Gray's Arch Trail Hiking Guide
Gray's Arch is one of the best-known arches in the Red River Gorge, and this is the standard way to see it: a short out-and-back from the Grays Arch Picnic Area on Tunnel Ridge Road. The path winds through forest past rock formations, with a few sets of stairs, and ends near a small waterfall below the arch. It is a short day, which makes it easy to pair with Auxier Ridge just up the road.
Distance and Route
AllTrails measures the hike at 2.5 miles round trip with 324 feet of gain and estimates an hour or a bit more. The Forest Service's brochure lists Grays Arch Trail #205 itself at only a quarter mile; the rest of the walk uses the Rough Trail (#221), which starts from the same picnic area along with the D. Boon Hut Trail and the Sheltowee Trace. Official trails in the gorge are blazed with white diamonds, and AllTrails calls this one easy to follow, with occasional stairs and a small waterfall near the end.
Trailhead and Facilities
From Mountain Parkway exit 33 at Slade, turn onto KY 15 and drive about three miles east to Tunnel Ridge Road; the picnic area is less than a mile in on the right. It is a day-use site open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with an accessible vault toilet and picnic tables but no drinking water, so fill bottles before you leave town. Park only in the designated lot. The Forest Service does not allow roadside parking anywhere along Tunnel Ridge Road, and the first three miles of the road get very busy on weekends and holidays.
Rules Specific to the Arch
Because the arch draws so many people, the Forest Service has two orders that apply right here. Climbing or rappelling within 300 feet of Gray's Arch is prohibited, and camping within 600 feet of it is prohibited, on top of the gorge-wide ban on camping within 300 feet of any road or trail. Building fires or camping in rock shelters is also off-limits; the shelters hold archaeological sites and habitat for rare plants and bats.
A Longer Loop
If the out-and-back feels short, AllTrails maps a 3.8-mile loop with 593 feet of gain that links Pinch-em Tight, Rush Ridge and the Rough Trail with the arch. Reviewers suggest hiking it counterclockwise because the path down from the escarpment is easier to pick out going downhill. Carry a downloaded map for the junctions.
Footing, Mud and the Cliffs
After rain the trail turns muddy enough that AllTrails recommends boots. The Forest Service is blunt about the cliffs here: people are hurt or killed in falls every year, foot travel after dark is not safe, and falls tend to involve walking at night, drinking or stunts near the edge. Kentucky law bans alcohol consumption and open containers on national forest land. Dogs are allowed; keep yours on a leash in the picnic area, where federal rules require one no longer than six feet, and close at hand near the drop-offs.
Hiking tips for Gray's Arch Trail
- Bring water; the picnic area has none.
- Park only in the marked lot, never along Tunnel Ridge Road.
- Look at the arch from the trail and don't climb on it; climbing within 300 feet is banned.
- Be back at the car before dark; the cliffs are hard to see at night.
- Wear boots with tread if it has rained in the last couple of days.
Nearby trails to explore
- Auxier Ridge Trail to Courthouse Rock
- Double Arch Trail (Red River Gorge)
- Natural Bridge Original Trail and Laurel Ridge Loop
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Gray's Arch is short enough for a mixed-pace group and close to the Mountain Parkway. Use TrailMates to find people hiking the Red River Gorge, plan the day in the event's group chat, and meet at the Tunnel Ridge Road lot. Get TrailMates on the App Store or Google Play.