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 #201
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.
Star Gap Arch Trail
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! 🙂
Indian Staircase Trail
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!
Vampires, Werewolves, and Turds
Trails featured in this episode:
* Sunset Point Overlook Trail (The Wilds)
*Powder Mill Trail featuring Powder Mill Arch/Wolf Pen Arch to Blackburn Rock Overlook
*Random Tunnel Ridge Road Trails
*Adena Direct II (featuring Adena Arch)
*Original Trail + Laurel Ridge Trail + Lovers Leap
Thank you again for listening and we hope you can get out and try some of these trails! Remember to #LeaveNoTrace and you can follow us on Instagram & TikTok @Tread_the_Red and find our Etsy Shop by searching “Tread the Red” on Etsy (or by using any of the included links in the show notes). Happy hiking!
The Gladie Cultural & Environmental Learning Center GRAND REOPENING!
A Conversation with Dan Shields from RRG United
In this episode we break down the proposed “destination resort” of the Gorge and chat about what this means for the region. You can find this information and much more on RRG United’s website, rrgunited.org.
If you are able to, you can donate to the organization through Paypal, Venmo, or check. Every little bit helps, and they have an established goal on their donation page, as well with a break down of prices! Rachel is also donating 50% of her Etsy sales from the month of March to RRG United. You can find her shop, Tread the Red, on Etsy.
Thank you to everyone who listens! We hope this episode was informative and also provided some clarity on the issue at hand!
Where’s Waldo in Muir Valley – Waterfalls of the Red Pt.3
* Horseshoe Falls
New items listed in the Tread the Red Etsy shop! Also, 50% of proceeds from items sold throughout the month of March will be donated to RRG United to push objectives that protect the RRG area.
Thank you so much for listening! We appreciate all of you. 😀
A Muir Valley Introduction
Have you heard about Muir Valley? Muir Valley is a nonprofit nature preserve and rock climbing park that is located right within the Red River Gorge area! It is about 360 acres and features over 400 climbs (both trad and sport), and several hiking trails with waterfalls, caves, arches, and mountain streams. Some things to know before making a trip to Muir Valley:
* You MUST sign the online waiver before visiting!
* There is a $10/vehicle per day parking fee
* No dogs are allowed! For a comprehensive list of rules/regulations, click here.
You can view the Muir Valley Legacy Film on their website!
Horseshoe Falls
Horseshoe Falls is located within Muir Valley. Muir Valley is a nonprofit nature preserve and rock climbing park located in the Red River Gorge area and is about 360 acres with over 400 climbs (both trad and sport) and several hiking trails with waterfalls, caves, and mountain streams. The trail to Horseshoe Falls is about 1.8 miles out-and-back with Horseshoe Falls at the terminus. Horseshoe Falls is a two tier waterfall that falls from a rock shelter shaped like a horseshoe bend! It is really neat to stand behind the waterfall under the rock shelter and gain that unique perspective! I would definitely recommend adding a trip to Muir Valley for your RRG explorations – even if you are just a hiker and not a climber! Some things to note about Muir Valley:
*You MUST sign an online waiver on their website before visiting!
*There is a $10/vehicle per day parking fee to access the area!
*No dogs allowed!
You can view my introductory video to Muir Valley here, and you can also view the Muir Valley Legacy Film on their website!
Tread the Red 