above:  a colorful leaf on a gum tree in our campground

Red River Gorge Camping & Hiking

Thursday Nov. 7 through Sunday Nov. 10, 2024

Kenny & Dana Koogler Fortieth Wedding Anniversary Trip

Pictures are Here 

Gorge Underground Info 

  We were married November 10, 1984 on a Saturday afternoon.   We planned a trip to get away together and celebrate forty years of marriage this November!    We wanted to do something completely different for us.   I found the glow kayaking info somewhere on the internet and planned the trip around that.  We visited Red River Gorge, Kentucky for the first time ever.

Based on the information I was finding I knew it would be a fun packed trip with way too much to see in a single weekend.   It turned out to be very true and just as much fun as anticipated. 

I am now a bigger fan of Kentucky as a destination.

     

      I had pre-booked our Gorge Underground Glow Kayaking experience.  You paddle around a flooded limestone mine in clear kayaks with neon glow lights!  Some of our family did this in Panama City Beach at night with kayaks on the ocean.  It wasn't very popular or fun according to most.   Some got motion sick.    We wouldn't have to be concerned with that on the calm waters of a flooded mine.     If you ever want to do this plan way in advance.  It is very popular and I can't remember how many folks I have heard from who said " They were all booked up when I tried to go!". They were booking quite a ways out when we were there.  

Below:  the flowers Kenny got me for our anniversary. 💓

        We chose to camp at 4 Guys RV Park since we didn't know what the state resort park would be like.  We'd had enough of poor accommodations.   The campground we chose was conveniently located, reasonably priced, and had good wi-fi.  We knew we'd use our phones a fair amount to look up places to visit and how to get there.     Many places we have stayed you can barely get a phone signal or not at all much less internet signal.     I had never been to Stanton, Kentucky before, but Kenny had.  He said it was a fair sized town. Bigger than Slade, but not much.   

  

above and below: Two different views of 4 Guys RV Park during our visit.  It was nice.  

          

  

       We only had half day to do anything by the time we arrived and got set up.   The destination was a four hour drive for us.  It included stopping in Corbin for lunch and to stock up on groceries.  I also went shopping at Beall's Outlet for a few minutes.    My weakness when shopping is bedroom slippers and soft pajamas.  I learned to love PJ's when I was working night shift.     I resisted the urge and did not buy  either.  I did buy a new Christmas table clothe as my best one got stained.  We looked around to see what was in the area?  We went down the road a short distance and checked out the Red River Gorge Earth Shop.       It was one of the few spots to do any shopping in the vicinity.   It was very nice, but the items were very pricey.  I got a small souvenir for myself and a couple for the grandkids.    I love octopi so I got me a tchochke that was an octopus holding a stone.  The best thing we got at the store was a map of the area.   It was very helpful.  It was the roads in the immediate area and the highlights of what to do and see.  We used it the rest of the trip! 

Below: My octopus holding a beautiful polished stone. 

Below:  Bigfoot was locked up at the Earth Shop.  

   

         Nada Tunnel & Steel Bridge

   We noticed Nada Tunnel mentioned on the map.  It was very nearby and the folks at the store sorted us out about it.  I thought it was an abandoned tunnel to walk or ride through.  It is not. It is an active/still in use road tunnel that carries SR 77 through Tunnel Ridge.    It can be driven by most passenger vehicles, but it is only around 12 feet high.   We drove out there to check it out.  

I have learned since returning home that the area surrounding it is full of other arches, waterfalls and stuff worth seeing!  The scenery was a little drab and gray, but still pretty. Most of the Fall colors had faded, but the bit that was left was still nice.     It didn't take long until we could see the tunnel ahead.    We drove through it and had to back up once before we could proceed. Another vehicle was coming through. It is a one vehicle at a time space. You don't have room to pass or turn around.     I failed to take photos of the Nada Tunnel, but below is a video of it that is better anyhow.  It  shows the experience.  It has been popular on my YouTube channel.  

After the Nada Tunnel there really wasn't a great place to pull over and turn around. Kenny kept going out to the end of the road.  We figured there would be a better spot at an intersection to reverse course.  

It was a good thing we kept going. The map mentioned on it "Steel Bridge" and there was one! It was one of those Pratt truss style bridges I like so much.  It was a pretty spot for sure.   I have been surprised at finding it. I have also been surprised how many of my friends have said they'd never known of it either!  The daylight was fleeting so we didn't explore too much.   We were just happy to go back to the camper and relax.    We fixed a nice dinner.  Looking around at the dining options for the area we were a little surprised.   Don't plan on going out anywhere fancy for a meal when in this area.  You'd best plan on bringing your own food and preparing it at home.  We learned from this trip not to plan on shopping, dining out, or anything the least bit fancy.  Even the Sandstone Arches restaurant at the local state resort park was not fancy.  It was fast food options and very limited hours.  By this time of year the leaf peeping season is about over.  Businesses here either close for the season or shorten their hours.   Apparently this restaurant has lunch and dinner hours most of the time. 

above: approaching the bridge in Kenny's pickup.

Below: the Steel Bridge across the Red River.  

Gorge Underground and Glow Kayaking 

  Friday morning after breakfast we headed over to Gorge Underground which was around 2 miles away from us.    We had a tour time from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  We got there right on time.  We were greeted by a nice lady in the gift shop who instructed us on what to take, what to leave behind and what we might need.  The only thing we took was my Go Pro camera.  We rented neoprene dry socks for our feet from them.  It was $2 per person for the rental and worth every penny.  You have to leave your shoes at the dock in the cave.   It is 56 degrees in the air and 38 degrees in the water.    It was a nice day outside in the sunshine, but the weather conditions don't change much in the mine.    We had a very nice pair of guides. They were informative, helpful and pleasant.     They give you a helmet and life jacket as part of the tour to keep you safe.

    We had fun on our tour.   The cave was an old limestone mine.  They mined until eventually they hit a couple aquifers.   They pumped water out of the mine for the years they continued to operate it.  Once mining was done and the mine abandoned they let it flood.   The depth was from a few feet to 20 feet plus.   The water was incredibly clear and you could see things on the bottom of the mine!   Pipes, objects like cell phones people dropped!   We also saw some trout swimming round in the mine.     Very cool.     The ceiling of the mine in some spots had a type of glow in the dark bacteria that sparkled like glitter when the light hit it!   

        

                

Above: Kenny in helmet and ready to paddle. 
Below:  our group getting ready to set off from the dock area

Below:   the bow of my kayak and a view of the mine.  Photo opportunities are rather limited and difficult.  You're trying to paddle, stay out of others way, keep moving, not turn over, not hit the walls of the mine or get too close to them.   The dim light made it tough as well.  I got a lot of blurry images. Despite the lights on the kayaks and at some places in the mine the photography aspect was rather disappointing.  The experience was fun enough to make up for it. 

Below is a video of the experience that better illustrates what it was like.

 

   Once we got our glow kayaking tour over we stopped in the gift shop once more.  We tipped the guides.   We also got us each a souvenir of the trip in the form of a RRG t shirt.   We headed from there to Miguel's Pizza for lunch.  This was another first for us.   It was a neat place and the pizza was quite good.   It was fast service. Plenty of seating.  Uncrowded but busy.   The pizza portions were enormous and tasty.  It is a spot for the areas many rock climbers.   You see all kinds of people there though. It isn't JUST for climbers.   They have a tent camping area out back, and next door is a rock climbing shop.    I was surprised how many people I saw coming and going who were NOT climbers.  They were obviously on a lunch break from work and dressed as business professionals.  Once we got lunch over we moved on to our next adventure for the day.

     

Below are a few photos of Miguel's.  It is real colorful and eye catching. 

Below : indoors at Miguel's. 

  

Natural Bridge Resort State Park 

  We headed next to the Natural Bridge Resort State Park which was just down the road a short distance.   We wanted to ride the Sky Lift and see the natural bridge.    It was one of the main attractions of this trip.      The ticket counter is in a gift shop that had some of the neatest souvenirs.    We really need to come back and check this place out more fully next trip. Perhaps we'll camp here next time?

   The day was warmed up to about sixty five degrees and sunny with the prettiest blue skies.  The remaining Autumn colors were vibrant.     The entire area going up was pretty scenery.   The parking area was pretty!  

Above: the parking area at the state park.  


Below:  the Sky Lift as we started up

Below:  You can see the fiery reds showing up on the left in the forest.  

  

Below is a video of going UP.  

    We enjoyed  the leisurely ride up to the top on the Sky Lift.   Once up there it was a very short hike to the Natural Bridge.  I had seen photos of it, but they just don't do it justice.  It is astonishing in size and the view!    Very dramatic scenery.   You can walk across the top of the arch/bridge.  You can sit in a pavilion at the far side and enjoy the scenery in the shade.  You can go UNDER the arch.  You can walk out past it along the base of the bluff.  You can hike out to Lookout Point and view the arch by looking back at it.  It is all easy hiking and none over half mile or so.  It is colorful in Autumn. We saw lots of people, but it wasn't crowded.     

  I am including a link to the view back at the arch from Lookout Point, but not embedding the video.  This Trip was video heavy which makes for a long trip report.  

Instead here is a video below of the arch itself. On top and under.  

     We enjoyed exploring the arch and the grandstand views.   We hiked under the under and through a squeeze we didn't expect.   We then doubled back and Kenny wanted to hike out to the Lookout Point.

I told him I'd make him a deal. If he'd buy us a bottled water I'd go. It had warmed up and I was hot and thirsty.   Once we had a cold sip of water we were good to go.  We hiked out there and got to look back at the natural bridge.   We visited with another couple briefly.  They were newly weds!   Just getting started in their life together. Very cool.  The hike was pretty and short.   Once back at the sky lift boarding area we loaded up for what looked to be a fun ride back down the mountain side

Below: a view to the west from the natural bridge

Below: walking across the bridge

Below: a view from the bridge to the east/northeast. The rocks in the distance are Lookout Point

Below: the rock squeeze to go down under the bridge

Below:  I'm under the bridge looking up. whoa! 

Below:  the curve of the arched bridge.  what a view! 

Below: Start of the hike  to Lookout Point

Below:  A poorly light and contrasted shot from Lookout Point back at the natural bridge.  it is very hard to see in my photo. 

Below is a very funny video of the exciting and hilarious ride DOWN the Sky lift! Kenny is a hot mess, but I learned on this trip I am not alone. I met a sister female who is in the same boat with me.  Kenny tells  you everything that can go wrong on something that is already scary.  The guy coming up the other side was acting just the same!  

   We made it onto the Sky Lift and back down to the base of the mountain.   I was tired and ready to head back to the camper.   I needed some cough medicine as I was starting into a bad cold.  I think the changeable weather has worked me over.    It taxes my immune system.    We went back to the camper and it was not that late in the day.  We decided to  have supper then afterwards ride into Stanton to buy some steak for the next night.  Now that we knew we weren't going out to eat anymore we'd just fix our own gourmet meal.      I also wanted to get a finer paint brush for detail if I could find one.  I figured a Dollar General store would probably have one.   

     We made it to Stanton and got the items we were looking for.  It is a nice little town and you can get groceries and necessities there, but not much more.   I'd say a lot of these folks drive to Corbin or Lexington if they need to do any serious shopping.    

    I did a little painting and playing around.  It isn't great, but I had fun and it is therapeutic.  During times of stress you need to inspire (art/music) or perspire!  (exercise) I was getting in some of both this trip.     We had a nice evening together just the two of us.   

Below is a painting of an old insul-brick house in Fall.  I found out once I got home that I had the perfect frame and mat for this.  

Rock Bridge and Creation Falls Loop Hike 

1.5 miles easy round trip

    We decided the next day we'd take the suggestions on the map and hit up some area hikes.  I had looked up some things prior to the trip.  We' d then proceed around the map counter clockwise stopping to do some of the hikes it suggested.     We'd start off with the Rock Bridge and Creation Falls Loop.

It has a waterfall, a natural bridge, and an overlook. The scenery was beautiful, healthy hemlock forest!    We enjoyed it and got there early.   Good thing too!  This is a popular hike.  We had no trouble finding parking when we arrived, but when we left it was packed.    They have restrooms at the trailhead.

Also trash bins and picnic tables.      It is worth mentioning for myself if nothing else... the original plan for this hike was to include Turtle Arch and Pooches Turtle Falls.  It has been dry and we couldn't justify the additional miles to see the waterfall today.  It doesn't flow wonderfully even in times of greater rainfall.    We'd leave that for another trip.  We had no shortage of places to see since we'd never been to this area before.   

           We just happened to hike the loop counter clockwise.  It is a good way to do it.  It has you descending on stairs, but coming back up a more gradual, dirt slope instead.  That is the side where you hit the overlook.  I knew the falls and the natural bridge were a little closer to the counter clockwise end.     We encountered lots of other family groups.  It was great fun watching people's little ones.. One lady I ran into was a lot like me laughing and carrying on at her husband.   I told them she was from MY tribe!    He was too though.  He was Mr. Nosey and I share that trait.   

     Creation Falls is lovely and was flowing, but not a bunch.   It was still worth the hike. 

They have built a platform to view it from or  you can easily go down to the base from either direction.

 Swift Camp Creek flows to make the falls and continues onward flowing under the Rock Bridge. 

Below is Creation Falls 

       

Below:  Rock Bridge with Swift Camp Creek flowing under it. This is from the far side of the bridge

Below:  Swift Camp Creek flows onward 

  We enjoyed this hike a bunch.  It felt great to be out on the trail getting some exercise and fresh air. It was the perfect temperature for hiking today.   Not hot and not cold.   Once we'd finished this hike we continued counter clockwise on the road to the turn off onto Chimney Rock Road.    

                 Chimney Top Rock Overlook and Princess Arch 

  We drove out Chimney Top Rock Road to its end and the parking lot for Chimney Rock to the left and Princess Arch hike to the right.    We stopped long enough to eat lunch before we hit the trail.   It was midday so we were in need of fuel for the rest of the day.   Here is a link to the video of Princess Arch. I am not embedding it since it was not my favorite. It has a lot of people in it. It is one of those places that is hard to get a video or photo minus people.  This hike was crowded.

Princess Arch Video Link Here.

    We first hiked out a ridge to Princess Arch.  It was pretty and the view was nice. We saw some pretty Fall color here.  It was just covered up with people and dogs.    The arch sits slightly below the main bluff level.  You hike gradually down to it. It is good in that you can get to many different angles to explore it.  It has lots of holes and swirls on it.  

Below: Princess Arch.  The string of people never let up. 

    

 

    The hike to either Chimney Top Rock or Princess Arch was an easy 1/2 mile round trip each.   So while Princess Arch was not a favorite it was not a huge investment in energy or time.  

   We crossed the parking area and hiked out to the dramatic Chimney Top Rock overlook. This was nice. It had lots of people as well, but it wasn't quite as bad.   

  The neatest part of this hike was being able to look to our left and see the beautiful, dramatic Halfmoon Rock.  I'd never even heard of it.  It is a dangerous, difficult hike where lots of people have fallen to their deaths.   The rock narrows to a 2 foot wide scramble to reach the summit.  I think I can make it to the Halfmoon Arch, but I don't think I'm going to attempt Halfmoon Rock.

I'm not that nimble anymore.    The days of me and extreme risk taking are over.  I have climbed up on Chimney Tops in the Smokies and stood there looking around, but it is not that bad.  It is dangerous and you cannot even get out there now legally.     Kenny had a gleam in his eyes about that trek that scared me.  He looked rabid about it.  Once I showed him a video of it he sobered up.    It is no joke.  

  

     Below: Halfmoon Rock. You can see people out there. Brave and foolish souls. 

       

Below is a view from Chimney Top Rock 

Below is a video of the Chimney Top Rock Overlook.  It was a nice, easy hike with some dramatic views to both sides.    We hiked back to the truck at a nice easy pace and headed onward to the next hike. 

Angel Windows 

  The next thing was Whistling Arch which we skipped.  We went on to Angel Windows.  It sounded a little more interesting.     We got there and found the parking area pretty full.  It wasn't as packed as some of the others, but it was busy.  The hike was an easy 1/2 mile round trip, but Angel Windows wasn't that great.  It is a pair of arches that remind me of a pair of glasses. 

It is neat, but never going to be a favorite of mine.   The most fun thing we saw was a group of children with their parents. The kids had posted themselves up in a rock shelter and were  playing cave man or camping.  The parents were captives to the kids. They were so sweetly allowing the kids to play as much as they wanted.    Each rock house they came to inspired some new play!

Below is one of the Angel Windows

Below is a video of Angel Windows

  Once we completed this hike I had a snack and a drink in the truck.  I felt drained. 

We motored on toward Sky Bridge which was next.  By the time we got there I was not interested in doing a single other thing.   The ride  home was pretty, but  I was starting to feel poorly. 

I told Kenny and he sweetly agreed that was enough for the day.   We are far less ambitious these days.      We went back to the camper and I got a cup of hot coffee and took a rest.  I was then able to feel well enough to fix and enjoy a nice steak dinner with Kenny.     I took a hot shower after dinner and we had a cozy, romantic evening.     I feel very blessed to have a good man for a husband.   He puts up with a lot and takes great care of me.    We both agreed that since Kenny was going to have a busy week at work we'd get going after breakfast in the morning.   We were facing a four hour drive home.  We both are realistic about the unpacking and putting the camper away.  We've been at this long enough to know how to budget our time and energy.

Sunday Heading Home 

      Sunday we drove home and unpacked.   I was feeling about the same. I still wasn't right. I just figured I had a cold.    The hours between bedtime Sunday and O dark thirty Monday morning I woke up a lot sicker and my lungs were in bad shape.  I had a sore throat and a low grade fever.  I knew I was heading into bronchitis.   I called the doctor on Monday morning and went in to be treated.  I had a cortisone shot and antibiotics and was soon mended.    I'm used to this by now.

 Things We Didn't See Yet in This Area

•   Whistling Arch,
•  Sky Bridge, 
• Kentucky Reptile Zoo,  
• Gladie Visitor Center,  t
• 
  
• Sheltowee Trace suspension bridge , 
• Tower Rock, 
• Too Many Arches to Count 

On Future trips they will be mainly hiking, but there is a little four wheeling in the vicinity.  I have not seen any videos or photos of rides at Hollerwood that make me want to go there.   We could maybe drive into Lexington one day and do some dining/shopping and see some good waterfalls.   It was a good start to our exploration and enjoyment of a new area for us.