Natural Bridge and Battleship Rock Trail - May 2021

Summary

The Natural Bridge and Battleship Rock Trail is an awesome 4.5 mile hike in the Red River Gorge with constant changes in scenery, challenges, and views. It is a short hike, but what the hike lacks in distance, it makes up for in variety excitement!

AllTrails
This trail is exactly what we followed for this hike. It is also rated as one of the top trails in the Red River Gorge. One thing to keep in mind is this hike is easily accessible from many campgrounds and cabin rentals, so if you are going anywhere near peak season, expect this hike to be very crowded, especially since there are shorter alternatives to this hike.

Where

The Natural Bridge and Battleship Rock are landmarks in Kentucky, in the Red River Gorge. The closest town to this area is Slade, Kentucky.

Logistics

The trailhead for this hike is just off a main road situated between the Natural Bridge State Resort Park Campground and the Natural Bridge Visitor Center. The parking lot is rather large, and there are multiple parking locations to get on this trail. It is a loop trail, so alternate options exist as well.

Hiking

This hike is relatively easy considering the majority of the climbs and descents come with steps, handrails, and no exposure. It’s clear this is a heavily trafficked hike, and is maintained so many different hikers of various skill levels can enjoy it! Some areas offer some unique features and views of the red river gorge rock structures. There’s a portion of the trail that is steep and in between to large rocks. This climb or, in our case descent, was a pretty fun section to experience. The best parts of this hike however, are the great views of the Natural Bridge and Battleship Rock. It was really nice that there was only about a half mile of hiking between great views of the area. That was one aspect of this hike that I really enjoyed.

Overall, this hike is one I would absolutely recommend. There is little risk or exposure with this hike, it’s relatively short, and the fun factor is high! If you’re ever in the area, this hike should at least be on your list, but I’d recommend putting it at the top of your list!

Photos

Photos taken on this trail are with my Canon Rebel T5 with a 24mm lens.