THE NAMESAKE ARCH OF N AT U R A L B R I D G E S TAT E R E S O R T PA R K . P H O T O B Y M I K E B E Z E M E K
New Meets Old at Kentucky’s Red River Gorge A Vibrant Outdoor Scene Evolves in a Historic Area of Ancient Rock Arches BY M I K E B E Z E M E K
OUR FIRST STOP FELT LIKE exploring a historic treehouse. Walking into Natural Bridge State Resort Park, my wife and I passed a pond filled with snapping turtles and crossed a rickety suspension bridge. From there, a series of trails—with stone stairs, wooden walkways, and optional ladders— zigzagged up the forested ridge toward the famous rock arch. It was Wednesday morning before Memorial Day, and the park seemed quiet. The resort area’s lodge, pool, and shops were mostly empty before the holiday weekend. We joined scattered
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BLUE RIDGE OUTDOORS
hikers and families heading uphill. A quick detour led to the precarious Balanced Rock. Another stop was a tiny museum, straight from the mid-20th century, with taxidermy animals and logging dioramas. One couple walked inside, sniffed the musty air, and walked right out. But we appreciated the context. Natural Bridge was one of Kentucky’s first state parks, with visitors originally coming by train in the 1920s. After a short but steep ascent, we passed underneath the park’s namesake feature. Squeezing through a narrow crevice, we arrived atop the impressive
80-foot span. Technically it’s a sandstone arch, but the bridge name works because people can walk across. A few groups of college kids were sitting along the flat top and admiring the view. In the distance was the Red River Gorge Geological Area, a popular 45-square-mile subunit of Daniel Boone National Forest, which holds stunning sheer cliffs that line the upper slopes of the forested ravines. Crossing the bridge, we made a tour of the plateau top, including Lookout Point. The quirkiest thing was the Skylift, a fancy name for
an old two-seat chairlift. A boredlooking young woman was sitting inside the fence, so I asked when it was built. She shrugged and glanced at her 20-something boyfriend. “Sixty-seven,” said the operator. With straight shoulder-length hair, he seemed like a time traveler from the same year—the 200th anniversary of Daniel Boone’s first visit to the area. At Lover’s Leap, we chatted with a young Kentucky couple dangling their feet over the ledge. Far below was Miguel’s Pizza and campground, a hub for climbers and hikers. More visitors, mostly