Arch of Triumph: I wouldn’t necessarily call this one a TRAIL, but it’s a super short detour from the walking portion of Tunnel Ridge Road to a unique arch! For anyone who listens to the Tread the Red Podcast, the campsite closest to this arch is where the Poop Log incident happened…you gotta listen to know…haha! Anyway, you don’t have to walk far along the foot-traffic only portion of Tunnel Ridge Road before the right turn off to this arch. By following the trail, you’ll quickly pass through a large campsite area and then continue on the trail until you reach a smaller campsite area. The arch is super close to this if you follow the faint trail past this campsite. You’ll end up on top of it, and then you can easily climb down to the left to get views of the underside! Just be careful if you have dogs or kids with you, because (like a lot of places in the Gorge), there are some drop offs to the right hand side of this arch!
Chimney Top Trail #235
Chimney Top Trail (#235): If you are looking for a short, accessible/easy trail for a stellar overlook in the Gorge – look no further!! I love to take the short hike out to the overlook for sunset, as the sun sets perfectly behind the rolling hills in the distance. The trailhead for this one is located at the very end of Chimney Top Road (a 5 mile gravel road off of Route 715). The trail itself is only 0.25 miles out (0.5 miles round trip) and packs in so many amazing views! You can view Half Moon to the left as you walk out, and then from the overlook you can see that and other points of interest such as Hanson’s Point, Pinch-em-Tight Gap, and Cloud Splitter! Definitely do not miss the opportunity to add this to your trip to the Gorge.
Turtle Back Arch
Turtle Back Arch Trail: I love this arch! The patterns on the underside are SO COOL. This is an unofficial trail that makes a great addition if you are planning to hike the Rock Bridge official trail, but isn’t for everyone. Because this is an unofficial/unmarked trail, there CAN be route finding issues and there are a couple “rock scramble” sections that could be dangerous. Turtle Back Arch trailhead is found about 2.1 miles from the start of Rock Bridge Road. It is a pretty leisurely hike through the woods until you arrive at the first “rock scramble” portion. The arch itself is about 1 mile from the trailhead and then after another “rock scramble” portion, the trail connects to Swift Camp Creek trail at 1.3 miles. So, this is a pretty short hike, but completing it as a loop (trailhead>Swift Camp Creek Trail>Rock Bridge Trail) is longer.
View the other videos located here to see the continuation of this trail from the arch to Swift Camp Creek and then another video documenting the first rock scramble in more detail.
We Don’t Know What To Call This One, But Please Listen
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Silvermine Arch Trail #225
Silvermine Arch Trail: This is one of the many trails that start from the Koomer Ridge Campground area! It is worth it to check this trail out, even if you are not staying at the campground, but I definitely recommend camping at Koomer Ridge! Silvermine Arch Trail is an out-and-back trail and is 2.5 miles total. Once you pop out on the ridgeline, you quickly descend the rest of the way to the arch, so be prepared to make the climb back out! The arch and the surrounding area is beautiful. Here is a map of the area!
Buzzards Roost South Trail
Buzzards Roost South Trail: This is one of my absolute favorite unofficial trails of the Gorge. It is short (only 0.23 miles out/0.46 miles round trip), but it has some of the best views (especially for sunset!) and features some rock scrambling! The trailhead starts from the Sky Bridge picnic area. This is definitely not the trail for everyone because of the rock scrambling portion and the dangers associated with the final lookout point. As always, assess the situation and know your limits so that you can stay safe while hiking in the Gorge! The area has changed since the wildfires a few years ago (the previous rhodo tunnel no longer exists), and since this trailhead is located in the Sky Bridge area, it is closed between 10PM and 6AM, so no overnight camping. Remember to leave no trace and have fun!
Whistling Arch Trail #234
Whistling Arch Trail: This is a short & sweet easy trail along Route 715 in the Gorge! While only being 1/2 mile total (out-and-back), this trail packs in a super cool rock shelter with an arch, AND a killer overlook! Here is a map of the location for the trailhead.
Lower & Upper Bell Falls
Lower and Upper Bell Falls: Lower Bell Falls can be seen directly off of Route 715 in the Gorge! There is paved pull-off parking spot right in front of the falls that would fit 2-3 cars. These falls are located close to the Tower Rock trailhead – they are between the Gladie Visitor Center and that trailhead, so if you have passed the visitor center and then also pass that trailhead, you’ve gone too far! If you are driving in this direction, they are situated on your left with the Red River to your right. Here is a map of the location! To see Upper Bell Falls, you will have to take the steep (and probably slick) incline up to the top of the Lower Bell Falls. It is definitely a cool vantage point, but watch your footing! There is apparently a short ~0.25 mile “loop” trail around this area above the lower falls, but I haven’t hiked that yet! I will post a video when I complete it. 🙂
Powdermill Branch (#238) to Blackburn Rock Overlook (unofficial)
Powdermill Branch Trail to Blackburn Rock Overlook: Okay, so Powdermill Branch Trail is actually an official trail! It is outside the Red River Gorge Geological Area, so less people hike it. It is the only trail in the Red River Gorge that is open to mountain bikes and horses, along with hikers! There are usually people camping along Indian Creek at the trailhead area, but the actual trail itself is usually pretty solitary! Here is a map with the trailhead location. We did this hike at the end of December too, so even less people were out. I have been back to this trail once over the summer and actually turned around because of how grown-up all of the vegetation got along the trail. I had my small dog with me and it was just too much to have to worry about snakes and ticks – I’ll definitely be back once the weather cools off and things start dying back! Anyway, the official Powdermill Branch Trail starts at Indian Creek and ends on Hatton Ridge Road after 2.34 miles. I would say this trail is one of the more “difficult” trails of the Red because of the elevation gain. Once you reach Hatton Ridge Road you can connect over to the start of the Blackburn Rock Overlook Trail! That one is only 0.5 miles out to the overlook. And the overlook is AMAZING! It is so cool to see a whole new section of the Gorge! There IS a chimney that you CAN cross if you wish, but just please be careful and analyze the situation and know the risks before making that decision. The time we hiked this we opted to skip the chimney jump because I had recently sprained my ankle and didn’t think it was worth the risk. There’s always next time! This one is an out and back, so just keep that in mind! Also, there is an option to drive up to Hatton Ridge Road to skip the Powdermill Branch Trail, but I have not done that because I didn’t trust my car to make the drive on the gravel backroads (4WD is most likely required).
Edit: I did return and “make the jump” in March 2022! So much fun.
Cloud Splitter Trail
Cloud Splitter: This is one of the most popular unofficial trails in the Red! The unofficial trail branches off from the Sheltowee Trace Trail and there are several different approach routes. I usually hike the Sheltowee Trace from Route 715 across the road from the suspension bridge (check that out too!) ~ 1.22 miles to the turn-off for Cloud Splitter. Here is the approximate map location of that turn-off. The actual unofficial Cloud Splitter Trail is only 0.23 miles, but it is pretty much straight up! I find this one so much fun though. It is definitely one with a little “exposure” when you get to actually climbing up on top of Cloud Splitter, so just evaluate things, know your limits, and BE SAFE!!
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