Gladie Visitor Center

Stanton, Slade, and Nearby Public Lands

For most visitors, Stanton and Slade are the most convenient nearby areas for food, fuel, supplies, lodging, and local visitor information.

Stanton serves as the county seat of Powell County and provides access to the western side of the Red River Gorge. Slade is located near Natural Bridge State Resort Park and several popular trail, lodging, and recreation areas. The Powell County Tourism Commission also operates a welcome center where visitors can find brochures and local directions.

The Red River Gorge Geological Area, Clifty Wilderness, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, and other nearby recreation sites are all managed separately from FIND Outdoors. Each destination may have its own parking arrangements, fees, operating hours, pet rules, trail conditions, and seasonal information. Please take time to review current details about each destination before visiting.

Scenic Roads, Nada Tunnel, and Sandstone Landmarks

The Red River Gorge Scenic Byway offers one of the best ways to experience the surrounding landscape by car. The approximately 46-mile route travels through forested valleys and past cliffs, waterways, trailheads, and recreation areas within and around the Gorge.

One of the route’s best-known features is Nada Tunnel, a narrow, one-lane passage originally built for timber transportation in the early twentieth century. Today, it serves as a memorable entrance into the Gorge along KY-77. Drivers should wait until the tunnel is clear, use headlights, and watch carefully for oncoming vehicles.

Other nearby public destinations include Sky Bridge Recreation Area, Chimney Top Recreation Area, Grays Arch, and additional sandstone formations throughout the Red River Gorge Geological Area. These sites vary in trail length, difficulty, parking, and exposure to cliffs. Visitors should choose destinations that fit their available time and hiking experience.

Historic and Cultural Stops

The Red River Gorge is shaped by both its remarkable natural landscape and a human history stretching back thousands of years. Rock shelters, valleys, and waterways throughout the region preserve evidence of Indigenous use, along with later sites connected to settlement, farming, logging, transportation, and forest conservation.

Because archaeological and historic resources are protected, visitors should leave artifacts, structures, rock shelters, and other cultural features undisturbed. Do not collect objects, dig, carve into rock, or enter closed areas.

Visitors interested in more recent regional history can also explore the Historic Nature Center and Civilian Conservation Corps features at Natural Bridge State Resort Park. Before leaving Gladie, take time to see the historic Gladie Cabin and interpretive exhibits, which introduce the former community and the people who lived and worked in the Gorge.

The Red River, Forests, and Clifty Wilderness

The Red River flows through the center of the Gorge and is a defining part of the surrounding landscape. A 19.4-mile section is protected as a National Wild and Scenic River, the only river in Kentucky with that federal designation.

Designated public access points, including Copperas Creek Canoe Launch, provide opportunities for paddling and fishing. River conditions can change quickly with rainfall, and different sections of the Red River require different skill levels. Visitors should review water levels, weather, launch information, and the difficulty of their planned route before entering the river.

Nearby Clifty Wilderness protects more than 12,000 acres of rugged forest, stream valleys, sandstone cliffs, and backcountry trails. The terrain is steep and less developed than the main visitor areas, making it better suited to hikers who are prepared with maps, water, appropriate footwear, and enough daylight. Wilderness rules also differ from those in developed recreation areas.

Visit Natural Bridge State Resort Park

Natural Bridge State Resort Park near Slade is another useful stop for visitors exploring the region. The park’s natural sandstone bridge can be reached by hiking or by using the seasonal sky lift when available.

The park also offers additional trails, picnic areas, a historic nature center, lodging, cottages, and other seasonal recreation. Trail difficulty varies considerably, from short walks to steep routes with stairs and major elevation changes.

Natural Bridge State Resort Park is managed separately from Gladie Visitor Center and the U.S. Forest Service. Parking, trail access, pet policies, fees, and seasonal services may differ from those in the Red River Gorge Geological Area. Most trails within the park’s dedicated nature preserve do not allow pets, so visitors traveling with a dog should review current park rules before arriving.

Plan Ahead Before Exploring Nearby Areas

Each nearby destination may have its own fees, parking limits, operating hours, pet policies, road access, seasonal schedules, permits, and temporary closures. Before leaving Gladie, check current information directly with the agency responsible for the next place you plan to visit.

Roads throughout the Gorge are often narrow and winding, with limited shoulders, blind curves, one-lane sections, and occasional closures caused by weather or maintenance. Parking can fill quickly during weekends, holidays, and fall color season.

Cell service is limited in many areas. Save maps and directions before traveling, carry water, allow extra time, and choose destinations that fit your group’s schedule, experience, and comfort around cliffs, uneven trails, and changing outdoor conditions. Review current Daniel Boone National Forest alerts before entering backcountry or wilderness areas.

→ Explore the Red River Gorge Geological Area 
→ Drive the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway 
→ Visit Natural Bridge State Resort Park
→ Check Daniel Boone National Forest Alerts