Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureNatural Bridge State Resort Park
FreeHike or ride a sky lift to a sandstone arch 78 feet long and 65 feet high in the woods near the Red River Gorge.
Photo: Mrherbalwarrior, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFree
Red River Gorge
Gladie Visitor Center, 3451 Sky Bridge Rd · Slade, KY
Why you should go…
Red River Gorge is a canyon system of about 29,000 acres in Daniel Boone National Forest, with more than 100 natural sandstone arches, tall cliffs and rock shelters. You can hike to Grays Arch and the Auxier Ridge area, canoe the Wild and Scenic Red River, or climb the sandstone cliffs that climbers call the Red. Many visitors drive in through the Nada Tunnel, a 900-foot logging tunnel built between 1910 and 1912. Day visits are free, and overnight camping needs a vehicle permit.
- #hiking
- #natural arches
- #rock climbing
- #national forest
- #canoeing
Good to know
General sport & outdoor guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
Weather calls the shots
Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.
Shoes, water, sun cover
The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.
Parking and launches fill early
On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.
Daylight shrinks in shoulder season
Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Red River Gorge, ordered by straight-line distance.
5.7 mi awayMore like this