Fall Colors at Bell Falls
Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr

Fall Colors at Bell Falls

Bell Falls is a beautiful waterfall with a classic Red River Gorge cliff line to go with it. We stopped here to enjoy the waterfalls (lower and upper) and the colorful forest scenes to kickoff our day in the Gorge. It had been dry for a good while, so the flow was minimal, but still enjoyable with a little rainbow action at the upper falls which was nice.

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2024 Carter Caves Half Marathon

2024 Carter Caves Half Marathon

The Carter Caves Half Marathon is Kentucky’s prettiest half marathon. Prior to the pandemic, this race was put on by EJ Adventures and has since been resurrected after a couple years off by John’s Run/Walk Shop out of Lexington, Kentucky. The race tours some of the iconic natural bridges and arches and the forest here is truly beautiful.

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Ice Cone at Copperas Falls
Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr

Ice Cone at Copperas Falls

This is a top destination after a deep freeze thanks to the accessibility and gorgeous scenes at Copperas Falls on ice. We arrived after a long cold snap that eventually formed a full ice column. We caught it mid-formation, and the ice chandelier and cone were fantastic - especially with blue skies and abundant sunshine coming through the forest. Add snow falling from the trees, and it was a magical day on trail.

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Ice Cone at Bell Falls
Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr

Ice Cone at Bell Falls

We stopped at Bell Falls for a preview of what was to come at Copperas Falls. After a cold snap, conditions were perfect to see the frozen falls on a sunny bluebird day. This is a short walk from the road, but was a little slick thanks to a light coating of snow. During larger snow and ice events, microspikes would be an excellent idea. As it was, plain old hiking shoes were just fine.

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Swift Camp Creek and Spurs - Creation Falls, Rock Bridge, Pooch’s Turtle Falls, Turtle Back Arch, and Angel Windows
Arch, Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr Arch, Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr

Swift Camp Creek and Spurs - Creation Falls, Rock Bridge, Pooch’s Turtle Falls, Turtle Back Arch, and Angel Windows

This is a nice day hike or first day of backpacking starting at Rock Bridge Trail in Clifty Wilderness and finishing at the Rough-Swift Camp Creek Trailhead on KY-715. Included are two waterfalls and three arches on nearly all marked trails with the exception of the spur to Turtle Back Arch, requiring a short Class 3 Scramble. Be sure to check the hiker notes and cautions below before hiking this route.

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Grayson Lake Damsite Tower and Spillway
Vista, Waterfall, Carter Caves Region Michael Harr Vista, Waterfall, Carter Caves Region Michael Harr

Grayson Lake Damsite Tower and Spillway

On the west side of the dam on KY-7 is a small tower, spillway, and trail. We popped in to checkout the tower and spillway and while the view from the tower is less than pristine, it does provide excellent birdwatching. And the spillway had a little manmade “waterfall” with a blue heron perched on the rocks - so not too bad for a quick stop on the way home.

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Copperas Creek Nine Arch Tour
Arch, Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr Arch, Waterfall, Red River Gorge Region Michael Harr

Copperas Creek Nine Arch Tour

WARNING | This trail is on unmarked, unmaintained trails; portions of this hike are on poorly defined user trails with unstable soil/rock and a risky crawl; getting lost is possible even for experienced hikers; no cell service is available in this canyon and GPS is far from accurate; inexperienced off trail hikers should NOT attempt this hike

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Winter at Eagle Falls
Waterfall, Cumberland Falls Region Michael Harr Waterfall, Cumberland Falls Region Michael Harr

Winter at Eagle Falls

With dry weather leading up to our hike, we opted for this dependable waterfall that flows year round with the rare exception during drought. The falls are gorgeous, the cascades above are peaceful, and the views of Cumberland Falls from the shoreline boulders are fantastic! This is a hike I like to revisit year after year and reasonable river levels make it all the better.

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Winter at Broke Leg Falls

Winter at Broke Leg Falls

This is a classic Kentucky waterfall with plenty of height to impress along with some beautiful cascades just upstream from the big plunge. The area is highly developed with shelters, picnic tables, paved walkways, and railings. Just take care to keep children close as soon as they exit the vehicle - trouble can be found only steps from the parking lot.

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2021 Yamacraw 50K

2021 Yamacraw 50K

I wear a Road ID bracelet and on it is inscribed, “Last Place > DNF > DNS.” Translated, that’s, “Last place is better than did not finish is better than did not start.” Coming in undertrained and in conditions that I’d rather hike than run, I hiked. A lot. And got that last place finish with only seconds to spare:-)

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Princess and Julia Lynn Falls Springtime Out and Back
Waterfall, Big South Fork Region Michael Harr Waterfall, Big South Fork Region Michael Harr

Princess and Julia Lynn Falls Springtime Out and Back

I’ve always hiked here as part of longer routes, so the day before a 50K race made for a great reason to hike the short version. Princess Falls is among the more playful waterfalls in Kentucky and typically has decent flow except during significant droughts. Along the way, enjoy Julia Lynn Falls that was trickling after a dry stretch, but is gorgeous with recent rains.

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