On tap for the day:
- Rock Bridge Trail (#207), a 1.5 mile loop in Clifty Wilderness
- Princess Arch (#233) and Chimney Top Rock (#235), both out-and-backs off the same parking lot (score!)
- Half-moon Arch, an unofficial trail I found listed along with Princess Arch and Chimney Top in my book, Hiking Kentuck's Red River Gorge.
- Whistling Arch (#234), another short out-and-back at 0.20 mile. I'd done it before, but I needed to update some work of mine on HikingProject.com
Rock Bridge Trail
Once down to Rock Bridge Fork, I came quickly to Creation Falls. It's a cute little waterfall. Youl can walk right down to it. In fact, there was a couple sitting on the rocks next to the fall having lunch, who asked me to take their picture. Would have been a better picture if they'd thought enough to hide their Subway behind them!
The trail continued on, past a number of well used illegal camping spots right next to the creek. Bleh!
Around a few bends and some small climbs, comes into view Rock Bridge, spanning the entirety of Rock Bridge Fork. It's pretty low to the water, but the climb onto the top if it looked a bit questionable for me, when I wasn't feeling my hiking best. Oh, and covered with plant-life! Which is what makes it so hard to see in the photo! Much of the ground cover surrounding the trail near the arch is gone, a tribute to its popularity as a lunch spot. Sad really. For the Forest Service to fix the area, they'd pretty much have to end access to this arch.
Chimney Top, Princess Arch and Half-Moon Arch Trails
There's some spectacular views from Chimney Rock of the Gorge, at least I imagine more so in the spring and fall when the trees haven't leafed out yet. We could see across too Pinch-em Tight and over to 715 looping toward the Suspension Bridge. Pretty cool to think that I'd hiked that area the month before.
Princess Arch is a cute little arch, reached from the other end of the parking area. It's also fairly wide and easy to travel. Did I mention it was cute and little? Following the trail out, you find yourself on top of the arch before you realize it. Don't worry, continue following the trail and it will curve back around so you don't have to do much of any rock scrambling to get down there. If your paying more attention than may, you may even notice there's a turn off before you even make it down to the arch. I was not.
Half-moon Arch Trail is not an official trail, so transversing it is more of an adventure than I am used. It was an easy enough trail to follow, as it appeared to be heavily traveled. A quick assent away from the pull-off (watch for the toilets and bear-boxes on the left side of the road, as you leave the parking area for Chimney Top and Princess Arch) and you're on the trail. The area has been heavily camped, so one of the first things you'll notice is the lack of grass and trees in the area. It's sad, really.