Best Places to Go Hiking in Kentucky

Hey y’all! Long time no see! Sorry about that; I just finished up my second-to-last semester about a week and a half ago and am now back home (I won’t be home much of the summer though.)

As summer is starting to kick off, I thought it would be fun to make a post about my favorite places to go hiking in Kentucky. Hiking is one of my favorite activities to do with my friends. You get to enjoy the beautiful nature that Kentucky has to offer as well as being active!

A couple things to keep in mind when going hiking:

Be mindful of the level of difficulty of trails offered as well as approximately how long they will take you to complete. Always overestimate the amount of time you block out for hiking by at least an hour. Something always seems to happen that makes it take longer than expected.
Be aware of what the weather has been like around that area from the past few days. It’s probably not a good idea to go hiking after it has been rainy. A lot of trails have hills and if they are muddy, it can be dangerous!
Dress appropriately for the weather and wear shoes with good tread. If it is hot outside, always pack plenty of water as well as snacks/lunch for along the way.
Always pick up any trash you may have. The slogan for most Kentucky State Parks is to “Leave No Trace.”
It’s best to always hike with a partner. You never know what could happen and if you’re by yourself with bad cell service, it won’t be good.

Okay now that we got that out of the way, let’s get started!

Natural Bridge

Location: 2135 Natural Bridge Rd. Slade, KY 40376 (just about an hour outside of Lexington)

Website: http://parks.ky.gov/parks/resortparks/natural-bridge/trails.aspx

This is one of my favorite places to go hiking! I don’t always get to go here very often since it’s an hour away, but I would definitely recommend it! There are plenty of trails for all levels. Pets are not allowed except for two trails.

Pinnacles

Location: Highway 21, Berea, KY 40403 (about 45 minutes outside of Lexington).

I will say that the address is very vague; when I went before, it was difficult to find. We had to stop at a podunk grocery store to ask for directions. Just be on the lookout for signs! This hiking spot is very nice, but there aren’t as many trail options as there are with the bigger parks. Pets are allowed, but must be kept on a leash.

Website: https://www.thisisberea.com/pinnacles/

Red River Gorge

Location: Stanton, KY 40380 (a little under an hour outside of Lexington).

The Red River Gorge also has a pretty vague address. If you look up the address online, it says it’s on Robbie Ridge Rd, but DO NOT go on this road. It’s at a very steep incline and it’s not even the correct entrance. Keep driving on Compton road until you start seeing signs for “Nada Tunnel-Red River Gorge” and follow those. You can read about our adventures at the Gorge here. There are plenty of trails to choose from here with a variety of difficulty levels. Pets are allowed, but must be kept on a leash.

Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=39458&actid=50

Raven Run

Location: 3885 Raven Run Way, Lexington, KY 40515

This is a nice little spot in Lexington to get away from all the hustle and bustle. There are several trails to choose from Pets are not allowed on the trails.

Website: http://www.ravenrun.org/trails.html

Asbury Trails

Location: 740 Shanty Hill Rd. Wilmore, KY 40390 (about 20 minutes outside of Lexington)

If you aren’t paying close attention, you can easily miss the turn for this as well. You have to follow a very narrow road down to the trailhead, so be careful! This is also a nice little hiking spot right outside of Lexington. Pets are allowed as long as they are kept on a leash.

Website: https://jessaminetrails.com/asbury-college-trails/