Kentucky has some beautiful places and for the amount of times I’ve been to this state, I’ve hardly seen any. Although I grew up in Kansas City, my mom AND dad are actually from Indiana and Kentucky. The Ohio River separates the two states and they grew up on opposite sides. I still have a lot of family in the Louisville area, so when we go visit, it’s usually for family time and not sight seeing. However, that side of my family decided to start spending Thanksgiving in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, and my husband and I were able to meet them out there this past year.
Ever since moving to Florida, it’s been a lot harder for us to get back to Kansas City for holidays. And without any family in Florida, we’ve found ourselves in Kentucky quite a bit more.
The reason I know about the Red River Gorge in the first place is because my Aunt has mentioned it for the past few years. She ended up building a cabin in the area several years ago. Then she built another one and eventually bought a 3rd! All 3 cabins are in a beautiful location and right next to each other, so it’s become an ideal spot for get togethers. Thanksgiving at the Gorge caught on and it has become the new family tradition.
This past year was our first time flying up for Thanksgiving and first time spending time at the cabins!
About the Red River Gorge in Kentucky
The Red River Gorge is a gorge that has been carved out by the Red River. It’s a large area of natural rock formations, natural bridges, arches and cliffs which have been designated as a National Natural Landmark. The Red River Gorge is found inside the Daniel Boone National Forest so there are other things to do nearby that aren’t necessarily part of the gorge.
The whole area is filled with hiking trails and beautiful forest views, especially if you’re lucky enough to go during Fall. The leaves happened to change very late in the year when we went and we just barely caught the tail end of Fall. The yellow and orange hues definitely add to the hikes and views.
When to Go
Fall: While we ended up getting some beautiful color for Fall, we also got unusually cold weather for Thanksgiving. I think it had been in the high 60s before we arrived, but dropped to the low 40s when we were there. It was still a great time to go, but you’ll definitely want to be prepared with what you pack. We packed for the high 60s and were not remotely prepared for the temperature drop.
Winter: If you happen to get snow while you’re there, you’ll get some beautiful snowy landscape. Of course, you’ll also be hiking in very cold temperatures. The good thing though if you’re staying in cabins in the area is that most cabins have a hot tub on the porch so you can thaw out! It’s also going to be a little harder to do some of the activities here if the weather is icy/snowy.
Spring: Spring would be a great time to have cooler hiking temperatures that aren’t unbearable. It’s also a great time for outdoor activities.
Summer: The summer will be hot but everything will be lush and green. There are lots of campers and climbers that head here during the summer.
How to Get There
The Red River Gorge in Kentucky is located in the east-central part of the state. From Louisville, it’s about a 2-hour drive on 64 HWY, in which you’ll pass through Lexington. If you’re coming from Lexington, it’s about a 1-hour drive to the southeast.
We drove from Louisville and got to drive through horse country a bit which is always nice. Once you get into the gorge area, the roads get pretty winding. I started to feel a bit car sick on our way to the cabins.
Where to Stay
There are two main ways to stay in the Red River Gorge and that would be camping and cabins.
Red River Gorge Cabins
One of the main places you’ll find cabin rentals is at Cliffview Resort. Cliffview is basically an area of cabins that are owned by different people that are rented out by the resort property. There are different cabin options to stay in and some that are able to sleep large parties. My Aunt’s cabins are all a part of Cliffview, so we all ended up staying in one of her cabins for the weekend.
The first cabin she built has a beautiful wooden interior with antique furnishings and a spiral staircase made with wood from the surrounding area. It sleeps 5, has an upstairs, two bathrooms and a back porch with a hot tub. My husband and I stayed here with my cousins for the weekend and loved it. This one is adorable.
The 2nd cabin she built doubles as a wedding venue. It sleeps something like 12 people. The inside is an open floor plan for large gatherings and people to entertain. It has two downstairs bedrooms and a loft that sleeps 8-10 people.
The 3rd cabin is one that she bought recently from a seller. It’s a cozy, 2-person cabin complete with a kitchen, living room and bathroom. All 3 of them have a hot tub on the porch for those cooler temps.
There’s lots of great cabins in the area and if you’re looking for a cozy retreat, getting a cabin is a great option. We loved coming back from hiking and being able to jump in the hot tub–especially since the temperature had dropped!
Red River Gorge Camping
There are quite a few people who like to camp in the area, weather permitting. But actually, we had come on a rather cold weekend and there were quite a few tents that were out! There are many places to pitch your tent but one popular place to camp out at is Miguel’s Pizza. It’s one of the only restaurants in the area (it might be THE only restaurant) but it has a large open field to the side that is popular for people to put their tent.
It’s easy to grab a pizza and beer at Miguel’s and hang out there with the other campers.
There are quite a few designated campgrounds in the area or you can go for dispersed camping in the forest.
Things to Do at the Red River Gorge in Kentucky
Rock Climbing
As far as climbing goes, the Red River Gorge is frequently named one of the best places in the US for rock climbing. The sandstone cliffs are about 200 feet tall. I’m not a rock climber so I can’t really say why this place is one of the top places in the US, but just know that it is.
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Hiking
Hiking is a popular thing to do here as well and there are lots of different trails to take in the area. The various trails can take you to rock formations, views, waterfalls and natural arches. Each of the hikes we went on were pretty short and fairly easy. There are rock areas that you can climb over but those parts are optional.
Angel Windows Hike
The first hike we did was the Angel Windows hike. It’s a pretty short hike. If I recall, it was maybe 15 minutes or so until we got to the rock formations and pretty flat. It starts off taking you next to a rock wall covered in bright green moss.
Eventually it leads you to some unique rock formations that form little archways or ‘windows’. This section has two that are right next to each other. The hike goes a little further past this point, but the windows are the main part of this one.
(We both had to borrow hats and mine is from my much, much younger cousin.)
Whistling Arch Trail
The second trail we went on was the Whistling Arch Trail. It’s a short out and back trail about .6 miles long. This one took us across a hill to a large rock wall before going on to the arch.
We crawled all over the rocks and had a fun time exploring the area. There are some pretty large boulders here to climb over. There were some great colors on the trees here also so we spent some time taking photos.
A little further along the trail is Whistling Arch. While it’s a smaller arch (about 4 feet tall), it’s a nice trail to go on and leads you to some good views.
We continued walking and ended up at a flat, rock ledge with a beautiful view of the forest. With the fall colors, it was gorgeous and a great place to take some pictures.
Sky Bridge Hike
One of the most popular hikes in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky is the Sky Bridge hike. This hike takes you to a natural rock bridge. There is a long stairway that you’ll need to go up or down on this trail. We started at the stairs and took the trail that led us to the underneath of the bridge.
If you walk around, there is a pathway that takes you on top of the rock bridge and you can walk across it. You get a great view of the gorge and the rock walls across the way.
The rock bridge is fairly wide to walk across, but you do want to watch where you step. You can walk across the whole thing and the trail continues from the top of the bridge area. So it IS a loop trail–you don’t have to turn around on top of the bridge to go back the way you came from.
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Zip Lining
If you want a little bit more of a thrill, there are zip lines you can do that take you above the gorge. There are 5 lines that you can go on and one that is a side by side ‘racing’ line. The longest zip line section is 1,900 feet long. You’ll likely need to reserve your spot for a zip line tour ahead of time.
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Kayaking
Another fun option to do is go kayaking in the river. If you get on a kayaking tour, they will actually take you through an underground cave. You’ll be paddling through the darkness to with rock caverns around you. We opted out of this tour when we went but only because the weather was so cold and the caves would have likely been even colder. But this would be an awesome thing to do when the weather is warm.
Where to Eat
If you’re familiar with the area, you’re probably familiar with Miguel’s Pizza. It has been around for a long time as one of the only spots to get something to eat. It’s a popular spot for campers and climbers to go get a drink, and the campground right outside makes it an easy option.
There’s just a handful of other places nearby like the Red River Rockhouse, Sky Bridge Station or Red River Smokehouse BBQ.
If you’re looking for a place to buy some drinks to take back with you, there is a little convenience store in the woods where you can buy beer and wine.
I have to throw this in there because it was kind of a novelty thing that we enjoyed. I didn’t get it at this little store though but rather picked it up in Louisville beforehand. Kentucky is one of those places where you can find real Moonshine. When I found this brand in stores, I had to try it just for kicks. Obviously if it’s sold in a liquor store, it’s probably not the real thing but we still wanted to try it.
They had an ‘apple pie’ flavor that was enticing and perfect for Fall. And I have to say, it did a pretty good job of burning a hole in my chest. At the same time it was absolutely delicious–a strange combination of pleasure and pain. It also smelled great. We ended up finding a larger bottle in a store in Florida later on and brought it home.
If you get the chance to check out the Red River Gorge, it makes for a nice weekend getaway. The hikes that we did were short and enjoyable and we loved getting to relax in the cabins. It’s a great place to escape to nature and if you’re lucky enough to catch the leaves during Fall, you get some gorgeous colors of the forest.
PIN IT FOR LATER
That’s whistling arch
Thank you!!
My boys and I camped here over Columbus Day weekend and loved every minute of it. We hiked each day. I bought a book of the trails so we could keep track of which ones we did. We definitely plan on going back!
Also a must not miss spot is “The Brick” and ” Red River Gorge Coffee & Creamery”. Located just accross the street from Sky Bridge Station. It is an airbnb up stairs with all new and interesting furnishings. There is an historic flair as the building was built back in 1909 and very well remodeled without loosing the charm. Downstairs there is a coffee shop and ice cream shop witch boasts an epic banana split. There is also local pottery available to buy or just admire. Its a special stop that should not be missed. Just opened in 2021 but feels like its always been there.
Thanks for the recommendations! Will have to check that out next time!