Hiking is great exercise and an exciting adventure for everyone.  Bring your hiking stick and wear good hiking boots, as the rocks can be rugged. Tackle the challenging hike up and down to see the amazing sandstone arch called Natural Bridge for a few hours of serious hiking. Want an easier hike, or looking for your very first hike? Ride the sky lift up to top, then hop off for an easy walk out to Natural Bridge, where you can take some great pictures and look over at Lookout Pointe.  Then walk back to the sky lift and take another easy hike out to Lookout Pointe, gazing back at the Natural Bridge, where you just hiked!  You can keep on going to Lover’s Leap, or head back to the sky lift for the ride back down.  Be sure to stop at the gift shop for homemade fudge, postcards, and souvenirs.  Download a map of the Original Trail at Natural Bridge State Resort Park here.

Check out the hiking guide for both Natural Bridge and the Red River Gorge for more information

World-renowned for rock climbing and hiking, the Kentucky Rockies, also called "The Red", offer adventure for everyone - from beginners to experts!

From families to corporate teams, rock climbing is a great way to try something brand new and challenging together.

Try rock climbing on your own or with a group at Southeast Mountain Guides, formerly known as Torrent Falls Climbing Adventure, located just minutes away from the Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge State Resort Park.  Their Via Ferrata system is the first of its kind in the entire country!  It aids the climber by using cables and iron hand/foot rungs, and it offers a variety of climbs, from novice to expert, between March and December. Their certified climbing instructors provided guided rock climbing, and both classes and clinics are available, as well as private lessons. Don't know what "rappelling" is? Find out all about it on their new website.

There is water adventure at every level in "The Red".  If you love a challenge, head to the upper reaches, and get ready for some excitement that will take your breath away!  However, the Red River in the Red River Gorge is also a great place to learn to canoe or kayak, as the lower areas make for a relaxing ride with great views of your surroundings from a unique vantage point!  Our friends at Red River Adventure will take care of you and your group, whether you are a novice, a daredevil, or somewhere in between, making for a fabulous adventure over several hours.

Adventurous swimmers will love jumping off the huge rocks into the Red River in the Gorge!  You can stop along the river bank during your canoe or kayak trip in the lower areas, taking short hikes, swimming or relaxing before continuing down the river. Be sure to call ahead to Red River Adventures, as the water levels may be too low during certain times of the year. Because the Gorge is remote, be sure to take the proper gear and supplies of food and water, and go in groups.

New in 2017 - kayaks for fishing and SUP (Stand Up Paddle) rentals on beautiful Mill Creek Lake, near Natural Bridge, plus hiking and boat shuttle services!  Stop by the welcome station for more information about the great water activities offered by our friends at Red River Adventure - and pick up some unique items for serious paddlers! 

Fishing is available at Mill Creek near Natural Bridge State Resort Park.  This beautiful, peaceful lake is a favorite of area photographers, as Mill Creek is surrounded by lush forest and sandstone cliffs, with the most famous sandstone arch, Natural Bridge, just across the road and up the mountain.  You can fish from the bank or rent a canoe or kayak from Red River Adventure and enjoy canoeing/kayaking and fishing at the same time!  They have fishing gear at their welcome station you can pick up before your adventure.  You can also fly fish or hop out of your canoe and fish right in the Red River Gorge.  

You can purchase a fishing license ahead of time online from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources - or call Red River Adventures for information on where to pick one up when you get here.  Be sure to check on the fishing regulations and forecast before you go.

Do the kids love to swim?  The huge pool and picnic area at Hemlock Lodge, located at Natural Bridge Resort State Park, is a very inexpensive family adventure. Pack a lunch, have a great day swimming and picnicking together – just like in the old days when you were a kid. There's a kiddie pool there and plenty of lounge chairs for Mom to relax in while watching the kids. There are lots of picnic tables in a park-like setting nearby.

If you or your kids have a streak of the daredevil, head to the Red River in the Red River Gorge for a truly unique experience leaping from the huge rocks into the river below!

Finish the day around a fire pit at your cozy cabin, roasting marshmallows and singing your favorite songs until the kids fall asleep.  Memories like these cost very little and will last a lifetime!

If you have a more relaxing agenda for your stay, you may choose to simply enjoy the comfort and seclusion of one of our deluxe mountain homes in Birch Hollow.  Each of the 10 cabins in our private 300-acre development has been custom-designed and furnished with amenities and decor to make your mountain getaway a retreat from the stress and hurry of the world.  Catch a great view from a rocking chair or swing on an outside deck. 

Make a fire in the fire pit or outside wood-burning fireplace and be mesmerized by the flame long after the sun goes down, then head for the bubbling hot tub to relax, catch a glimpse of a full Kentucky moon, and hear the wondrous sounds of nature occasionally breaking the silence.  Sleep in, fix a simple meal with loved ones, play a game of pool or cards, and re-connect with nature and the most important people in your life.  Take a stroll or choose from two hikes in our own Dale Hollow Hiking Trails, right in Birch Hollow, or wander down to the dock by the catch and release pond.  You may stumble upon one of three stone chimneys - all that remains of houses built well over 100 years ago!

The Gorge Underground offers a Kayak Adventure, Paddleboarding or a guided Cave Boat Tour near Cliffview.  Paddle your way through the cavern or join the passengers on a boat for an hour-long experience unlike any other!  Learn the history and how the cavern came to be flooded.  Open year-round, and all the safety gear is provided for you! You can also bring your own boat, if you prefer.

Daniel Boone Trading Post - Just up the road off Exit 33 in Slade, Kentucky, stop for a quick snack, coffee, smoothies and homemade goodies - even basic groceries to take to the cabin - in the Coffee and Grocery area. Nice stop en route to the Red River Gorge or Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Dine inside or on the back deck. Wifi and ATM machine.

Miguels Pizza -Hip cafe featuring made-to-order pizza combined with a climbing gear shop & campgrounds. In addition to making delicious homemade pizza for over 40 years, Miquels was established to serve the rock climbers who come from all over the world to climb rocks here, many of them staying in tents on the land around and in back of Miquels. But all visitors - rock climbers or not - love this place and come back year after year.  Newest features include a longer beverage list: Ale-8, beer, wine, fire cider and margaritas! Check out Miguel's Rock Climbing Shop

Miguel's is located just up the road from the entrance to Natural Bridge State Resort Park (NBSRP), making it a great place to stop before or after: 1) hiking up to the Natural Bridge Arch (or taking the sky lift to the top of the arch), 2) swimming/kayaking/canoeing in the Red River in the Gorge, or 3) fishing at nearby Mill Creek Lake. NBSRP also has picnic tables and a stream for fishing.

Miguels is close to all of these activities. They also do catering for local events like weddings, business meetings, family reunions.

Red River Rockhouse Cafe - While Miguels Pizza has been around over 30 years, focusing on great pizza and Ale-8, Red River Rockhouse is owned by young rock climbers who wanted to live and raise their families in Nature - away from the noise and hustle and bussle of city life.

Red River Rockhouse Cafe offers a range of eclectic menu items using local ingredients: hummus wraps, grass-fed burgers, kale salad, buttermilk pancakes, sweet potato fries, burritos and organic beer, wine and bourbon (it is located in Wolfe County, which is not "DRY" like Powell County). Eat inside or outside. Head toward Cliffview from Natural Bridge State Resort Park and you can't miss the huge black bear at the entrance.

Red River Smokehouse - a new restaurant in the heart of the Red River Gorge! Great food and catering for events. Slowly smoked offerings with special choices for "the little ones" in your group. Cobblers for dessert. Only found one picture we can use for now. I'm sure there will be more by the time season starts.

Sandstone Arches Restaurant is inside the Hemlock Lodge at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Inside the Hemlock Lodge entrance is the Sandstone Arches Restaurant - a huge family style restaurant overlooking the huge outdoor swimming pool at Natural Bridge. The Trails End Tavern is also located in the Hemlock Lodge.

No website, but they have a Facebook page (photos, reviews, and videos) and can be found on the Kentucky Tourism website:
https://www.kentuckytourism.com/sky-bridge-station/

Daniel Boone Trading Post - There are lots of great gift ideas in the trading post - part of the area is for dining and a lot more is for unique gifts, many of them by local artisans. Just up the road off Exit 33 in Slade, Kentucky. Nice stop en route to the Red River Gorge or Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Wifi and ATM machine.

The Gift Shop at Natural Bridge State Resort Park is in Hemlock Lodge - the same building as the Sandstone Arches Restaurant. There are clothes, books, novelty items, candy, etc in this very classy gift shop. It is right down the hall from the Sandstone Arches restaurant, so it's nice to browse before or after a meal.

Natural Bridge Skylift & Gift Shop at Natural Bridge State Resort Park - when you drive in by the sign, you turn left to go to Hemlock Lodge and right to go to the sky lift. There is a cute little gift shop located next to the place where you get into the lift to ride to the top. The gift shop has typical novelty items like post cards, mugs, hats, pictures, handcrafted items, and awesome homemade fudge.

Just Plain Fancy Boutique is your one stop shop for women's apparel, jewelry, accessories, handbags and more! Offering big city styles at small town prices! Located in the small town of Stanton, Kentucky. The owner of this cute shop also owns Ramble and Roam in Slade, Kentucky

Ramble and Roam Co. was opened in the summer of 2018. It is located just down from the Daniel Boone Trading Post in Slade, KY. This fantastic little store is full of unique, reasonably priced, creative items, tee shirts, totes, caps, and fun gift ideas for all ages. Located in the heart of the Red River Gorge, Ramble & Roam Co. hosts an eclectic assortment of unique items for the wanderers of the world! Motto: “Not All Who Wander are Lost ..."

Ye Ole Country Peddler features collectibles, fudge, holiday items and more.

Boone Forest Shop is a quaint shop with just a little bit of everything. You can find Natural Bridge fleece sweaters to antique dolls in this store. It somewhat reminds you of a mini flee market as there are buckets of sandals being sold along with many knick knacks. The store sells some unique items that you many not be able to find anywhere else. There is also a great candy and fudge selection to grab a good treat!