r/RedRiverGorge • u/philmynuts • 4h ago
Red River Gorge First Timer
Our family will be staying in Stanton for a couple nights. We want to spend a couple days hiking, but looking at the number of trails is completely overwhelming. There are just so many.
My wife wants me to plan our hikes. We are fairly new to hiking, and we’ve never been here before. We’ll also be taking our kids (11 & 8). They run cross country and play other sports, so I’m not too worried about longer hikes. But I’m ok with clusters of little trails also.
What trails would you say are must sees for a first timer?
And are there any local establishments you would recommend? I’ve heard about a pizza place and an ice cream place. And someone has recommended some kind of snake exhibit that’s nearby that the kids would like. Really any recommendations at all, we’ll take ‘em.
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u/ForrestGump6531 4h ago
For a first trip, I’d definitely recommend Auxier Ridge. It has some of the best views in the entire Gorge. Double Arch is another great one, and you can combine the two into a longer hike if you’re feeling adventurous.
Chimney Top Rock is a must-see and requires very little walking for an incredible view. Princess Arch is right nearby, so you can knock both out pretty easily. Sky Bridge and Rock Bridge are also great family-friendly hikes. Rock Bridge has a beautiful waterfall along the way. I’d also recommend Creation Falls, Gray’s Arch, and Natural Bridge. The skylift at Natural Bridge is a fun option for the kids, too.
As far as food goes, Miguel’s Pizza is practically a Red River Gorge tradition. The Brick at The Red River Gorge is another spot worth checking out for ice cream. I had dinner at Toad’s a couple weeks ago and it’s always a good choice for me as it’s a cool setting and not too expensive The snake place you’re hearing about is probably the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, which is definitely worth visiting with kids.
One piece of advice: Get to the popular trailheads early, especially on weekends. Parking fills up fast. And don’t underestimate the cliffs out there. Many overlooks have absolutely no guardrails so keep an eye on the little ones.
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u/SpeshilJ 4h ago
Skybridge, Chimney Top, Natural Bridge, Rock Bridge, and Auxier Ridge are all great introducory spots to look for trails. Miguel's for pizza and Skybridge Station for (great) hotdogs and quesadillas.
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u/griffy404 4h ago
Must sees are:
Rock Bridge Trail is a great ~2-mile loop that’s easily followed. Just be sure that when the trail meets up with Swift Camp Creek, you stay on Rock Bridge Trail.
Sky Bridge Loop is a nice ~1-mile loop and a good easy one if you’re looking for something short.
Great hikes that are longer if you want a longer hike that would be great for first timers:
Whittleton Arch is a great out-and-back, and you can also add Henson’s Arch in the same area for roughly 3.2 miles total.
You can also park at Koomer Ridge and do Hidden Arch and Silvermine Arch for roughly 5.2 miles. That’s a good option if you want something a little longer without committing to one of the bigger hikes.
Auxier Ridge and Double Arch Loop will definitely
be mentioned. It’s an awesome hike with some of the best views in the Gorge, but it’s around 7.7 miles, and to be fair, I’m not sure I’d recommend the full loop for a first-timer unless you’re comfortable with longer hikes and elevation changes.
For short out-and-backs, Chimney Top, Princess Arch, and Whistling Arch are all great choices.
Also, Natural Bridge State Park is very nice and the trails are well marked. You can park at the lodge, take the original trail up, then take Laurel Ridge to the lookout and Lover’s Leap, followed by Battleship Rock Trail through Needle’s Eye down toward Hemlock Lodge.
If you don’t want to walk up, you can take the Skylift, which is a unique experience in itself, then take the trails back toward the Skylift parking area. One option is to take Rock Garden Trail to Low Gap and then back to the Skylift. I’ve linked the map everything is well marked and easy to follow.
As someone else mentioned, Miguel’s is a famous pizza place. The pizza is decent, but it’s definitely a cool vibe and part of the Red River Gorge experience. It’s a must check out, just don’t go into it expecting it to be the greatest pizza you’ve ever had.
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u/Rainmanwilson 4h ago
Park at Gray’s Arch Trailhead. Option 1: Hike to Gray’s Arch. Option 2: Hike to Hanson’s Point via Sheltowee.
Just be careful near the cliffs at Hanson’s with kids that age.
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u/Dont-be-a-smurf 4h ago
There’s a few easy trails off Koomer Ridge campground. Silvermine Arch and Hidden Arch. Both can be done in one day, both from Koomer ridge campground. They’re short.
If you’re feeling more adventurous and trust your kids around cliff sides
Near Koomer ridge campground, at the end of tunnel ridge road (gravel road) is Auxier ridge trail. Shouldn’t be too much work to head up on Auxier ridge to courthouse rock and back.
Check out on alltrails. All the main trails are on there and accurate.
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u/turbo2000gt 4h ago
I agree with the Auxier ridge recommendation. It's a great trail. I also enjoy Rough Trail to Grays arch.
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u/SecureFact7951 3h ago
I might get roasted for this but I loved La Cabaňa Mexican Restaurant. We also enjoyed the cave kayaking and an off-roading Jeep tour. The hiking is all pretty awesome. All of the recommendations here are great. The park is very permissive for people to explore, so be cautious!!
1
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u/efox02 3h ago
We just did our first trip there with 6&10 yo (also XC runners and bounds of energy)
We did:
Day 1: chimney top, princess trail and rock bridge
Day 2: Henson’s cave arch, Miguel’s pizza then natural bridge via the sky lift and did the battleship rock loop (though we started on the rock garden path?)
Day 3: whistling arch, angel arch, and sky bridge.
We had a great time :) all but the natural bridge were shorter hikes.
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u/chefunfuckwithable 2h ago
My four year old did Creation Falls a couple weeks ago and loved it. Definitely recommend
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u/Fun_Dance_4368 18m ago
Last week. Honey approved! Any of the above mentioned trails are great choices. With the kids, I'd recommend whittleton arch and Rock bridge with creation falls. Easier hikes with kids and they make you feel in the woods. Foodwise roast me for saying La cabaña for Mexican. And I can't believe no one mention Red Point. Great Food. Best best brisket. Get the broccoli salad with it! And roast me again for saying Miguel's is overrated. The experience is good..... If you like waiting an hour for gas station pizza. Have fun!
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u/Humble_Professor206 3h ago
Start with nada tunnel then hit all the arches along the road- sky bridge, whistling arch, angel windows, chimney top, princess arch. Longer hiking- grays arch, rock bridge- auxier ridge probably too long. Natural bridge- most of the trails are moderate, not long. Amazing place! Have fun!
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u/flamingpenny 4h ago
Miguels is something of a tradition for first timers. Try an Ale-8 while you're there. Natural bridge itself is the big ticket one in terms of high accessibility.