Red River Gorge

Trails #233 and #235 are among the shortest trails in the Red River Gorge at under 1/2 mile each. They are also among the easiest in the area and should be accessible to anybody who is able to walk. I grouped these trails together because they both begin at the end of Chimney Top Road (in the North-Central part of the Gorge) and they're really too short to describe separately.

Trail #235, the Chimney Top trail, takes you to the top of Chimney Top Rock. Don't let that alarm you: your car will have taken care of most of the climbing you'll be required to do. The quarter-mile walk out to Chimney Top rock is fairly flat and the view is well worth the effort - once out on Chimney Top rock, you'll be able to see much of the North-Central part of the Gorge. Guard rails are in place around Chimney Top rock (which rises 200 feet) so those with children can feel safe.

Once you're standing on Chimney Top rock, if you look to your left (Southeast), you'll notice a nearby ridge. At the end of the ridge is a rock that resembles the upper half of a circle. This is Half-Moon Rock. If the day is nice, you may see people rapelling down its sides. Looking forward and slightly to the right, you'll see the ridges in the vicinity of Auxier Ridge (though I'm not convinced Auxier Ridge itself is visible). The eastern side of Raven's Rock, however, is visible. Also in plain sight some 600 feet below, is the Red River.

Half Moon Rock

Trail #233, the Princess Arch trail, is also very short and flat. As the name implies, the main feature of this trail is Princess Arch. Princess Arch, unlike its larger cousins in the area, has been eroded to the point that its surface is smooth and rounded. It is around 30 feet long and around 8 feet high at its highest point.

The Princess Arch trail takes you right over the arch itself and if you're not paying attention (as we weren't), you might walk over the arch and not even know it. From the trail, you will see a set of small recesses in the rock below the trail ahead of you. One of these "recesses" is in fact Princess Arch. Getting down to the arch itself is kind of tricky. The most direct method is to climb down the rock with the help of a conveniently-located tree.

A word of warning: whereas the Forest Service has installed sturdy guard rails at Chimney Top Rock, no such guard rails are in place near Princess Arch. The Arch itself isn't dangerous and even a fall from the top of the arch (perhaps 12 feet) is probably survivable. However, there is a cliff on the other side of the arch. The photo of the arch is misleading in that it suggests that the arch itself is on the edge of the cliff. It is not - it is quite safe to walk under the arch and even on the other side. Just be aware that there is a dangerous cliff on the other side and do not let children wander unattended.

Questions or comments? Drop me a line.