Natural Bridge State Park - KY

kygarden

<a href="http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/resortparks/nb/">Natural Bridge</a> is also near the Red River Gorge Park - Daniel Boone National Forest - KY. The 'natural bridge' is a sandstone arch. I didn't get a nice shot of the side of the bridge because we didn't hike enough to get that view. It was pouring rain most of the trip.

This way to the natural bridge. The story is, this trail remains mostly on the same route it was back int he late 1800's when the railroad opened the park. I think the railroad had this park as an attraction along their rail line. Mostly they were hauling out trees and coal but they had a little tourism going on too.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545799753_HxeAh-L.jpg"/&gt;

Sure, it looks easy now but most of the trail after this was steep, wet, slippery and narrow. Not too bad, but not great when it's wet with a 4 year old.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545799916_A5iSF-L.jpg"/&gt;

There's plenty of moisture so things grow everywhere. In the rocks...
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545800096_aDSbA-L.jpg"/&gt;

And on dead trees. Moss and ferns.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545800243_h9BFp-L.jpg"/&gt;

This is the bottom of the bridge.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545800409_JqtgW-L-1.jpg"/&gt;

Bottom again.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545800609_WCC3i-L.jpg"/&gt;

And this is what the top of the sandstone arch looks like.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545800730_nok2t-L.jpg"/&gt;

Views from the top of the arch/bridge.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545800857_sUmgc-L.jpg"/&gt;

<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545800937_qpPMz-L.jpg"/&gt;

<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545801055_3dbC5-L.jpg"/&gt;

Mountain laurel and a pine tree found homes in the rock with the little dirt available.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545801463_ECmGK-L.jpg"/&gt;

Allan and Lisa (my son and wife)
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545801682_6LfSR-L.jpg"/&gt;

This is the only passage (yes, the narrow trail in the rock) from one direction. You can come from the other direction so you don't have to go through this...if you're too big. For the record, I made it ;-)
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545802009_jP9oX-L.jpg"/&gt;

This is the 'Balanced Rock'. A chuck of sandstone that was left perched here after lots of erosion.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545802215_uqPXW-L.jpg"/&gt;

<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545964737_yK8Cb-L.jpg"/&gt;

I love the roots of this tree growing down the side of the rocks. This is on the other side of the balanced rock.
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545802372_RvVsE-L.jpg"/&gt;

Moss, moss, everywhere moss
<img src="http://openbloom.smugmug.com/photos/545963506_zHot7-L.jpg"/&gt;

ian408

Tell us a bit about your trip. Otherwise, it's just a group of gorgeous landscape shots

kygarden

ian408 wrote:

Tell us a bit about your trip. Otherwise, it's just a group of gorgeous landscape shots

I'll go back and fill in some text by the photos