Natural Bridge State Resort Park RV & Campground Guide
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Situated within the Daniel Boone National Forest and adjacent to the Red River Gorge Geologic Area, Natural Bridge State Resort Park is one of the most beautiful and unique natural destinations in Kentucky. he Lexington and Eastern Railroad first opened the area to the public in 1895, and it became a Kentucky state park in 1926.
The park's “natural bridge” is a 78-foot-long sandstone arch that formed over millions of years, rising 65 feet above the trees. You can access the Natural Bridge by foot or via the sky lift, which offers a spectacular view. Plenty of activities are available for anyone who loves the outdoors, including fishing, birding, picnicking, and canoeing. You can also enjoy the lodge and campground amenities, which include a swimming pool, tavern, and restaurant that are open in summer.
Nearby Cities:
Lexington, KY
Hazard, KY
Stanton, KY
Berea, KY
Spring 33–75 F
Summer 61–84 F
Fall 33–79 F
Winter 21-47 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in Natural Bridge State Resort Park
Campground Accommodations
Middle Fork Campground
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: No
Wi-Fi: N/A
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: 55 feet
Other amenities: ADA access, picnic tables, trash receptacles, drinking water, fires permitted, firewood available, showers, toilets, dump station
Whittleton Campground
Water hookup: Yes
Electrical hookup: Yes
Sewer hookup: No
Wi-Fi: N/A
Pet-friendly: Yes
Max RV length: 40 feet
Other amenities: ADA access, picnic tables, trash receptacles, fires permitted, firewood available, drinking water available, showers, toilets, dump station
4 Guys RV Park
Located in Stanton, KY, less than 1/2 mile away from the historic Nada Tunnel and just a few minutes away from Red River Gorge, Natural Bridge State Park and Daniel Boone National Forest. At 4 Guys RV Park there is something here for everyone to be happy about, with a swimming pool, fishing pond with big, large-mouth bass and Middle Fork Creek stocked with rainbow trout, onsite hiking and planned activities. Whether you are a big rig owner or a primitive camper, 4 Guys, offers spacious sites with sewer, water and electric hook-ups. Rates start at $39 per night.
Water hookup: yes
Electrical hookup: yes
Sewer hookup: yes
Wi-Fi: yes
Pet-friendly: yes
Other amenities: swimming pool, fishing, laundry facilities, buddy sites, new bath house with private bathrooms, cabin rentals, picnic tables, playground, camp store, sport courts and activities
Red River Adventure
Located in Stanton, KY, Red River Adventure is the only canoe and kayak outfitter located directly in the Red River Gorge. The remote, primitive campground has no power hook-ups or running water, but it's location in the heart of the Gorge makes it the perfect place for riverside camping and provides access to hiking trails. There is a canoe/kayak take-out. Park your car at the riverside campground and let Red River Adventure take you up-river to begin your Adventure! Your canoe/kayak adventure ends back at the campground and your parked car. There is also a shuttle service to get hikers to and from trail-heads and to take privately owned canoes or kayaks to drop-offs. Rates are $8 per person, per day, kids 5 and under are free and $10 added for trailers/RVs over 10'.
Water hookup: no
Electrical hookup: no
Sewer hookup: no
Wi-Fi: no
Pet-friendly: yes
Other amenities: shuttle service, fire ring, picnic tables, canoe and kayak rental
What to Do at
Natural Bridge State Resort Park
Natural Bridge State Resort Park offers many wonderful ways to pass the time. Hike the trails to look for wildflowers, go fishing, birding, or swimming, or enjoy a picnic at your campsite. There are guided wildflower walks by day and evening square dances at Hoedown Island.
Natural Bridge State Resort Park is a gorgeous woodland destination that offers stunning panoramic views and ample outdoor activities.
Inside Natural Bridge State Resort Park
Make the most of your trip to Natural Bridge State Park and the Red River Gorge and plan to stay. You may choose to sit back, relax and let the kids run free. Reconnect with family and friends while discovering and exploring the natural resources. The adventures and views await for an experience of a lifetime. Here are a few ideas to get your started:
Natural Bridge Hoedown: Head to Hoedown Island on Saturdays from May through October for some easy-to-learn Appalachian square dancing, line dancing, two-stepping, polka’s, waltzes and other couple and individual dances. Admission is $3.00/person (ages 12 & under are free).
Birding: The best time to bird watch is in May and June when the woodland warblers return and are most vocal and active. The Fall migration is also good. Winter bird watching is great because as the leaves drop, it is easier to view various species of woodpeckers, kinglets, nuthatches, wrens, and sparrows. Best places to watch: Hood’s Branch Trail, Rock Garden Trail, Whittleton Branch Trail, Lakeside Trail, Mill Creek Lake, Picnic Shelter 3 & 4 area.
Canoeing: Canoes are available for rental Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Fishing: Mill Creek Lake is a small peaceful lake surrounded by beautiful forest and towering sandstone cliffs. Bass, bluegill, black crappie, longear sunfish, green sunfish, rainbow trout, channel catfish and black bullhead are found here. The lake is also perfect for paddling canoes and kayaks, and a launch ramp is available for fishing boats.
Hiking: The ten hiking trails range from one-half mile to seven-and-one-half miles. Trail maps are available at the Hemlock Lodge. Due to its Nature Preserve status, dogs are not allowed on hiking trails at this park except for the Whittleton Trail.
Kayaking: Kayak rentals available Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Miniature Golf: Adults and children can enjoy playing 18 holes of mini golf located at picnic shelter #2 near the skylift parking area. Mini golf balls and putters can be rented at the Mini Golf Snack Bar or at the front desk of the Hemlock Lodge.
Picnicking: Four picnic shelters with rest rooms, tables, grills, and a playground are located throughout the park. Shelters available for rental up to one year in advance.
Sky Lift: For a more relaxing climb to natural bridge, enjoy a ride on the sky lift. The ascent begins one-half mile from the park entrance and ends within 600 feet of Natural Bridge.
Swimming: The complex includes a bathhouse and a zero-depth walk-in pool. The main pool has fun directional water jets and floor bubblers. A wading pool with floor bubbles and fountain is fun for little ones. Rates: $5 per adult, $3 per child ages 3-12 daily.
Fishing
If you enjoy fishing, you can cast for bluegill, bass, rainbow trout, black crappie, longear sunfish, green sunfish, channel catfish, and black bullhead on Mill Creek Lake. Fishing equipment is lent free of charge. You will need a Kentucky fishing license, which you can purchase online at the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Geocaching
Natural Bridge State Resort Park has several geocaches that attract intrepid treasure hunters. There is also an EarthCache near Natural Bridge. If you have a hand-held GPS or a smartphone, you can join the scavenger hunt and leave items for the next searchers to discover.
Nature Watching
This park is a wonderful place to spot small mammals and amphibians. Look for white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbits, and chipmunks on the ground, and hawks in the skies. There are several interesting rock formations in addition to the famed Natural Bridge, and the forests are filled with ferns, trees, and plants. Spring is the perfect time to view wildflowers, and fall foliage is gorgeous in October.
Birding
May and June are the best months to spot and listen to the neotropical woodland warblers who make the park their home. Late September is a good time to experience the fall migration, and December, January, and February are fun times to see woodpeckers, kinglets, nuthatches, and cardinals among the bare branches. Many colorful species, like the American goldfinch, indigo bunting, and belted kingfisher, live in the park year-round. The Whittleton Branch Trail, Hood’s Branch Trail, Rock Garden Trail, and Mill Creek Lake are excellent places to see the birds you love.
Stargazing
The park is a lovely place to stargaze, although you may need to drive a bit to get away from the artificial light near the cabins and lodge.
Flora and Fauna
The park hosts more than 118 species of plants, including uncommon plant species like spinulose wood ferns in the old-growth forest. You can find eastern hemlock, sweet birch, white pine, tulip tree, northern red oak, sugar maple, walnut, and yellow buckeye along the trails, and the upland forests contain chestnut trees as well as white, scarlet, and black oaks and Virginia pines. The forest floor has liverworts and mosses, edible and medicinal plants, and many stunning wildflower species. Wetland areas feature cinnamon ferns, sedges, bulrush, silky willow, and Canada lily.
Boating
The park’s Mill Creek Lake is a quiet and beautiful spot for paddling, kayaking, and canoeing. You may bring your own boats or rent a kayak or canoe during the summer season, which lasts from Memorial Day through Labor Day. A launch ramp is available.
Biking
You can bring your mountain, hybrid, or road bike to Natural Bridge State Resort Park, but there are no designated bike trails. Contact park officials for details.
Hiking
Ten trails ranging from 0.5 to 7.5 miles long await hikers of all skill levels. Most run through a designated nature preserve. The 1.6-mile Balanced Rock Trail, the park's steepest, takes you up 600 limestone steps to the mouth of a small cave, then continues until you reach the top of Natural Bridge. Whittleton Trail is a 4.5-mile path connecting Natural Bridge and Red River Gorge.
Swimming
You can swim at your own risk in Mill Creek Lake, but it is not recommended. For a small fee, you may use the park’s spacious pool complex, which includes a spacious stone bathhouse, a large river-themed pool with floor bubblers and directional water jets, and a fenced wading pool with a fountain.
Climbing
Rock climbing is forbidden within Natural Bridge State Park, but serious climbers may want to visit the nearby Red River Gorge Geological Area for world-class sport climbing opportunities.
How to Get to
Natural Bridge State Resort Park
From Lexington, take the I-64 E and follow it until you reach the town of Slade. In Slade, take exit 33 and then a right onto State Highway 11. You'll see the entrance to the park after about two miles.
Entering Natural Bridge State Resort Park
There is no entrance or day-use fee, and parking is also free, but many of the park’s attractions do charge a separate fee. You can park at the gift shop, the skylift, Mill Creek Lake, and at the campgrounds and trailhead entrances.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Natural Bridge State Resort Park
The park is open all year, but some amenities are closed in the off-season. Although the summer season is busy, spring and early to mid-fall are the best times to visit because the temperatures are milder and the wildflowers and foliage are at their most lovely. The park tends to be crowded in the fall and on holiday weekends.
The woodlands and wetlands shelter sharp-shinned hawks, owls, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and songbirds as well as salamanders, skinks, newts, and frogs. White-tailed deer, the park's largest mammals, live among foxes, raccoons, chipmunks, bats, copperhead snakes, and timber rattlesnakes.
Middle Fork Campground and Whittleton Campground at Natural Bridge State Resort Park are designated RV camping spots.
Reservations are recommended when camping at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Campsites at Whittleton Campground cost $27 Sunday through Thursday, $29 on Friday and Saturday, and $32 on holidays. Middle Fork Campground campsites cost $30 Sunday through Thursday, $35 on Friday and Saturday, and $38 on holidays.
Middle Fork Campground and Whittleton Campground are pet-friendly, but dogs must be kept on a leash. Pets are allowed on the Henson Arch Trail and Whittleton Trail only. For more information, talk to park officials.