Natural Bridge State Park
An enormous 78ft long, 65ft. tall, rock arch hidden in forest in North-East Kentucky. Natural rock arches are usually associated with the Southwest, but there are over 150 arches within a five mile radius of the park. This area was heavily logged in the late nineteenth century but the lush forest here today shows how resilient nature can be. The park was originally a private tourist attraction owned by L&N Railroad but was donated to the state in 1926 and became one of Kentucky’s four original state parks later that year.
There are a number of ways to get to the bridge, hidden in the woods. A short, yet somewhat steep path leads from the end of Hemlock Lodge just off of KY-11. You can enjoy the arch from below or from an outlook on top of the same mass of rock the arch is carved from. If you can wedge yourself through the narrow 50ft. long crack in the rock, a staircase at the end takes you up to the top of the arch. You obviously can’t see the arch from directly on top of it, but take a walk around the plateau to Lookout Point for a view of the top of the arch poking out above the trees. This view is best when the trees don’t have their leaves, as they are just about as tall as the arch, so they hide it well in the summer. Another popular way to get to the arch is the Sky Lift, a ski lift that takes you up the west side of the plateau. This is an easy and fun way to get to lookout point, no hiking required. The hike to a huge Balanced Rock is a bit longer and more difficult than the one to the arch.
