Red River Gorge has achieved worldwide recognition for it's incredible Sandstone rock climbing. Some of the best climbers in the world visit the Gorge, and the popularity of climbing in the Gorge grows every year. You can find multitudes of bolted sport climbs ranging from 5.7 up to 5.13 in difficulty, including many of the hardest climbs east of the Mississippi River. The Gorge also features hundreds of traditional climbs. Even with the high number of sport climbs, the easier climbs tend to always be crowded. Traditional climbs are your best bet if climbing solitude is what you're looking for. The most crowded areas are usually Roadside Crag, Left Flank, and Military Wall. If you want some amazing climbs without the crowds, try the traditional climbs on Tower Rock. A few nice but uncrowded sport climbs can be found at my personal favorite climbing crag, Pistol Ridge. There are already great sources of climbing information for Red River Gorge both online and in book form, so we will not publish specific route descriptions here. The primary web site for Red River Gorge climbing information is The Red River Gorge Climber's Coalition. Every rock-climber should purchase the following guidebook to the area: Red River Gorge Climbs by John Bronaugh. It's great, describing hundreds of climbs in detail, and now is in it's second edition. This book can be purchased at many outdoor specialty shops in Cincinnati, as well as at the Daniel Boone Trading Post on Route 11 south of the rest area (see Dining).

Short Hikes

Day Hikes

Backpacking

Climbing

Fishing

Canoeing

INTRODUCTION to the Red River Gorge. DIRECTIONS how to get there. ACCOMMODATIONS camping, cabins, & lodging. DINING the best dining in the area. ACTIVITIES things to do while there. MAP trail & road map. SELECTHIKES back to our home page.