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Red River Gorge trip planning?

Original Post
Tyler Sawmiller · · Columbus, Ohio · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 0

Hello everyone. I just recently discovered red river gorge, about 3 hours from me in ohio. I've always wanted to do a kayak camping trip. Does any one have any advice on where I should plan on doing this at. I envision myself spending a 3 day weekend kayaking a lake or river, setting up camp on the bank, and hiking a trail to climb a rock wall, then returning to camp. Rinse and repeat. I've been reading articles but I'm not sure in what areas I should focus my research to. Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Drake Pregnall · · Morehead, KY · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 1,045

Water in the gorge will be low this time of year. There are state parks in eastern KY that could do you nicely. Cave Run and Grayson Lake are two that I've enjoyed. Grayson Lake is very cool. Well worth an adventure.

Tyler Sawmiller · · Columbus, Ohio · Joined Sep 2014 · Points: 0

Sorry, I should of been more clear. I'm thinking of my first trip there around april/may. I primarily bass fish, but the guy I will be going with is really into rock climbing. I want to be able to combine the two trips without having to hike 15 miles for either of us to get to where we want to go.

Drake Pregnall · · Morehead, KY · Joined Dec 2011 · Points: 1,045

Ah excellent. Well the Red River is excellent for fishing, and Highway 715 parallels the river for a good portion of the so called "Middle Gorge" which is full of old school trad cliffs just uphill and north of the river. The Lower Gorge is a little quieter as it is down a Forest Service road rather than a main paved road, and there is also great fishing and trad climbing back there. I'm not sure off the top of my head what would be the best bet for close proximity sport climbing and fishing.

Short Beta · · Troy, MI · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 45

I hope you like overhanging pockets :)

MarcHL · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 0
boatertalk.com/

If you have not already, check with the forum on this link. It has been a while since I looked into kayaking the Red but I do recall that there is some white water and though it is close to the road it is not "roadside" in some areas.

Cheers and good luck
Dylan Pike · · Knoxville, TN · Joined Sep 2013 · Points: 488

I always see people canoeing and kayaking on the Red River. It runs smack dab through the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest, and there are tons of dispersed campsites that access both the river and the road (Forest Rd 23 or N Fork Rd, they have the same name). Camping costs $5/3 nights. The biggest hitch is that the river only accesses the road (and thusly the climbing) along Forest Road 23. It parallels 715, but there arent necessarily good campsites, as there is a considerable slope between the highway and the water. You might find camping on the south side of the river. There are tons of old school crags in the area, but the most accessible one that I can think of is Long Wall. Most others would be a bit of a hike along a forest service road if you leave your boats tied up along the river. Let me know if you have more specific questions!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Southern States
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