Red River Gorge: Arches, Tunnels & Sandstone Cliffs

A 4.0-mile round trip to Grays Arch — the largest natural sandstone arch in the Red River Gorge, spanning 80 feet and rising 50 feet above the canyon floor. The trail descends into a tributary hollow through old-growth hemlock and yellow poplar, passing a rock shelter at the base of the arch where a seasonal waterfall drops off the lip after rain. The arch frames a view up through the forest canopy; the underside shows the striated sandstone banding that defines Red River Gorge geology. Arrive early — the trail is busy with climbers and hikers by midmorning.

A 4.5-mile round trip along Auxier Ridge to Courthouse Rock and Auxier Rock — free-standing sandstone towers at the ridge tip with an unobstructed 360-degree panorama of the Red River Gorge drainage. The ridge trail runs mostly flat through open forest after the initial climb, with cliff-edge views for the final mile before the endpoint drops sheer into the gorge below. One of the best panoramic viewpoints in eastern Kentucky.

A hand-carved one-lane tunnel 900 feet long, 13 feet wide, and 12 feet tall — cut through solid sandstone in 1911 by a timber company to haul logs out of the gorge, now carrying KY-77 as one of the most unusual road segments in Kentucky. The tunnel is dark except for the circles of light at each end; the rock walls are close enough to touch from a car window. The drive through it marks the natural end of the gorge loop before settling in for the evening near Natural Bridge.

The state resort lodge at Natural Bridge State Resort Park in Slade — the most convenient overnight base for Red River Gorge, with rooms looking out at the forested ridge and a dining room serving Kentucky comfort food. The lodge is a 5-minute walk from the Natural Bridge skylift and the Original Trail trailhead for tomorrow morning.

The 0.75-mile Original Trail climbs 300 feet to Natural Bridge — a 65-foot-tall, 78-foot-span sandstone arch formed by differential erosion of the Corbin sandstone layer. The arch is wide enough to walk across; the view from the top looks south across the Rockcastle River watershed. The Balanced Rock overlook on the return adds a second sandstone formation. A skylift from the lodge also reaches the arch for those skipping the climb.

A 2.0-mile round trip in the Red River Gorge Geological Area to Princess Arch — a smaller, more intimate sandstone arch framing a narrow woodland view through the forest canopy. The trail passes several rockshelters and cliff faces before reaching the arch, which sits in a quiet hollow away from the main gorge traffic. A good final hike before the return drive, less strenuous than the morning's trail.

A 0.5-mile loop to Sky Bridge — a natural sandstone arch you walk across, with a view straight down into a deep tributary hollow of the Red River. One of the few arches in the gorge accessible from a short flat trail; the bridge itself is narrow enough to feel exposed. A natural final stop on the way out of the gorge before the highway.