This is one of my favorite state parks for a day or two of hiking. Very nice trails, some are fairly rugged. I've been here several times, sometimes for just a day, and a few times camping nearby. You can take the sky lift up to the natural bridge, or you can hike up. There is a short trail (1/3 of a mile) that leads to a nice overlook where you can view the natural bridge from a distance. There are birds and wildlife to observe. And it is nice to visit in different seasons. There are good restaurants and touristy places to shop in the area too. read more

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Well everything cause I did it ! Haha this is a self paced and self guided hike. It can be what you make of it but the beauty is untouchable out of your control. A mix of hardwood, pine wooded and lots of sandstone /limestone rocks ! Tons of song birds and insects and forest creatures. Truly amazing day hike. read more

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The Natural Bridge was amazing and well worth the visit any way you get there. If you take the Battleship Rock trail, counter clockwise, you get a lot of stairs, uphill.. You can get to the bridge by a few routes as well as a Skylift. Winter trail closings are for real so do some research before you head out! Also, it's Bear country so make sure your food is stored properly! read more

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Great trails, wish I knew about the sky lift prior to climbing up to the natural bridge. But either way, it was beautiful!!! read more

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A diversion from the more famous Red River Gorge, this park is built around a natural bridge. At least for me, the term connotes a rock formation in southern Virginia, but I've also been to one in Australia; natural bridges are apparently pretty common. Arriving at one of several parking lots in the ravine, I found a fairly developed lake area that is probably fun for summer camp but didn't suggest anything overly natural or interesting. The hike to the bridge is short as the crow flies, but at least according to my watch traversing roughly four miles involved climbing the equivalent of 44 sets of stairs. It's a workout. Upon arriving at the bridge, it was worthy of building a park around. Apparently the original park was the end of a rail line for timber (sadly no longer available). In the present day, I was quite surprised to see no ropes or fences whatsoever on the bridge itself, which you can definitely walk up to (using a claustophobia-inducing pathway) and cross. Don't get me wrong, the bridge is pretty wide and pretty stable, but given all the small children and the vagaries of weather conditions, I got very nervous with the whole thing and kept my distance. Some of the locals did not. Even on a gloomy winter day, it was apparently too much to expect to get a shot of the thing without various other people monkeying around (though at least you get a sense of scale). In nicer weather, I expect that the crowds will come flowing in, as there seemed to be plenty of other activities. read more

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I've been here a couple times, and the natural Bridge State Park is always a home run each time. It's got a good hiking and walking trails. It's a lot of fun has waterfalls objects to look at landmarks. A lot of cool stuff for sure I would recommend it. read more

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This was a really fun place to hike. The most famous hike is to the natural bridge. It is awesome, and comparable to something you would see out west. It was a 1.5 mil hike up, the younger kids complained but made it. The hike down was quick. There is a skinny staircase that is called fat man's misery. It was a fun hike all around. Highly recommend! Also don't forget line dancing every Saturday night at 6:30. read more

Natural Bridge State Park - Hotels Near Me - Slade, Kentucky

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For years we've been hiking at hocking hills in Ohio and wanted to hike something different. We booked a cabin at the Natural Bridge State Park which was convenient and easy access to get to any trails. You don't have to drive far to hike the many trails they have to offer! Also there are nearby restaurants if you don't feel like cooking at home. So far we hiked the Whittleton Trail which is combined with the Whittleton Arch which is worth getting to. Very tiny water fall which resembles a little like hocking hills trails. This trail is pet friendly. Make sure to check online on which trails allow pets. Next on our list is Hiking to The Natural Bridge which does not allow pets, so we will have to wait. The trails itself are beautiful/scenic, maintained, clean and easy to spot mile markers. I know we've finally found our spot for nice weekend getaway. This park is breathtaking. read more

Took the lift up to the top. Well worth the price. The views are amazing. Be sure walk all the way across the bridge and go down below if you up for it. read more

I mean....yes. Yes, yes, and yes. I have been to the Gorge and the surrounding natural areas. But over the week of Thanksgiving 2020, my pod and I were staying in a cabin in Slade, and when they heard I had never been to the actual Natural Bridge *AT* Natural Bridge State Park....we all decided it was about time to change that and we planned a visit while we were in the area. The hike up to the actual Natural Bridge is lovely and the surrounding other trails we explored gave great views and gorgeous sights. The trail is easy to follow and is well-marked. Even while we were still on the trail, I was eager and keen for a future visit! The only downside was the multitude of people on the trail not bring kind with giving space when passing and not having masks to wear at least when very closely passing folks. It is a PANDEMIC people. Outside is nice, but respiratory droplets still exist! Anyway....not the park's fault, really. read more

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The Gorge area is so beautiful! Had some relatives in town from Texas. They loved the peacefulness and the views from the skylight and atop the Natural Bridge. read more

Natural Bridge State Park - Under the bridge. - Hotels Near Me - Slade, Kentucky

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Spectacular! We took the sky lift up to the "bridge" and once at the top there are lots of trails to different viewpoints. And you can walk across the massive stone bridge. Some stairs and steep slopes, but most can be voided via another trail. Well worth the visit. read more

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Mother nature is awesome.... love the natural bridge wilderness and feature.... the state park Hemlock lodge, however, is like a trip to the bmv.... sadly outdated.... most things dont' work right.... the lodge workers act like, well, government beurocrats.... small example, there is a small outdoor (but covered) area on the second story, directly adjacent to the indoor dining area... Appears to be some high end outdoor seating purchased fairly recently.... everytime we walked by, there were lodge workers lounging and taking their smoke breaks.... small example, but you get the point.... gift shop cash register area was broken so anything putchased in the gift shop needed to be purchases at the lodge front desk... it had been broken awhile.... Everytime I think I'm about to become a liberal democrat, trips like this snap me back to reality.... had a great time because of mother nature and all she had to offer.... read more

Finally made it here ... my mom is from Kentucky and she came before the skylift when you had to walk up. Thank God for technological advancement because even though the walk wouldn't have been far it is ridiculously steep. This has been on my bucketlist for years and glad we came in the fall .. it was gorgeous. there was alot of fall colors in late Oct but for some reason they didn't show up great in my pics. It was around 4 pm so maybe the lighting was off for pics. But in person it was a crayon box of colors. so pretty. we walked across the bridge and to the area you view it. didnt walk under it. we had driver from Gatlinburg and just wanted to get home to our doggie. read more

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What's not to love here!? The gorge and surrounds are just breathtaking and whether your a casual hiker, a more serious backpackers or cliff climber, there ate definitely things to to here! Lots of trails and kayaking areas for every adventure and level. Lots of places to stay in and around the park. The staff has always been super and the history here is amazing too. Plus there's a growing number of foodie drinkie places showing up. This is awesome. Come and stay awhile and bring the fam. read more

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Challenging uphill hike, but the view was worth it! Breathtaking photo opps at the top of Natural Bridge!

Beautiful. It rained on me most of the time. But we had a great time. Walked to the Natural Bridge on the Original Trail. The trails are great, laid out nicely with benches to rest on. I tried out every one of them. The hills and woods are scenic with little flowers starting to bloom. The Bridge is awesome. You can see forever from the top. So beautiful. read more

A beautiful area. Nicely packed gravel sites. I really don't like leaving negative comments but the showers were totally disgusting. Old, moldy around shower base, buggy. Don't look like they get cleaned every day like most places. The office smells like a bunch of cats. I almost lost my lunch and was afraid the smell would permeate my clothes. Probably will look elsewhere if I come this way again. read more

We stayed here for a night on Aug 25th. Got there earlier than check in and room wasn't ready yet so we went and did the Underground Cave boat tour. Front desk was friendly and informative about things to do in the area. Our room had a private patio to enjoy the view and peacefulness, was clean and had everything we needed for a nights stay. Cute State Park Lodge with walking trails to the Natural Bridge. We would stay here again for sure! read more

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This is a beautiful Kentucky State Park and well-worth spending a day exploring several sections or a few hours hiking to Natural Bridge. We did the latter and have no regrets for the 3 hours we spent on the trail and sight-seeing from a truly unique viewpoint. The original trail is only a mile long but is a hike that's both doable and challenging (cardio-wise, not footing-wise). The trail ends right under the bridge and you then take some very narrow rocky staircase to get to the top (if you're a little plump, probably not the best route up for you tbh). Once on top you have an AMAZING view of the valley and surrounding mountains. You can't help but marvel knowing people have crossed this bridge for thousands and thousands of years. Take a bit of time and walk all the way across, circle the sky lift and head over to a nearby lookout cliff. You can see back to the Natural Bridge and again have a great view of your surroundings. Maybe better than from the bridge itself. If you don't want to take the hike, you can take the sky lift. A one-way trip is $10/adult. Round trip is $13/adult. read more

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Another beautiful place to visit in Kentucky. It's nature's way of saying it can do wonders to our universe as long as we take care of it. The park was well maintained, clean and simply beautiful. It's worth paying for the sky lift, don't forget to use your military discount. Don't forget to bring water and wear appropriate shoes when coming to visit. Don't forget to use your sunblock too, once you're there you can't help to stay and linger to enjoy the spectacular views. read more

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Great trails. Only issue is you have hikers everywhere. Definitely do the sky lift up and down then the devils crotch.

The hike to Natural Bridge is definitely worth it. It's not too long of a hike but it's all up hill which made it challenging for me. I was definitely out of breath when I made it to the top. It's all in the shade though, which was nice. Once on top of the bridge I walked around to another lookout and saw the bridge from a distance. I think this needs to be on everyone's Kentucky bucket list. read more

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Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! Even at the end of November, the leaves were still numerous and plentiful. There were many great trails to find that were well-marked from the road and easy to find using a paper map. The arches were amazing and short of ever going to Arches in Utah, they were the most beautiful I've ever seen! Definitely wanting to return someday soon. read more

Love coming here! During our last hike to bridge, there was a ranger stationed at the bottom of the trail with an exhibit of wildlife prints. She grabbed my kids' attention and was very informative. She was super friendly, answered all our questions & asked if there was anything else we'd like to know about. After the hike, we bounced across the swinging bridge & ventured to Hoedown Island. We learned some dances & really enjoyed watching everyone--especially Terry Allen & his wife, Ally. read more

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Ever wanted to feel like what a bird felt like in the air? The Natural Bridge State Park provides just that. Imagine climbing up to the top of a limestone bridge -- there you can feel the wind beneath your arms, smell the fresh, unadulterated forest air, be surrounded by the forest's trees below you... the Natural Bridge is truly an amazing sight and experience. DO: - Go to Hemlock Lodge to pick up a map. This will give you a give you a brief history of the park and its trails. It'll also help you from getting lost. - Bring plenty of water because the hike up to the Natural Bridge is steep and will probably require some breaks at the look-out points, benches, or gazebos. If you have bad knees, bring some ibuprofen too -- it'll help you make your way up to the bridge. - Bring a flashlight for when it gets closer to dusk. Certain parts of the forest can get pretty dim or shady even though the sun might be above you. - Park at the campsite parking lot and not the lakeside parking lot if you want to trek on the "Original Trail". The Original Trail is the oldest and most famous trail in this park. - Wear comfortable shoes & pants because there are lots of jagged rocks, sharp inclines, and leaves/shrubs along the trail. DON'T: - Wear flats, sandals, or shorts -- if you're not careful, you can get hurt! - Turn on or leave your phone on -- you most likely won't have signal, and so your battery life may die! AT&T does not have good signal in the park itself. - Be shy to other fellow hikers! Most of the people who hike through here are very friendly -- from families with young kids to couples to elderly folk . . . hiking seems to be very well revered in this area! I had accidentally parked at the lakeside parking lot. The lakeside trail is 0.25 miles and is relatively flat and scenic (estimated one-way time: 10-15 min) However, in order to get to the Original Trail, you have to cross a steel rope suspension bridge which shakes and moves with every step. For those afraid of water or slight heights, I wouldn't recommend this. Similarly, for those who may be prone to falling, this wouldn't be recommended. Instead, you should start at the beginning of the Original Trail -- which commences at the campsite parking lot. The Original Trail is a gorgeous trail, which offers stunning views -- but the trail, unlike the lakeside trail, is NOT flat. Most of the trail is fairly steep, so this may pose a problem to those with bad knees. The estimated time to hike this trail is about 45 min to 1 hour (one way). It's well worth it because the Natural Bridge is an amazing site and offers spectacular views of the forest. On the Natural Bridge itself, there are stairs that bring you to the very top of the Bridge. That's right -- you can walk on top of the bridge! Leonardo DiCaprio once exclaimed, "I'm the King of the World!" in Titanic. There are very few chances in life to ever feel like a 'King' but I definitely say I was pretty close to it when coming here. read more

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It is said that the best view comes after the hardest climb. Natural Bridge is just one example of that. Since my husband and I now live in the beautiful state of Kentucky, we were determined to experience as much of it as we could. Natural Bridge was our first weekend destination in Kentucky. It was about an hour and a half from where we lived -- a beautiful drive through country roads and small towns before we reached the area of Slade, KY, where the state park is. We pulled up into a little parking lot that was a short walk to the gift shop area. I was delighted to stumble upon this strange, nearly resort-like area in the middle of the park along a creek with a swimming pool, etc. Not quite sure what this was. However, it was from this point that we could select one of several trails to reach a destination. There are several trails you can walk [/climb] to different destinations within the park and we opted for "The Original Trail:" a three-quarter mile moderate ascend to the top. Since my husband and I are both out of shape, the hike up the hill was quite an ordeal. We were sweaty and exhausted. It wasn't even the hardest trail! Gah! And then.... we reached the top! And there was a cool breeze! And a spectacular view! A bit more of walking led us through "Fat Man's Squeeze" -- a very narrow path through some tight rocks -- and up some steps to the top of the Natural Bridge. What. A. View. And.... kind of scary! One step too many and you could fall right off the edge. Eek! That climb was definitely worth it. Natural Bridge is stunning. After catching our breath on the bridge for a few minutes, we continued walking around the Laurel Ridge Trail along the top of the cliffs over to the sky lift (which was a completely unexpected find for us). We admired the lift before continuing to hike the trail down back to the lodge/gift shop at the bottom. I believe this particular trail took us through Devil's Gulch to the Needle Eye Stairway, which was a VERY steep climb (I had to turn around and use the stairs as a ladder because I was too afraid of slipping and falling if I walked forwards). We made it back safely. It took about three hours to do the entire hike. I missed the Balancing Rock and a couple other aspects of the park, but we can try to walk those trails next time.... armed with plenty of water and the approrpriate shoes. What a splendid state park! What a beautiful bridge! I can't wait to explore more of Kentucky. We'll try to get in shape before we hit up some hilly trails. :P read more

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10/10 experience. Beautiful, about a mile hike uphill on a marked trail of you're getting to the bridge by the natural bridge trail. Be careful to remember which end and which side you came up on, I didn't pay attention and found myself needing to go back to the bridge and re-orient myself because I came down on the correct end but the wrong side of the bridge. I would recommend this hike and the view is spectacular! Follow me on Instagram at @searchingforstars to see more lovely pictures from my travels! read more

Natural Bridge State Park - The skylift - Hotels Near Me - Slade, Kentucky

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great park for an early morning hike. Went here before work the other day and enjoyed the hike to the bridge. No crowds what-soever. Started around 8:00 am in 39 degree temps, saw one couple at the base of the natural bridge and a father/son group just arriving as we got back to the car. I won't detail the hike and trail since others have done that. The only downside was that it was foggy the entire time. That was cool in itself, but obscured the views from the top. Guess I have to go back. read more

Natural Bridge State Park - Hotels Near Me - Slade, Kentucky

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Fantastic hike to Natural Bridge! The trails were a little rough. People were smoking which was unpleasant and when I told the front desk ladies they weren't interested. The bathrooms in the lodge were also gross and the pool was closed. However, the hiking and views were amazing! read more

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The views are definitely worth the hike! We took the original trail to the natural bridge. From there we went to the next lookout point near the sky lift. Afterwards, we went to the next lookout point and then to Lover's Leap. We back tracked to Devil's Gulch and made our way back to the original trail by the Battleship Rock trail. A total of four miles in about 2.5 hours. Pro tip: WEAR BUG SPRAY!!! read more

Natural Bridge State Park - Lovers Leap - Hotels Near Me - Slade, Kentucky

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If you enjoy hiking , scenery , and nature you will love this park. While the natural Bridge is simply wonderful, I would not go solely to see it. The hiking is really the pull here. If nature fills your soul like it does mine, go to this park. If you're in this area, there are a lot of good scenic drives as well! read more

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This is an awesome area and I highly recommend you stay at least two full days! There are several hikes that lead you to the Natural Bridge. We chose the main trail to the Battleship Rock Trail via Devil's Gulch staircase. From there, we did a side trek to Lover's Leap. We then backtracked less than 1/4 mile to the trail and finished atop Natural Bridge. Round trip is probably less than 2 miles. Most families/people can do this fun hike. There was only two hours until nightfall so we drove the 30-mile Red River Gorge Scenic Byway. It took us a little more than an hour with a few stops. This area has several family events such as canoeing, kayaking, hiking, camping & picnic grounds, cycling, reptile zoo, suspension bridge and lots of natural arches in the gorge. Enjoy! read more

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We loved this park. Beautiful and serene. Will definitely make a return trip in the near future. read more

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This is some of the greatest hiking I've ever done. that being said, I've only given a flying fart about hiking in the last two years but this is still stunning. All of the hiking trails have some sort of sight\overlook as a reward for all of your effort and is just naturally so beautiful. And its free! Cant beat that! I would highly recommend downloading and paying for the AllTrails app so that it can help you keep track of where you are on a trail in case you get to areas that are not clearly marked. It will help keep you on track. Happy trails! read more

Beautiful smaller state park with a comfortable lodge overlooking a pool and small lake. Adjacent to the Red River Gorge. Several trails right near the lodge to hike. Restaurant and bar are enjoyable when fully open, but the restaurant is now take out only and during our visit, had no fried foods (shrimp, fish, chicken, onion rings) due to the friers being shut down due to roof work going on. read more

I would love to make it back here. I had a blast with my last hike here, but I feel like I didn't get the full experience. Theres so much to do, and so many trails with great sights...I need to go back and do more. They had a cute little camping ground that I would like to stay at for a couple nights. It was fun, and I will definitely go back eventually...probably during the week though, so it won't be so busy. read more

This park is beautiful and offers much to keep you occupied. We only had a day and decided that the Sky was the limit, so we purchased summer lift tickets and headed up the mountain to see the large natural bridge. The trail is easy to manage and there's a lot of exploring to do. I would not recommend any child that doesn't show caution. It's a long and bumpy fall. The views are beautiful and we were there on a clear mild Wednesday in June. The place was rather crowded. Be prepared to be impressed by the care that goes into trail maintenance; they even weed whack the area beneath the Sky lift - Not an easy terrain. Kudos to the maintenance team. Here's the only negative: the restrooms are filthy. They have a great little gift shop and all of the employees were pleasant. It was a great visit read more

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Natural bridge rock formation is a Must visit.. amazing scenery and majestic rock but super touristy. Expect a huge number of co visitors. One amazing thing is you can hike to spot or just take the sky lift($13 to and fro ride) not a bad deal. Or one way hike and sky lift the other ($9 for one way) read more

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Beautiful, just a beautiful hike. There are multiple trails with various lengths and difficulties, so you can plan your trip to your liking. Some of which consisted of what seemed to be hundreds of stairs that literally took my breath away. But it's all worth it when you reach the lookout points and take in all of the gorgeous scenery. Maps and signs are easy to follow. I see people of all ages treading along. I love coming here in the fall to embrace the foliage, but really it's suitable for any season. read more

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