The book Hiking the Red, A Complete Trail Guide To Kentucky’s Red River Gorge made it a point to describe the habitat and the diverse species of trees that one is likely to encounter at the Red. According to the authors, the species of trees found in the Daniel Boone National Forest includes beech, sugar maples, white pines, hemlock, several types of oak, and hickory. These trees provide habitat for an estimated 67 different species of reptiles and amphibians, 46 species of mammals, and 100 species of birds. Furthermore, the habitat of the DBNF includes endangered species: the Indiana Bat, the Virginia big-eared bat, the red-cockaded woodpecker, and White-haired Goldenrod.
The book Hiking The Red, A Complete Trail Guide To Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, provides an excellent description of the activities one can find in the Red River Gorge. The authors suggest “popular activities include hiking, camping, picnicking, hunting, fishing, boating, swimming, horseback riding, bicycling, rock climbing, spelunking, bird watching, photography, nature study, and more” (p. 14). The Red River Gorge is part of the Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF) which contains an estimated 500 miles of trails through rugged terrain made of sandstone cliffs and exposed limestone rock faces. The authors remind us that this trail network is larger than any other National Forest in Kentucky, and perhaps more importantly, that it takes fewer than six hours for most of us to reach this destination.
According to Zoe Strecker (2007), the Red River Gorge in Kentucky is one of the best places to explore arches, defined as geological formations which took millions of years to form. In her book, Off the Beaten Path: Kentucky, she explains how the Red River shaped the Red River Gorge very similar to how the Colorado river shaped the grand canyon. Over an estimated millions of years, the river cut and left quite impressive rock formations, also known as arches. In the Red River Gorge there are an estimated one-hundred fifty (150) arches, a number surpassed only by Arches National Park in Utah, USA.
The Red River Gorge in Kentucky embraces a sandstone rock bridge in Kentucky called the Natural Bridge. According to Bill Bailey (1995), the Natural Bridge refers to a particular sandstone rock bridge that is 65 feet in height and spans 78 feet in length. In his book, Kentucky state parks, a complete outdoor recreation guide for campers, boaters, anglers, hikers, and outdoor lovers, Bailey explains that although the hike to the Natural Bridge is not the shortest, and the span of the rock formation is not the largest, Bailey admits that the bridge is probably the most visited arch in Kentucky.
We all have a responsibility to the ecosystem webs that we are a part of, be it as a guest or as a long-term resident.
Please be sure to follow the “Leave No Trace” ethic while here in the Gorge…and, furthermore, be sure to take that ethic home with you!
Some businesses and groups here in the gorge are also taking the reality and threat of Climate Change seriously. Listed Below are the Organizations who currently have both signed the “We Are Still In Declaration” to show their commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and have published Sustainability Initiatives.”
