Scenic Arches rivaling Utah, right here in Kentucky!

No need to go all the way to Utah to see a big ol’ stone arch carved by the elements.  We have one right here in Kentucky.  The best news is, it is only about 50 minutes from the campground. If you are mobility impaired, pressed for time or if you are just feeling lazy, you can see the arch with only about ? mile walk.  There is an overlook with paved trail access.  Mind you, the paving is not the smoothest but with care you could navigate with a walker.  A stroller would handle it without issue.  There is a bit of a grade so I would not recommend it for those in a wheel chair unless it is a power chair.  

If you are up for a bigger adventure there is a 3 mile loop trail that takes you to the overlook for that oooh and ahhh big picture moment.  Then you descend into the canyon via about 10 flights of stairs.  A meandering path takes you through native hard wood trees as well as Mountain Laurel and other Kentucky flora.  This would be a gorgeous hike in fall when the leaves are changing color.  Spring will hopefully allow you to catch everything in bloom.  At roughly the 1 mile mark the arch is very suddenly in view.  Stop of course to take cool perspective photos.  Everyone can scramble up in there or even take your lunch and sit on some of the big boulders at the base so you can marvel at the arch a little longer.  Once you have put your cameras away, head down the backside where a large sandstone wall looms adjacent to the steps you will use to go even further down.  As the saying goes, “what goes down must go up.”  The majority of the hike back is all uphill.  Thankfully there are some flat spots in between the uphill jaunts to allow you to catch your breath.  That is until you get back to the stairs.  That is the only part of the hike that is not a loop and you do indeed have to plod straight back up from whence you came.  

If you are feeling super adventurous there is also a 10 mile option that takes you to a few other rock formations and gives you a chance to surround yourself with nature just a little bit longer.  You are required to display a Daniel Boone National Forest pass to park at the trailhead.  You can struggle to find a pen to fill out the form and look for change under the seats to pay your $5 fee or… you can just grab your pass from us here at the Corbin KOA before you go.  We like to make it easy for our campers to get outside and enjoy nature.  Studies show that those that spend time in nature are happier.  Who doesn’t want that?

To find the arch just put Natural Arch Scenic Area into the GPS of your choice.  It should come up that it is located in Parkers Lake, KY.  If you are looking for more awesome things to do in and around the campground, check out our other blog posts and or hit us up for a personalized recommendation.  We love to share our beautiful state with travellers.