Natural Arch Loop
This was the first hike I did in the region many years ago, and it remains a great, short hike to one of Kentucky’s most impressive arches. The rock outcropping that seemingly comes up out of nowhere is as impressive as the arch and a beautiful walk in the forest.
Natural Arch Handicap Accessible Overlook
This is a nice, quick walk on paved path to a developed platform looking out over Natural Arch and the Great Gulf. It’s worthy of a stop anytime you’re driving by on US-27 and additional hiking with routes ranging from a quarter mile to 6.5 miles on Buffalo Canyon Loop.
2022 Big Turtle 10-Miler
The Big Turtle Trail Races are an annual tradition for me to enjoy the northernmost sections of Sheltowee Trace. There are three distances - 50 miles, 50 kilometers, and 10 miles - and all deliver a great trail running experience with fast and fun downhills and the occasional uphill grind. The 10-Miler is pretty straightforward - a grueling opening climb followed by lots of short-ish ups and downs before finishing downhill back to campus.
Shallow Flats Loop
These wetlands were an entertaining stop with one Canadian goose wreaking havoc upon its neighbors. It was also sunrise part two with the sun cresting above the eastern knobs to provide a gorgeous morning scene.
Sunrise at Twin Knobs Picnic Area
Nearly all the views on Twin Knobs’ shoreline are south or west facing, but this little spot just off a picnic area was perfect for sunrise. Situated between the group campsites and the beach, this little walk was ideal for sunrise.
Twin Knobs Shoreline for Sunset
This was the perfect way to close out a great day on the trails around Cave Run Lake. Sunset was beautiful, and all the views along the shoreline leading to that moment were fantastic. This is an easy hike that can be made much shorter with the many connector trails from the various campground loops.
Twin Knobs Out and Back
Back in the day, this used to have a tower on it. Not anymore:-) What remains is a nice fitness trail to the top of the west knob of the Twin Knobs Recreation Area. With steady elevation gain, it’s ideal for hill training and makes a super cool GPS map on your fitness app.
Eagle Lake Loop
Eagle Lake is a beautiful patch of water on the north side of Morehead State University’s campus. This is a nice trail to stretch the legs whenever visiting town and is the first trail town stop for Sheltowee Trace southbounders.
Martin Branch Out and Back
This is a great fitness trail with plenty of elevation gain to get you ready for some mountain hiking. It also has a fascinating tree that had a burl break open. No views, no arches, no waterfalls - just a nice cardio and strength building trail going from holler to ridge and back.
Rodburn Hollow Loop
When it comes to municipal parks, this one is a gem! A nice, short path with a little ruggedness set in the holler:-) There were plenty of wildflowers on display, a playful creek, and all the facilities you’d expect. Stop in for a quick walk or add Martin Branch Trail to get the heart rate up.
Bertis Arch Out and Back Bushwhack
After visiting on a snow covered day in Winter, I was hoping to find a user trail to the arch. Aaaand, there isn’t one:-) While the arch is spectacular with some incredible color, it’s a difficult reach thanks to a very steep soil final ascent with very poor footing. Be sure to read the notes and cautions below before heading out.
Buckskin Connector Trail
Most connector trails are pretty boring, but this one provides a gorgeous view of Twin Knobs across Cave Run Lake. Paired with sunrise at Zilpo Mountain, it turned out to be a fantastic morning on the trails.
Zilpo Mountain Sunrise
This was the perfect way to start the day - a nice uphill hike to get the blood flowing and a gorgeous view of Cave Run Lake’s south side. While sunrise was obscured by trees, the scene was magnificent - and this might be the best sunrise view in the region come Autumn.
BSA Troop 717 Nature Trail
This is a short lollipop trail across from St. Elizabeth Hospital’s Edgewood campus. Constructed by Boy Scouts of America’s Troop 717, this trail is a nice surprise in the heart of the suburbs with a nice variety of wildflowers on display inside of a nice patch of woods.
Anvil and Eholia Arches 1 & 2 Out and Back
It had been a couple years since my last visit here, and what a great day to be back! This hike not only has plenty of off trail flavor, I also noticed a third arch (Eholia Arch #2) on the route along with a gloriously eroded piece of sandstone (pictured below). This isn’t an easy hike and the arches certainly aren’t going to win any beauty pageants, but for off trail hikers and arch hunters, this hike is a winner!
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.
Osborne Bend Loop with Unicorn and Osborne Bend Arches
This quiet loop combines single track, double track, and road for a nice walk through the woods. Along the way, we enjoyed a pair of small, but beautiful arches with Unicorn Arch particularly stunning thanks to ice curtains on either side of it. Also, don’t completely discount the road walk. The wintertime views of Hens Nest and Sky Bridge are a nice bonus!
Snow Day at Tater Knob
Though the fire tower is closed, a pair of overlooks make this a great place to enjoy a big view of the many knobs on the south side of Cave Run Lake. This trail is highly developed with a ton of stairs marching their way up this gorgeous rock outcropping.
Snow Day at Bertis Arch
I thoroughly enjoyed this hike and the arch was more beautiful than expected. Most of the hike is on forest roads and trails, but the portion ascending to Bertis Arch and dropping down the other side of the knob does NOT have a trail. That final approach was dicey today with slick terrain thanks to a blanket of snow and frozen/icy ground and rock. I would suggest hiking this in dry weather for better footing and a much safer hike.
Snow Day at Zilpo Arch
This is a great stop whenever visiting this section of forest, as it’s only a few dozen paces off the road. Zilpo Arch is officially classified as ‘irregular’ just like a similar arch a little south - Devil’s Market House Arch. Arches like this are oddities, and explaining their formation would be clumsy at best, but hey, maybe this was a coffee table for giants:-)