york2
Trail Ready!
Posts: 10
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Post by york2 on Aug 17, 2015 22:49:30 GMT -8
I'm new to both hiking and the area I live. I started with the trails in the Mammoth Cave area and while they are beautiful and have inspired me to pursue this newfound interest/passion, the trails are very easy and I need something more challenging. I do have a difficult time finding partners to go with me so this would only be a day venture for now. Are there any suggestions for a beginner like myself looking for more of a challenge in the Kentucky area??
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Post by ecocentric on Aug 18, 2015 8:30:11 GMT -8
Assuming that you started close to where you live, I'll start with central KY, since Ashland and Paducah are pretty far apart.
The Daniel Boone National Forest has The Sheltowee Trace which is a long trail. Red River Gorge has lots of trails and as good of scenery as you will find anywhere, but some trails can be very challenging. Be careful where you park, cars get broken into there sometimes. The Big South Fork is mostly in TN, but also has some great scenery and a great trail system. At the west end of the state is Land Between the Lakes which has some great lakeshore and the North-South trail is a good multi-day hike. On the Virginia border is The Breaks Inter-state Park.
I can offer suggestions for nearby states like The Great Smokey Mountain National Park, Shawnee National forest in Illinois, Hoosier National Forest in Indiana. My suggestion is that you buy a Kentucky Atlas and Gazetteer published by Delorme. It will help you to discover the kind of places you want to explore and help keep you from getting lost along the way. I might be able to introduce you to some hikers in your area. Is there any chance you are in Bowling Green?
You can send me a private message if you would like.
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york2
Trail Ready!
Posts: 10
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Post by york2 on Aug 19, 2015 9:01:21 GMT -8
Thanks for the info, It is definitely a big help. I'll be doing some research and visiting the Sheltowee Trace and Red River Gorge for now, should keep me busy for a while.
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jay
Trail Wise!
Posts: 152
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Post by jay on Aug 25, 2015 13:21:43 GMT -8
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2015 4:41:54 GMT -8
I am new to hiking over the last couple of years as well, and travel all over Ken, Ind, Ohio for business. The one tool I use to find trails, is a site called alltrails.com. I used the app for a while, but upgrades rendered it useless. However, the site has thousands of trails, with descriptions and reviews. I was at Mammoth Cave this spring, while there was still some frost in the ground. The horses have turned the trails into a muddy mess. Know any trails there where the horses are not allowed?
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york2
Trail Ready!
Posts: 10
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Post by york2 on Sept 16, 2015 3:58:32 GMT -8
I am new to hiking over the last couple of years as well, and travel all over Ken, Ind, Ohio for business. The one tool I use to find trails, is a site called alltrails.com. I used the app for a while, but upgrades rendered it useless. However, the site has thousands of trails, with descriptions and reviews. I was at Mammoth Cave this spring, while there was still some frost in the ground. The horses have turned the trails into a muddy mess. Know any trails there where the horses are not allowed? [br If you take Maple Springs trail to Big Hollow North, I believe is the name of the trail. There are no horses allowed on this trail.
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 15,007
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Post by driftwoody on Oct 10, 2015 6:57:25 GMT -8
Are there any suggestions for a beginner like myself looking for more of a challenge in the Kentucky area?? Red River Gorge and the adjacent Natural Bridge State Park have the highest concentration of natural stone arches east of the Mississippi. It's a nearly 7 hour drive from where I live (Chicagoland) and I've been there at least 10 times. I would rate the Rough Trail as challenging, as it goes up and down the ridges that cut across this geologic area. Pretty much the entire area (with the possible exception of Clifty Creek Wilderness) can be explored in a series of dayhikes, though you can also string several trails together for a couple nights of backpacking. Some of the highlights are "unofficial" (though well traveled) trails to scenic areas of RRG like Hansen's Point and Indian Staircase. Books by Jerrell Goodpaster have a lot of useful information ( Hinterlands has the unofficial trails), and the forums at kywilderness.com can be very helpful. My favorite long dayhike in RRG is a long counter-clockwise loop that starts at Grays Arch parking and takes the following trails: Pinch-Em Tight; Rough; Grays Arch. Shortly after Pinch-Rm joins Rough (before it descends to Rush Branch) the unofficial trail turns right along the ridge to Hansens Point with great views (retrace your steps after this side trip). Closer to the end of the loop you have the option to add the short (but worthwhile) D Boon Hut loop to the trek. And near the end, Grays Arch is my opinion the most impressive arch in RRG. RRG has several other fine loops, including Auxier Ridge/Double Arch and Rock Bridge (which can be made longer by including the unofficial trail to Turtleback Arch). A really fun and scenic loop includes the unofficial trail up Indian Staircase, which starts at the Bison Way TH near Gladie visitor center. Another favorite loop is in Natural Bridge State Park. I recommend going counter-clockwise up the Rock Garden trail; ascend Natural Bridge; turn left and explore the ridge out to Lovers Leap; descend steeply off the ridge to Battleship Rock trail and take that back under Natural Bridge; then ascend NB again and take balanced Rock trail back to the TH.
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