Solo Road Trip: Indiana and Red River Gorge
one of my favorite places in the world :)
I have a few truly favorite places. The sort of places that I keep coming back to, that I think are magic, that I can’t stay away from.
Lake Superior, of course, is one of them. I think Olympic National Park too, has joined my ranks of places I am deeply interested in. The San Juan Islands and their Orca Lore, Northern Michigan. And Kentucky’s Red River Gorge.
The Red River Gorge is home to the highest concentration of natural arches outside of Arches National Park. The gorge is green with rolling Appalachian foothills, mountain laurel flowering in the hills, waterfalls and ridges, caves and arches. It’s a really special, beautiful place.
When I started planning this road trip, I knew for sure that I wanted to end up in the gorge again.
Clifty Falls State Park, Indiana
I left the Shawnee National Forest in Illinois for Indiana, mostly because I wanted to prove there was something to do in Indiana (never mind that Clifty Falls is BARELY in Indiana).
But, at just an hour and a half from both Cincinnati and Indianapolis, Clifty Falls is a pretty solidly midwest destination.
It was wildly hot while I was there, mid-80s, and it was around this time that I noticed my tires needed to be changed and soon. I made a quick appointment for the next day, and identified the shortest possible waterfall hikes in the park.
I think the hardest part for me about solo travel for work (most of this travel was for articles/ blog) is days like this. I was stressed about my car, and it was hot, and I haven’t been hot in a very long time living in North places, and I just didn’t want to hike. I was basically camped in a soccer field for an electric site, and the bathroom nearest me was closed, and things were just… not working out.
I had hoped to do a lot more hiking here. Instead, I did just about two miles before calling it for the night.
check out my guide to solo car camping to avoid the mistakes I made on this trip :)
I woke up and left basically immediately, ready to try my luck somewhere else, got my tires changed, and made a beeline for Kentucky.
Red River Gorge, Kentucky
My perfered camping spot in the Red River Gorge is Natural Bridge State Resort Park, ideally one of the tent sites near the pretty little creek. Here, you can hike up to the Natural Bridge and some great little lookout points. You’re also super close to the little “tourist” district with my favorite Daniel Boone Coffee Shop and Miguel’s Pizza— climbers often camp out at Miguels for cheap which is also a fun option.
I think I could probably stay in the Red River Gorge for the whole month of May and never run out of things to do. I found myself wishing at this point, almost day seven, that I had someone here to share this beautiful place with.
I like going solo— I like the time and space for reflection, I love the feeling of wow, this world is beautiful and I am a part of it.
But I like sharing wonderful things more. I like turning to the person next to me and pointing— do you see the rainbow? This magic, do you see it too? I think that’s what I like about guiding so much, the sharing of something very very special.
My first day in the Red River Gorge it got up to 86 degrees F and I did think I was going to die. More importantly, there was just no way I could possibly sleep in my car if it was going to be that hot.
Luckily, I brought my tent, which is much cozier.
I’ve had my Big Agnes Fly Creek for six years now & it still is my go-to solo tent for everything from backpacking to car camping. Read my review here.
The Red River Gorge has waterfalls and ridges, great views and swimming holes and wildflowers, but definitely the coolest part of the area is the sandstone arches. I’ve always thought the one above looks a little like a horse.
After that first hot day, it cooled down and I settled into a routine of hiking in the mornings before it got hot out, ticking off the trails I hadn’t explored on my last trip. Then, I would back to camp and shower, then loiter at the coffee shop and work on my laptop late into the afternoon.
Summers for me, wether I’m out on a trip like this or guiding, tend to take that same fast pace, use up every second of available daylight. I kind of love it, but usually I hit September and crash.
a full guide to all my favorite hiking trails and arches in the Red
on making your passions a job, which I have very much done:
+ whether I would recommend it:
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