Natural Bridge State Park: Original/Balanced Rock Loop (Blog Hike #27)

Trails: Original, Laurel Ridge, and Balanced Rock Trails

Hike Location: Natural Bridge State Park

Geographic Location: south of Slade, KY (37.77297, -83.67878)

Length: 2.9 miles
Difficulty: 8/10 (Moderate/Difficult)

Date Hiked: September 1998

Overview: A moderate to difficult climb to Natural Bridge followed by an interesting ridgetop hike and descent past Balanced Rock.

Park Information: https://parks.ky.gov/slade/parks/resort/natural-bridge-state-resort-park
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=794747
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: Take the Mountain Parkway to SR 11 (exit 33).  Exit and go south on SR 11.  Take SR 11 south 2 miles to the entrance to Natural Bridge State Park.  Turn right to enter the park.  Follow park signs leading you to Hemlock Lodge.  The trail starts at the far end of the lodge parking lot.

The hike: Located only 45 minutes from Lexington, Natural Bridge State Park is not only a good place for some hiking but also a very popular tourist attraction.  The centerpiece of the park is the huge Natural Bridge, a rock bridge that measures 85 feet wide at the base and 40 feet thick at the top.  Natural bridges are created when water and wind erode a softer layer of rock that lies underneath a harder layer, leaving just the upper layer, fastened to rock on either side, suspended over thin air.

            The route described here is the shortest, easiest, and thus most popular one to the bridge, so do not count on peaceful serenity, especially for the first portion of this hike.  From the far end of the Hemlock Lodge parking lot, take the concrete path down a gentle grade to the beginning of the Original Trail (trail #1 on the hiking map) which goes off to the right.  Turning right on this trail, the trail immediately begins climbing some steep limestone steps.

            After about 80 of these steps, the trail levels out, and soon the Battleship Rock Trail (trail #3) goes off to the right.  Stay left on the Original Trail, which soon passes a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) shelter and begins meandering beside a creek in a steep-sided valley.  After following the creek for several hundred feet, the trail reaches the head of the valley and begins climbing again, this time without the aid of steps.  This long and fairly steep climb is the most strenuous section of this trail.  The trail takes a right, then switches back to the left.   At this point, the right side of the trail is flush against an orange sandstone cliff which has some pretty, white calcite seeping through it, much like you would find in a cave.  The trail soon takes a sharp right and passes another CCC shelter, climbing all the time. 

Calcite seepage along Original Trail

            Shortly thereafter, with another sandstone cliff on the left, the immense natural bridge first comes into view.  On the evening I approached the bridge, it appeared through the trees as a large, yellow shadow against the sapphire blue sky.  The trail curves left, with some stairs leading to the Battleship Rock Trail going off to the right, and passes underneath the rock bridge. 

On the other side of the rock bridge, look for a natural fracture about two feet wide on the left side of the bridge.  Some steps have been carved in the fracture to allow access to the top of the bridge.  Go up these stairs, making sure that nobody is coming down, as the narrowness of the fracture makes for a tight fit, and arrive at the top of the natural bridge.  Now through the hardest part of the hike, some boulders in this area and a large wooden shelter make for good spots to sit and rest from your efforts.

Hiking across Natural Bridge

            From the top of the stairway, walk across the natural bridge, noting the outstanding view it offers to either side (this is the highest point for miles around), and pick up the Laurel Ridge Trail (trail #9) on the other side.  The Laurel Ridge Trail is a flat, easy-walking trail that features some very scenic views.  The first of these can be found several hundred feet from the bridge at the skylift terminal.  Appearing as a red string draped across the mountain, the skylift provides access to the bridge for those who do not wish to walk up the hill.  For hikers, this area provides a nice view of the tree-covered Kentucky hills in the distance. 

            Continue past the skylift as the trail curves along the edge of the mountain with a steep drop-off on the right.  A few minutes after departing the skylift, arrive at Lookout Point.  This unprotected overlook sits atop a cliff and offers an unmatched postcard view of the natural bridge, which now lies across the valley to the right.  Some more hills and a pretty rock outcrop lie dead ahead.  Be careful at this overlook, as there is no railing to prevent you from venturing out too far and falling into the valley 100 feet below. 

Natural Bridge, as seen from Lookout Point

            Continuing on the trail, pass Devil's Gulch and Needle's Eye Stairway on the right and head into some dense rhododendron.  In a short distance, come out at Lover's Leap, which offers another fantastic view of the surrounding valleys and hills.  Devil's Pulpit can be viewed on the left.  This is another unprotected overlook, so again, be careful where you step.  The Laurel Ridge Trail dead ends at Lover's Leap, so you will need to turn around and retrace your steps back to the natural bridge, where the last leg of our hike will begin.

View from Lover's Leap

            Back at the natural bridge, cross the bridge and pick up the Balanced Rock Trail (trail #2), which goes off to the right of the big wooden shelter you saw earlier.  After scrambling over some exposed rock, the trail begins to climb steeply, but only for a rather short distance.  At the top of the hill, stay to the left as the Sand Gap Trail (trail #5) goes off to the right.  The Sand Gap Trail offers a moderate to difficult 10 mile loop through the backcountry on the west side of the bridge.  The long loop is worth the trip should you have the energy and time to take it.

Wooden steps on Balanced Rock Trail

            The Balanced Rock Trail enters a thick patch of rhododendron and soon begins descending, first rather gently, then very steeply using extensive wooden step construction.  Generally, a cliff rises to the right, and a very steep valley falls off to the left.  At last, the trail comes to Balanced Rock, a large slab of sandstone perched precariously atop another chunk of sandstone.  Since you must get down from the natural bridge somehow, this site is well worth the extra walking of this trail. 

Balanced Rock

            From the rock, the trail curves to the left and passes a cave on the left.  The trail then curves to the right down some steep stone stairs while a connector to the Original Trail goes straight ahead.  Climb down the stairs and arrive at the concrete path you started on.  A left turn and gentle uphill hike will return you to Hemlock Lodge to complete the hike.