no reward! The view and hike is 100% the best by staying on top of the ridge. Therefore, do NOT start this trail heading toward Auxier Branch Trail or Double Arch. Instead stay on top of the ridge and hike 2 miles until you reach the top of the stairs (turn around here and hike back the way you came on top of ridge). Out and back is four miles total hike and took us 2 hours 30 minutes including a stop for lunch. Lots of cliffs and straight down drop-offs . I would not want a dog or children on this hike. Total elevation gain is 700 feet. Trail map says trail is flat. It is NOT. Bring poles.! *Tami trail favorite
NATURAL BRIDGE via ROCK GARDEN TRAIL (down only)
We parked at Natural Bridge State Park and took the chair lift to the top (fee). Chair lift is a slow, breezy relaxing short ride to the top of gorge. Once dismounted from lift you have two (very) short walks in opposite direction for separate lookouts (overlooking each other). Take the .3 mile trail to Battleship Rock first (you will see Natural Bridge across gorge). Head back to chair lift and continue past it in other direction for .1 mile to the view from the top of Natural Bridge. Cross bridge and take right down the stairs immediately after the bridge. This will take you to under the bridge for another nice view (most crowded place we were at all week). We hiked the Rock Garden Trail back down to the parking lot. This was a crowd favorite trail for our group. Total hike is 1.25 miles from bridge to car and took us 40 minutes. Although the trail is all downhill, it has some inclement areas with tricky stairs, steep declines and tight space walk-throughs.
RAVEN ROCK TRAIL (Private property and best view)
If you want the absolute best view of the gorge that is private and near panoramic then you need to hike this trail. The hike itself isn’t very interesting and you must climb an elevation of 600 feet in a mile (it is a tough climb and we took several breather breaks cuz it feels straight up and it is) but the view at the top makes the hike to get there totally worth it. The trail is an out and back that is 3.5 miles long total. Took us 2 hours 10 minutes total to hike (start to finish). You park on private property and pay $5 to do so. The $5 probably deters many hikers from hitting this trail but that is a mistake. It is a well spent $5 for that view! The trail starts by following a wide, grassy path along the red river for about a mile before you begin the steep elevation. Check out the history of this rock and trail HERE. It is very interesting and due to it’s history, the trail is mostly paved (although much of it is broken up). The top of this bluff was the only place I experienced bugs. They were little and pesty.. If you plan to stay up there for any amount of time then you will want to bring bug spray!
Rock Climbing
This was a favorite excursion and I highly recommend. We arrived 30 minutes early to pay, sign waivers and get instruction from a certified climbing professional (instruction on gear, climbing and a practice session before beginning the course). The Via Ferrata, which stands for “Iron Road”, is an Italian style of climbing that allows you to safely scale otherwise dangerous paths by securing yourself to a cable and utilizing rebar steps and hand grips in the rock’s face. The Via Ferrata course is a horseshoe shaped canyon divided into six sections categorized into four levels of difficulty (beginner to expert). The difficulty levels are clearly marked on the rock face and there are exit points at the end of each section. The course has two suspension bridges (section 4 and 5) and a 40 foot tight rope walk. The recommended dress is long pants and closed toe shoes (or hiking boots). Gloves are available for purchase for $5 and I highly recommend.
Plan to spend 2-4 hours on this activity. There is a nice picnic area and outdoor seating to watch other climbers on the course. You are allowed to exit and enter the course as many times as you want. This is convenient in regards to hydrating, taking a rest in between sections or adjusting layers of clothing. Minimum age to climb is 10 years old. I will be back for the hiking and climbing again for sure! A highlight of my week was the Via Ferrata. SO SO FUN!
WEBSITE: Southeast Mountain Guides
Zip Lining
Soar 350 feet above the gorge at speeds up to 55 miles per hour on this 2 hour zip line excursion consisting of five consecutive ziplines. The start and finish location are different (you get shuttled back to the starting location). Enjoy breathtaking views of some of the scenic cliffs while zipping through the trees. There are four canopy bridges throughout the course. At least that is what I am told as I opted out of this excursion and didn’t go. The group that zipped were in a group of 12 plus three guides. Closed toe shoes required and weight limit is between 70-250 lbs.
The last zipline ends at Cliffview Resort where I was able to park at, explore the grounds and sit on the porch overlooking a lake and the gorge until my family arrived and I was able to photograph and video their last zip.
WEBSITE: Red River Gorge Zipline
Underground Kayaking
This is a one hour flat bottom kayak excursion through an abandoned underground limestone gorge. Kayaks are single or double person and there is also a pontoon option if you are not comfortable in a kayak. It is a guided tour where you paddle yourself in a small group of 10-12 kayaks and two guides (in their own kayaks) one in front of group and one in back of group. The water is clear and still and the cave is untouched by sunlight so you are provided a head lamp to illuminate your way. Instructor provides commentary about the geographical area under the mountain and points out wildlife (fish and bat is what we saw) as well as abandoned mining equipment left behind after the mine was closed for good in the 1980’s. I found it hard to hear what the guide was saying at most times. The temperature in the cave is a consistent 55 degrees year round so make sure to dress accordingly. I did not get wet other than sitting in a wet seat from the kayaker before me and some dribble on my lap from the paddle. Closed toe shoes are required but I wore flip flops and was not told to change. Lifejacket, paddle, helmet and headlamp was all provided.
This was my least favorite excursion of the week (and I think my family would agree). It was low key and low adrenaline (not a good combination for my family who are full throttle adventure and adrenaline junkies). I’m glad we did it one time but not something I would do again.
WEBSITE: The Gorge Underground
Accomodations
There are many options for camping, inns, cabins and lodges in the area. Through VRBO we found an 8 person 4 bedroom country home in Beattyville which was a 20-45 minute drive from our hikes and excursions. The house sat on the end of a long private drive (closest neighbor 1/2 mile away which also happens to be a rental property by the same owner). The husband and wife owners live nearby and are responsive. The home was very clean upon our arrival and had a great game room in the basement that we enjoyed nightly after dinner along with the front and back porches that overlooked acres of forest. For more information on our 5 out of 5 star rental click HERE.
Food
Not an area I can give much info on as we did not eat out. We rented the house with a well equipped kitchen and pre-shopped at Gordons, Costco and Kroger. We brought a week’s worth of groceries for all our meals for 7 adults. We did find an IGA grocery store in Beattyville for one trip to the grocery during the week. Otherwise we made breakfast and dinner at the house and packed lunches and snacks in our backpacks if needed on long hike days. However, here are some food places that we heard about in the area (I cannot say if they are good or not as we did not eat out during our week at the gorge).
Pics from the week
If you are still here and scrolling down you must be family…if you hung in there this far and are not fam…Thank you! For any questions about our week in the Red River Gorge this fall please shoot me a comment or DM me on instagram! Happy Fall Y’all!!
Enjoyed the blog and all the pictures. I had a great time. Can’t wait to do it again. Thanks for sharing!
Fabulous pictures and commentary. Kentucky does have some wonderful well kept secrets. Thanks for sharing. Loved reading about it.