Welcome to Part 3 in our series of hikes at Red River Gorge! If you're not familiar with visiting the Gorge, check out Part 1 Hiking To Rock Bridge Arch. There you'll find our rundown on where to start your visit to the park and what precautions you should take. Also make sure to read Part 2 Hiking To Angel Windows Arch.
The Whistling Arch Trailhead #234 is located on State Highway 715. Its roughly 1 mile north of the Angel Windows Arch Trailhead. A small gravel parking lot will greet you and signs will direct you towards the quick .25 mile hike to the arch. The short hike traveling along a wooded ridge underneath towering hemlock and oak trees is a breeze. If your not careful you'll walk right past this arch.
The arch itself is positioned at an angle which hides its from view on your approach along the trail. Small yet stunning, Whistling Arch is actually the opening to an enormous buttress rock shelter on the opposite side.
Once inside the rock shelter, you feel as if you're sitting in an amphitheater awaiting a theatrical performance! Find a boulder to sit on and wait for a strong gust of wind to blow through the opening and create a whistling sound, for which the arch is named after.
Just a few steps past Whistling Arch is one of the most stunning views in all of Red River Gorge. The forest clears just as you step onto a sandstone ledge dropping of hundreds of feet into a gorge. Set up your camera and snap away at this scenic overlook.
If you look closely, there is a small trail leading around the back of the cliff. Beware, this small visitor made trail gets pretty thin at points, dropping off into the gorge and some parts are right down dangerous to traverse.
- Stay tuned for our upcoming post on Hiking To Sky Bridge Arch!
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