In the morning, I had breakfast alone on the porch while the sun came up over the nearby Cowan Fork Creek. The trees were quite colorful with red, orange, yellow and ever purple splashes across the landscape. We thought mid-October might be too early to appreciate the fall colors, but we were wrong!

I basked in the quiet serenity for a few minutes before launching a lighting tour of geological formations at Red River Gorge. As I left the cabin, a small herd of deer crossed the road in front of me as a way of saying goodbye!

There are several short trails located within easy driving distance, so I was able to hike five trails in a couple hours. I could have done even more but decided to squeeze in one long hike at the end of the day.  

I began with the Chimney Rock trail which is only about a half mile long round trip. It is a partially paved path that follows along a ridge before ending in a scenic overlook of the aforementioned Chimney Rock. The sweeping panorama left me feeling a little uneasy, especially when another hiker deliberately ignored the warning signs and stood at the very edge of the cliff. More than 20 hikers have died at Chimney Rock alone since 1960, let alone numerous other areas. I took another anti-anxiety pill when I got back to the parking lot to ensure I could fully enjoy all the breathtaking sights.

Princess Arch was my next destination, and the trailhead is located in the same parking lot as Chimney Rock, which makes it an efficient starting point. The trail was also short and easy. It took only a few minutes to reach the “regal” arch which spans 32 feet. There are more than 100 arches, bridges and other geological formations in the Red River Gorge region. That means I’ll have plenty of excuses to return. The awesome natural powers of erosion and time made me think of the lecture from the park ranger in Death Valley. Visiting these natural wonders is a humbling experience.

After a short drive, I arrived at the trail to Angel Windows. These two small “windows” are located side by side. Whistling Arch is only a few minutes up the road and offers a wonderful view of the Parched Corn Creek valley. However, I was disappointed the arch didn’t live up to its name but still enjoyed the tranquility. In fact, the area was rather quiet, and the only sounds came from the creek and faint traffic noise. Since it was a weekday, only a few other hikers were on this trail or any of the previous paths. Unfortunately, quite a few visitors had left their mark by defacing Whistling Arch with graffiti.

Sky Bridge was my last geological attraction of the day. It was also very close to Whistling Arch and had more visitors than all the other previous trails combined. There are paths along both the base and the summit, although the upper path is the flatter and easier option while the lower path has some stairs. Sky Bridge is just as impressive as Natural Bridge, although it too has been defaced with graffiti. Some urban graffiti can be very artistic, but these were just crude defacements. I can barely fathom the mentality of someone who would deface something as beautiful as Sky Bridge.

For a change of pace, I decided to squeeze in one longer hike before heading home in the late afternoon. I picked the Copperas Falls trail, which turned out to be an “unofficial” path without a discernable trail head. The only indication of a trail is a worn footpath off the side of the road near the Copperas Creek canoe launch. The trail is about 3.5 miles in total and is moderately difficult. It follows the Copperas Creek, which was partially dried out when I hiked it. The trail crosses back and forth over the creek numerous times, so you could get pretty wet. I encountered an abandoned camp site which only added to the sense of adventure. The trail is also easy to lose since it is not well defined. Eventually, I reached the waterfall which was impressive and had a large cave behind it. Next time, I’ll make sure I hike an official trail since I discovered don’t enjoy being a trail blazer.

Overall, it was a great trip. I am glad I had the opportunity to satisfy my pent-up demand for hiking before heading home. There are still many other hikes to explore on my next trip to Red River Gorge. Nataliya also wants to go back since the weather wasn’t very favorable until after she left. I highly recommend driving along Sky Bridge Road and visiting as many natural wonders as you can even if you don’t have a lot of time to visit this amazing location! The trails were not particularly challenging, except for the Copperas Falls “unofficial” path. However, I think I will opt for quality over quantity next time.