Chimney Top Rock Trail (Red River Gorge) Hiking Guide
Chimney Top Rock is the Red River Gorge's big view for very little effort: a near-level ridgetop walk from the end of Chimney Top Road to a sandstone point the Forest Service says towers 400 feet above the Red River. Princess Arch, a slender span you can walk over and under, leaves from the same parking area. The edges are the hazard here, not the distance.
The Walk Out
The Forest Service lists Chimney Top Trail #235 at a quarter mile in its trail table. AllTrails maps the out-and-back at 0.7 mile with 49 feet of gain, rated easy, on a mostly flat dirt and gravel path through ridgetop forest. Near the end the footing turns to roots, leaf litter and uneven stone, and the trail finishes on exposed sandstone ledges.
Edges Without Rails
AllTrails warns there is little room near the edge, no guardrails in some areas and slick rock after rain. Agency brochures for the gorge report fatal and injury falls from its cliffs annually and call walking around after dark unsafe, which matters if you are tempted to linger for sunset. Climbing and rappelling within 300 feet of the Chimney Top Rock overlook are prohibited by forest order. Keep children beside you and stay back from the rim when the rock is wet.
Princess Arch
Princess Arch Trail #233 starts from the same overlook parking and is also listed by the Forest Service at a quarter mile. AllTrails maps it at 0.6 mile out and back with 88 feet of gain, rated easy, through rhododendron, pine and hardwoods, and notes it gets muddy after a downpour. The Forest Service describes the arch as slender and says you can walk both over and under it, so most people do both trails in one visit.
Road and Parking
Heading east from Slade on KY 15, it's 7 miles to the KY 715 junction; take 715 for 2.1 miles and bear left on Chimney Top Road (Forest Road 10) and follow it 4.5 miles to the end; the Rough Trail parking area is about 2 miles up the same road. Chimney Top Overlook has designated parking, vault toilets, picnic tables and trash collection but no drinking water. Chimney Top Road is one of the gravel roads the agency has gated for part of the winter (a past season ran from December into January), so look at the Daniel Boone alerts page before a cold-weather trip.
Dogs
Dogs are allowed on both trails. The overlook is a developed recreation site, where federal rules require a leash of six feet or less, and a short leash is the only sensible choice on the open ledges at the end.
Hiking tips for Chimney Top Rock Trail (Red River Gorge)
- Bring a headlamp for sunrise or sunset, and stay well back from the edge in low light.
- Don't step onto wet sandstone near the rim.
- Walk Princess Arch Trail from the same lot.
- Check winter road status before driving Chimney Top Road.
- Carry water; the overlook has none.
Nearby trails to explore
- Sky Bridge Trail (Red River Gorge)
- Rock Bridge Trail (Red River Gorge)
- Gray's Arch Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Chimney Top Rock is the gorge's easiest big view and a great sunset plan with a group. Use TrailMates to find people hiking the Red River Gorge and line up rides and timing in the event group chat. Download TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.