Red River Gorge

Red River Gorge is located in east-central Kentucky. The Gorge is part of the Daniel Boone National Forest it covers and area of around 28,000 acres. The Gorge offers stone arches, caves, cliffs, ravines and water flows. The canyon has, one hundred sandstone arches, three of the largest arches include Gray's Arch, Sky Bridge and Natural Bridge which was donated to the state of Kentucky by the L&N Railroad in 1926. The Natural Bridge is 78 feet long and 65 feet in height. The Gorge offers more than just rock and cliffs it also offers a large variety of plant life, some of which is on the endangered list, such as the Canadian Yew, Canada Lily and Rhododendron is mostly the under growth. Trees consist of Redbuds, Dogwoods, Deciduous Hardwoods and different types of Pines. Expect to see several types of wildlife on your hikes through the park, these include and occasional white tail deer, squirrels, raccoons, bees and wasp which make their home among the rock and cliffs. And don't be surprised to see a rattlesnake or copperhead.
There are many choices for the person who wants a wilderness retreat vacation. The family can take a scenic drive; go hiking on the overlook trails with historic sites to see. After a day of hiking and rock climbing it is time for a picnic and camping overnight under the beautiful starry sky. The Gorge has become a place for experienced and inexperienced rock climbers but one statistic you should consider is, an average of one person dies each year from a fall at the Gorge.
In 1976 the Gorge was designated as a unique geologic area. We should always consider our selves lucky to have a wonderful place such as this to visit and respect the plants, animals and refrain from harming them. Although the Red River Gorge is a wonder of nature, it is only one of the wonderful places that Kentucky has to offer. Such as the Kentucky Derby one of the oldest held horserace. Fort Knox where the government stores 6 billion dollars, Cumberland Falls and Mammoth Cave located in the western part of Kentucky. http://www.turtlehill.org/ http://www.redrivergorge.org/ www.echofallscabin.com
By Brenda