We have an extra long episode for y’all this week! Listen to this episode to find out Darren’s thoughts on the future uprising of the turkey vultures…”it’s only a matter of time…” Some cool RRG related things! First off, the RRG Farmers Market makes its return on Saturday May 7th from 10AM-2PM! This is a “soft-opening” and there will be so many different amazing vendors, so mark the date! The grand opening will be sometime in July TBA. Also, one of the RRG Market vendors, Restoration Acres, recently opened an online shop where you can buy their awesome RRG & Nature inspired illustrations (stickers, shirts, etc.!).
The main hike that we talk about in this episode: *Star Gap Trail (including Star Gap Arch)
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Hi and welcome to Tread the Red! This week we are featuring my brother, Sam, to talk about his first time to Eagles Point Buttress (and the *Gimli Incident* that followed), and his first time to Copperas Falls! I know that this is a slightly shorter episode than usual, but don’t worry, Darren and I have an extra long one for y’all next week to make up for it! 😉 Don’t forget to check out the 2022 Herpetology Weekend April 22-23 at Natural Bridge and The Gorge! It’s going to be a fun time. Hikes talked about in this episode: *Eagles Point Buttress/Douglas Trail Loop *Copperas Falls Trail
Thank you so much for listening and we hope you are doing well and getting in some amazing spring-time hikes!
Helloooooo!! We are here with another episode of Tread the Red except this time we have friends with us! This episode features Sam & Joe and also…Kermit??? I am pretty sure we talked about our hike to Turtle Back Arch and finishing out the loop via Swift Camp Creek and part of Rock Bridge Trail, but we definitely talked about a lot of other stuff as well. This is truly one of the classic Tread the Red *chaotic* episodes – you’re welcome. 😀
We recorded in The Willow, which is one of the properties owned by @experiencethewilds on Instagram! The cabin was perfect and we totally recommend checking it out (or any of their other properties) for your next stay at the Gorge! (Not sponsored, we just really loved both cabins we stayed at recently, and think The Wilds are awesome and have a lot to offer within the Gorge area!)
As always, you can follow me on Instagram and TikTok @Tread_the_Red and on Twitter @TreadtheRed. You can also find my etsy shop by searching Tread the Red in shops, or by clicking here. I’ve also been working on updating my Trails section on my website, so be sure to check that out as well! I hope everyone is doing well and getting some good hiking in. Until next time!!
The Veranda Trail is an unofficial/unmarked trail in the Red River Gorge, but utilizes official trails to get to the trailhead! The most direct route to the beginning of this trail would be to take Pinch-em-Tight trail to Rush Ridge Trail, and then a right onto Rough Trail where you will hike about 230 feet downhill to the Veranda Trailhead! I can’t say enough how beautiful this little trail and overlook are! From the overlook, you can look directly through Pinch-em-Tight Gap to Half Moon nestled in between! Hanson’s Point is on the other side, but is blocked from view by the Gap. This trail is a beautiful spot for sunrise.
The Veranda Trail itself is only about 0.32 miles, but combined with Pinch-em-Tight and Rush Ridge, it is about 1.62 miles one way. A great option for a loop hike is to continue along Rough Trail after Veranda Trail and hit up Hanson’s Point before looping back using the Pinch-em-Tight trail!
Tower Rock Trail (#229): This trail is part of the official Red River Gorge trail system. In my opinion, this is one of the more underrated trails of the Gorge! I LOVED this trail from the first time we hiked it! The trailhead is located along Route 715 between the Gladie Visitor Center and the Osborne Bend Trailhead parking area. There is a pull-off parking spot across the road from the trailhead that is big enough for a few cars. The trailhead could be easy to miss, so just keep an eye out for it! Tower Rock Trail is a relatively easy and short hike to the impressive “Tower Rock”! At only 0.75 miles to the base of the rock (1.5 miles round trip), this is a great hike to add onto the end or beginning of your hiking day! I would also totally recommend this trail for people with kids who like to explore because the area around the base of the rock felt like a huge playground! So much to climb on and explore.
Cliff Trail (#206) is one of the few trails that begin at Koomer Ridge Campground in the Red River Gorge! I highly recommend camping at this campground at some point if you haven’t already, but you can hike this trail regardless if you are staying at the campground or not! There is a parking lot to the left when you enter the campground that is specifically for backpackers and day hikers! No fee required unless you plan to be out overnight. This is a short 0.5 mile loop trail that begins from campground loop 1 and ends at campground loop 2. In the video below we hiked it from loop 2 to loop 1. You choose what you do! I definitely recommend trying this trail out if you are staying at the campground or if you are already in the area for some of the other hikes (Silvermine Arch & Hidden Arch, to name a few)!
Angel Windows Trail: This one is short and sweet! It honestly took me awhile to try this one out, because I *assumed* it wouldn’t be that cool because it is a shorter trail, but WOW, was I wrong. I guess I should have known better…pretty much everything at the Gorge is awesome. This trailhead is at a pull-off parking lot area along Route 715 between Chimney Top Rock Road and Sky Bridge Road. The trail is only about 0.26 miles out to the “windows”, making this trail only a little over half a mile round trip! There is a super cool “hole” in the rock wall along the way to the windows that is really fun to climb up into! A perfect photo opportunity (Pippin got so annoyed with me on this hike – hahaha). The actual windows are super neat too!! The one looks like a horse head, am I right?! I would say this is a perfect trail to hike with small kids! There are some drop offs back behind the windows, so just be aware if you do have kids or dogs with you!
Double Arch Trail: This trail starts from the Auxier Ridge parking lot and continues back the “foot-travel-only” portion of Tunnel Ridge Road until *basically* the end, where you will see the trailhead sign to the right! This is an official trail of the Gorge, and it immediately dips you into the lush forest surrounded by sandstone cliffs. The trail is about 2.37 miles from the Auxier Ridge parking area to Double Arch, making it a little under a 5 mile round trip hike! When I do this one, I prefer to use the Auxier Branch Trail (#203) to connect from Double Arch Trail over to Auxier Ridge Trail so that I can make a big loop! This arch is super cool and you get some amazing views of Auxier Ridge across the valley! You can clearly see Courthouse Rock and Haystack Rock, along with the “Wizard’s Backbone” portion of Auxier Ridge. 😉
This part of the trail is *unofficial*, but don’t miss out on your chance to climb up on top of Double Arch using the set of stairs carved into the side of the sandstone to the right of the arch! The top most platform to the LEFT once you get up and continue out is called “The Observatory”, and for good reason! You get amazing 360 degree views of the Gorge from here! If you do opt for more adventure with this option, just please be aware of the severe drop offs from the top of the arch! This section might not be the best for kids/dogs. I’ve done it with my dog, but he’s small, so I can pick him up when needed.
Hello and welcome to MY FAVORITE ARCH OF THE GORGE! I fell in love with this arch the very moment I laid eyes on it. The whole surrounding area is beautiful too! To begin this trail, you will want to park at the Auxier Ridge parking lot at the end of the vehicle-traffic portion of Tunnel Ridge Road and hike back the “foot-travel-only” portion of the road (behind the gate) for about 0.58 miles. This trail is at an obvious turn-off to the left! From the parking lot, this trail is about 1 miles to the arch (so about 2 miles round trip), BUT there is a LOT more to hike and discover out there (Star Gap Trail), so I suggest doing that, or combining this with Double Arch and/or Auxier Ridge trails!
Things to know about the route to Star Gap Arch: There is a rocky slope “scramble” portion to get down to the arch. It can be intimidating from above, but a good “butt slide” should do the trick to get down, and I’ve never had an issue getting back up with good traction shoes. Although, if you want, instead of going down the slope, you can take a left when you see it and wind along the rock until it kinda intersects with the bottom (I feel like that was confusing, but long story short – you can bypass the “rock scramble” portion if you’re not feeling *spicy*). EDIT: Since I made this video, someone came by and cut down the tree I show as a “turn off” point for the rock scramble in the video below…You can still look for exposed rock and the clump of trees at the bottom!
I’ve hiked the trail to this arch many times with my small dog, Pippin, and never have had an issue. I would think that (for the most part), kids and dogs would do okay on this trail!
Another cool thing to note: You might notice growth of White-Haired Goldenrod underneath the arch! This species of plants ONLY grows in rock shelters of the Red River Gorge!! So, PLEASE enjoy with pictures only and watch your step! 🙂
This one requires THREE different videos, y’all. It is a doozy, but one of the most magnificent trails in the Red! This one requires EXPOSED rock scrambling. There is nothing to correct a fall on the “staircase” portion of this trail. I’m not trying to scare anyone off from hiking this, but I also want everyone to be prepared for this one, because it is one of the more extreme unofficial trails of the Red. With that being said, if you approach the staircase and don’t think it’s for you, there’s no shame in turning back! For these reasons, it is my opinion that this is not the trail for kids or dogs.
Anyway, assuming you do the staircase and complete the trail as seen in the videos below, you are in for a serious treat! The canyon rim is incredible and there is so much to explore and see. Don’t miss Shawnee Arch (not shown in video, but is located along the rim at the top of the staircase), Frogs Head (pictured), and the Council Chamber (a huge rock shelter as you traverse around the edge of the rim to connect back to the Sheltowee Trace! I’ve also included the side trail to Adena Arch (you should totally hike this if you’re already in the area), and the way back to complete the loop, passing by Indian Arch (one of my favorite “colored” rock walls is through and to the left of this arch!
You start this loop hike by parking at the Bison Way Trailhead (before the bridge over where Gladie Creek flows into the Red River before turning right into the Gladie Visitor Center…if you are coming from the Nada Tunnel side of Route 715). The entire loop with the added extension out to Adena Arch is roughly 4.5 miles.
Have fun, & be prepared and safe!
Indian Staircase Trail – Part 1
Indian Staircase Trail – Part 2
Indian Staircase Trail Part 3 + Adena Arch Extension
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