Hikers of the Bluegrass

Join Hikers of the Bluegrass for a bushwhacking off-trail adventure to find two hidden Arches-Papa Bear and Sexton Arch.

Our rugged and rewarding route will start from the Martin's Fork Trailhead hiking the official Rough Trail with our first stop at one of the most recognizable & popular arches in the RRG, Gray's Arch, an impressive 50 ft tall and 80ft wide sandstone arch. We will get off trail just beyond Gray's Arch and bushwhack thru the woods to find Papa Bear & Sexton Arch. The difficult and steep terrain will make this a more challenging hike. After exploring the area, make our way back to the Rough Trail with another stop to a lesser known but rewarding overlook "The Veranda" where we take in the great view it offers. Once leaving the Veranda we will pick up Rush Ridge trail to complete our loop and head back to MF Trailhead.
This hike is moderately challenging with estimated mileage 5-6 and elevation gain & loss total 1100.

Directions to SLADE P&R from Lexington
From the 1-64/1-75 southern split, drive east on 1-64 16.4 mi, exit 98 Combs Mountain Parkway; drive 32 mi to exit 33, Hwy 15 (Slade); from exit go left, (look for sign posted Park & Ride) then immediate left (west), then another immediate left into Park & Ride parking lot next to GoTime gas station. Meet here 9:00AM, depart for the trailhead no later than 9:15AM

DISCLAIMER
By committing to this event, you acknowledge you have read the following Disclaimer: Meetup organizers/leaders are not guides, nor are they experts. You are solely responsible for your own safety. By signing up for and attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking is an outdoor activity that can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury and possibly death. By participating in this meetup event, you acknowledge that you're of good physical standing and willing to risk the inherent dangers of the activity. All attendees participate at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or any injury to themselves or their guests. By signing up for this event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer, and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event.

Join Hikers of the Bluegrass for our last hike in 2025. Whether you're an experienced hiker or just getting started this event will be a great chance to get outdoors, meet new people, and explore trails not far from Lexington.

We’ll be visiting three waterfalls on this hike: Eagle Falls, Dog Slaughter Falls, and Cumberland Falls.
The total mileage will be 6–8 miles, rated Moderate, with an overall elevation gain of 1,100–1,300 feet.

7:30 AM @Cabellas
We’ll meet up, consolidate cars, and carpool to the Cumberland Falls trailhead. We’ll grab a quick breakfast on the way. Make sure to bring lunch and some snacks for the hike. After the hike, we’ll stop for dinner, returning to Lexington later that evening

Link to Cumberland Falls Trailhead.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/kentucky/cumberland-falls-and-dog-slaughter-falls-via-sheltowee-trace-trail?u=i&sh=nnytjk

Link for Eagle Falls Trailhead
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/kentucky/cumberland-falls-via-eagle-creek-falls-trail?u=i&sh=nnytjk

DISCLAIMER
By committing to this event, you acknowledge you have read the following Disclaimer: Meetup organizers/leaders are not guides, nor are they experts. You are solely responsible for your own safety. By signing up for and attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking is an outdoor activity that can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury and possibly death. By participating in this meetup event, you acknowledge that you're of good physical standing and willing to risk the inherent dangers of the activity. All attendees participate at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or any injury to themselves or their guests. By signing up for this event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer, and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event.

Join Hikers of the Bluegrass for our first hike in 2026! Whether you’re a new hiker or seasoned adventurer, let’s start this New year off right together on the trail.

Hanson's Point, Jerrell Goodpasture in his book "Hinterlands" wrote: "This is, without a doubt, one of the best hikes in the Red...The massive overlook at the end is unsurpassed in beauty, ruggedness, and exposure."

Our route-From the Grays Arch Trailhead, we will start our hike on the Pinch-em Tight Trail, travel to the Veranda via Rush Ridge trail then pick up the Rough trail to Hanson's Point. On our way back, we will hike the Sheltowee trail, the total mileage for our hike is an estimated 5.5 miles. Much of the hike is relatively easy ridge-top traveling; however one segment of the Rough drops 400 feet and quickly regains it for moderate challenging (with a reward of impressive rock houses.

Bonus: It’s Winter, it’s a great time to get offtrail and do some exploring. Not far from Hanson’s Point are the Ledford Arches, This will require a bit of bushwhacking and a few rock scrambles to reach them. This part of the hike is optional.

Dog friendly hike,

Directions from Lexington
From the 1-64/1-75 southern split, drive east on 1-64 16.4 mi, exit 98 Combs Mountain Parkway; drive 32 mi to exit 33, Hwy 15 (Slade); from exit go left, (look for sign posted Park & Ride) then immediate left (west), then another immediate left into Park & Ride parking lot next to GoTime gas station.
Meet here at 9:00AM
the carpool will leave for the trailhead no later then 9:15.

Do you want to go chase some waterfalls? If yes, join Hikers of the Bluegrass for a fun day of hiking at the Clifty Falls State Park right outside of Madison, Indiana. Whether you're an experienced hiker or just getting started this event will be a great chance to get outdoors, meet new people, and explore some great trails.

This adventure will start from the parking lot near the North Gate of the park. From the parking lot we will hike to Clifty Falls, to Little Clifty Falls, to Tunnel Falls, and then to Hoffman Falls, before hiking back up to Clifty Falls.

The Trails:
The hike will start at 11:00 am and will be approximately 7.5 miles with around 2,500 ft ascent on trails that range from smooth walking paths to rough & challenging trails. There is also a potential for a creek crossing or two. The waterfalls and creeks levels are a bit unpredictable; however, winter and spring is suppose to be the best time to view them.

Carpool & Important Details:
Meet at Cabela's in Lexington (next to Costco) at 7:45 AM with the goal of being all loaded up and on the road to Clifty Falls State Park by 8:00 AM. On the way there, we'll stop for a quick breakfast at the McDonald's in Carrollton, KY. We should arrive at Clifty Falls State Park at about 10:45 AM.

If you choose to drive yourself please message me and plan to be at the Clifty Falls State Park's north parking lot near the North Gate by 10:45 am.

Bring snacks, lunch and water for the hike. After the hike, we will grab a bite to eat in Madison before driving back to Cabela's in Lexington.

Clifty Falls State Park does have a entry fee of $9 per vehicle. Please bring some cash to chip in for the entry fees and gas for the carpool drivers.

Clifty Falls State Park Website:
https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/clifty-falls-state-park/

DISCLAIMER
By committing to this event, you acknowledge you have read the following Disclaimer: Meetup organizers/leaders are not guides, nor are they experts. You are solely responsible for your own safety. By signing up for and attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking is an outdoor activity that can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury and possibly death. By participating in this meetup event, you acknowledge that you're of good physical standing and willing to risk the inherent dangers of the activity. All attendees participate at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or any injury to themselves or their guests. By signing up for this event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer, and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event.