Sky Bridge Trail: This is a must-do hike – especially if you’re a new visitor to the Gorge. This is part of the official Red River Gorge trail system and features an iconic sandstone arch. This is a short loop trail – about 0.68 miles total. You can park at the Sky Bridge parking area, where the trailhead is located. I usually hike this one clockwise (like I do in this video), but you can chose to hike it counterclockwise if you want! Either way, you’re gonna be gaining/losing the same amount of elevation, but I think you have to climb more stairs (going up) if you hike it clockwise.
This one is gorgeous on top of the arch – it is definitely not super wide, so just watch the kids and the dogs if you’re hiking with them! Even though hiking across the top of the arch is a great experience, my personal opinion is that the real treat is underneath the arch! I will always recommend this hike as a sunset hike because the way the sun rays cast that nice “golden hour” light underneath the arch is just something truly magical. Some *Gorge magic*, for sure. 😉
There is also an iconic smaller arch under the main arch that provides the perfect “window” for pictures!
Camera Point Trail
Camera Point Trail: This is an official trail, but I honestly didn’t even know it existed until one of my best friends got married there in 2021! To hike this trail, park at the Sky Bridge parking lot and then cut over to the paved road that runs parallel to the parking area (kind of behind the restroom building). If you walk to the end of this section of the paved road, you will find the trailhead for Camera Point Overlook!
The sign says this trail is 0.25 miles, but I have a suspicion that it is even shorter than that! There is a paved accessible overlook within the first 200 feet of the trail, and then to continue down to Camera Point, you’ll need to skip down a couple stairs and continue out a (kind of?) asphalt path to the end! This is a gorgeous overlook! I can’t say for sure because I haven’t been there for it yet, but I would wager that this is a nice place for sunrise. You can see Sky Bridge over to the left and then Castle Arch across the valley to the right. Swift Camp Creek runs below you out to the Red River.
I do want to point out that since this is a beautiful area with a paved accessible path that there are wedding ceremonies that are held here – if you happen to visit when something special is taking place, please turn around and come back to visit later! 😉
The proximity of this trail to Sky Bridge (and a couple other unofficial trails in the area), will make this a sweet little addition to your trails for the day!
What Happens in the Gorge Stays in the Gorge
Hikes that we talk about on this episode:
* Castle Arch Overlook Trail
* Camera Point Overlook Trail
* Sky Bridge Trail
* Whistling Arch Trail
* Henson’s Arch Trail
* Rush Ridge Trail
* Veranda Overlook Trail
* Rough Trail (section from Rush Ridge to Pinch-em-Tight)
* Hanson’s Point
(Trails that do not have a clickable link do not have their trail videos uploaded on my website yet! You can check out my TikTok or Instagram where they might already be – if not, I am constantly working on recording these hikes and getting these videos put together for y’all!)
As always, you can follow me on Instagram and TikTok @tread_the_red and on Twitter @TreadtheRed. You can also check out my website at treadthered.com! Thanks for listening and happy hiking!
Jailhouse Rock Trail
Jailhouse Rock Trail: This is one of the many unofficial trails off of Tunnel Ridge Road! You will want to park at the Auxier Ridge Parking Lot at the end of the drivable part of Tunnel Ridge Road, and walk back the foot-traffic-only section of the road for about 0.71 miles to the trailhead for Jailhouse Rock Trail on the left. If you’ve hiked to Star Gap Arch before, the Jailhouse Rock trailhead is just a little farther down Tunnel Ridge Road. There are actually one or two spots along the Jailhouse Rock Ridge that you can see Star Gap Arch! Super cool. This hike is about 1.35 miles out to the Jailhouse Rock Overlook from the trailhead. In its entirety (back to the parking lot), the whole route is about 4.12 miles. It is super easy to add on other hikes in the area as well if you are looking for more mileage! It is located right by Star Gap Trail, Double Arch Trail, the Rocky Branch Overlook Trails, Auxier Ridge (and more!). This trail has multiple different overlooks, and I’ve highlighted 3 prominent ones in this video.
Random RRG fact: The proposed Red River dam (from the 1960s) would have been located right beneath the Jailhouse Rock Overlook. I’m so happy that we still have the beautiful Gorge surroundings to hike through and marvel at instead of what would have been a big bathtub-like lake.
Anyway, this hike is a good one if you’re interested in some awesome overlooks and a *little* bit of rock scrambling. Also, the path onto the Jailhouse Rock Overlook gets very narrow at one point – with drop offs on either side – so just be careful! Especially when hiking with dogs!
Hanson’s Point Trail
Hanson’s Point Trail: I promise you, you’re gonna wanna hike this one! One of the most outstanding overlooks of the Gorge! This is an unofficial “unmarked” trail, but it has gained a lot of popularity, so the trail is not hard to follow. The only places that could be a little troublesome are the points where you have to traverse through big open campsite areas along the ridge. Hopefully this video will help!
Anyway, put this one on your list. The views from Hanson’s Point are incredible. You gain new perspectives on other well known Gorge landmarks such as Chimney Top Rock, Cloud Splitter, and Half Moon.
The trailhead for this one is located along a section of Rough Trail very close to where the Rough Trail intersects the Pinch-em-Tight trail. The Hanson’s Point Trail itself is only 0.93 miles out, but adding in the hiking to reach the trailhead, it is a little over 2.63 miles one way. You can park at the Pinch-em-Tight parking lot on Tunnel Ridge Road to hike this trail. This trail is not difficult because there aren’t any “big climb” sections. There are severe drop offs on the overlook, so just please be aware of that and be careful while you’re out there! I use a leash with a locking mechanism for my dog when I hike with him in the Gorge. 🙂
Check out the videos below for trail information and views from Hanson’s Point!
Henson’s Arch Trail
Henson’s Arch Trail: This one is actually part of the Natural Bridge State Park trail system. While most trails within this state park are NOT dog friendly, Henson’s Arch Trail is one of the two that are! We love a good dog friendly trail. 🙂
You aren’t going to want to miss out on this one! The point of interest – Henson’s Arch – is really more like an arch/cave/waterfall all-in-one! The trailhead is located in Whittleton Campground on the tent-only side. You will not be able to park in the campground (unless you’re camping at the campground, which I recommend!), but there is a parking lot across the street that you can use.
This trail is about 0.31 miles out to the arch and is an out-and-back (so 0.62 miles round trip). Look for the wooden footbridge at the trailhead, and then after crossing, immediately start gaining elevation. I would call this a relatively easy trail, but you will want to watch your footing if hiking in snowy/icy weather like we are in this video, or even just in wet conditions.
Fun Fact – Henson’s Arch is one of the Gorge’s limestone arches! I can usually tell the limestone arches from the sandstone ones because the limestone ones have more of a “chunky” appearance (in my opinion).
Be sure to follow me on Instagram @Tread_the_Red for more RRG content!
So Many Poops
Buckle up, because this week we are talking about a handful of short trails along with one of our longer favorite trail experiences and overlook in the Red! Trails that are featured on this episode:
* Tarr Ridge West (kind of. The trail poop here just really stole the show…)
*Castle Arch Overlook Trail
*Camera Point Overlook Trail
AND, for the grand finale:
*Powder Mill Trail to Blackburn Rock Overlook!
This episode was also recorded on Instagram Live, so it might be a tad different than previous episodes. That isn’t something we will continue to do all of the time for recording, but we had fun!
As always, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @tread_the_red and on Twitter @TreadTheRed. You can also find my website at treadthered.com where I have this podcast linked along with what Tread the Red is all about, Tread the Red “Trail Talk” videos, and my Etsy shop where you can find RRG goods. 😉
Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and we’ll be back next time – hopefully with less trail poop talk???
This One Is Shrekcellent
Hikes featured in this episode:
*Whittleton Branch/Whittleton Arch Trails
*Castle Arch Overlook Trail
*Skybridge Trail
Also, here are some pages of things we talked about in the “Gorge Updates” section:
Instagram pages that you should follow:
@positiveattractionsoaps
@thehiveathighrock
@redoaks_explorers
@pinnacle_soapworks
Check them out and keep an eye out for our live stream happening soon! (Will be announced on Instagram beforehand).
You can follow Tread the Red on Instagram and TikTok @tread_the_red and on Twitter @TreadtheRed. You can also view the website at treadthered.com. Happy hiking!
X-Rated Moss Videos
In this episode: Trails of the Creekview Property at the Gorge. Darren and I stayed here last December and are just now covering the trails we hiked on the podcast! This includes Angels Falls Trail and Allison’s Trail (both have waterfalls!)
We also talk about how we like to hike the Original Trail up to Natural Bridge for sunset (before Rachel read about creepy cryptids of the area (: oops…)
Also. If you feel so inclined to pet the fluffy moss on trail, please send a video over to Rachel @tread_the_red on Instagram. Please.
We hope everyone is staying safe and doing well and getting some awesome hikes in as we wrap up 2021! If we don’t get to record another podcast before the New Year, then Happy New Year!! Hope to see everyone on the trails January 1st to start 2022 off right. 😉
Copperas Falls Trail
Copperas Falls Trail: This was one of the very first unmarked waterfall trails I did at the Gorge! Even though this trail is unofficial/unmarked, the waterfall at the end is a very popular destination, so the trail is hiked a lot. This has unfortunately led to the creation of a lot of “zoo” trails in the most recent years (a lot of trails made by hikers thinking they were going the right direction, but actually don’t lead anywhere, or use the harder route and trample surrounding areas). Even though this is a problem, the trail itself is still SO GORGEOUS. It is a pleasant change up from the ridge-line hikes of the Gorge and gives you a whole different “jungle-like” perspective. The trail mostly follows Copperas Creek the whole way (so if you stick by the creek for the most part, you’ll be on track). Just expect a lot of creek crossings – so dress appropriately! This trail is also relatively flat and not too long either (~3.52 miles round trip). Copperas Falls is a beautiful waterfall area and the pool at the bottom can sometimes be a turquoise blue…it is usually a clearer blue in the colder months. 🙂 This is definitely a trail that I would recommend to everyone, and there are also several unmarked arches in the surrounding area as well!
Tread the Red 