Carter Caves State Resort Park: Natural Bridge and Three Bridges Trails (Blog Hike #635)

Trails: Natural Bridge and Three Bridges Trails

Hike Location: Carter Caves State Resort Park

Geographic Location: west of Grayson, KY (38.37746, -83.12315)

Length: 3.9 miles

Difficulty: 7/10 (Moderate/Difficult)

Date Hiked: May 2017

Overview: A pair of loops, one short and one longer, featuring four natural bridges.

Park Information: https://parks.ky.gov/olive-hill/parks/resort/carter-caves-state-resort-park

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940315

Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: In eastern Kentucky, take I-64 to US 60 (exit 161).  Exit and go north/east on US 60.  Drive US 60 east 1.4 miles to SR 182 and turn left on SR 182.  Drive SR 182 north 2.7 miles to the park entrance on the left.  Turn softly left to enter the park, and follow the main park road to the park’s Welcome Center, where the hike begins.

The hike: Established in 1946, Carter Caves State Resort Park protects 2000 acres in northeastern Kentucky’s Carter County.  The park gets its name from the four caves on its property, all of which can be accessed by taking one of the many cave tours the park offers.  While Carter Caves do not have the size of Kentucky’s most famous cave system, Mammoth Cave, they too are home to many bats, and both cave systems were mined for saltpeter during the War of 1812.  Unlike their larger cousin, Carter Caves feature many attractive cave formations and a 30-foot underground waterfall.

            Carter Caves State Resort Park is also rich in surface amenities.  On point, the park offers several lodging facilities, including a 28-room lodge, 12 cottages, and an 89-site campground.  Several picnic areas, a 9-hole golf course, 30 miles of trails, and a lake with its usual recreation opportunities round out the park’s developed amenities.

Back to the natural features, in addition to the caves the park contains numerous natural bridges.  Most experts believe the park’s best trail to be the 3.4 mile loop called the Three Bridges Trail.  As its name suggests, the Three Bridges Trail visits three of the park’s largest natural bridges: Fern Bridge, Raven Bridge, and Smoky Bridge.  The Welcome Center that serves as a starting point for the Three Bridges Trail is also the trailhead for the short 0.5 mile Natural Bridge Trail, which visits yet another natural bridge.  Thus, by tacking on the Natural Bridge Trail either before or after your trip around the Three Bridges Trail, you can visit 4 large natural bridges in less than 4 miles.  No other hike in this blog offers such an opportunity.

Trailhead: Natural Bridge Trail

I chose to hike the Natural Bridge Trail as an appetizer before taking on the main course that is the Three Bridges Trail.  To execute such a plan, start at the signed Natural Bridge Trail trailhead, which is located left (west) of the Welcome Center.  Marked with white rectangular paint blazes, the Natural Bridge Trail starts as an asphalt path that descends to reach a picnic shelter in a very nice streamside setting.  Stay on the dirt trail on the left side of the creek.

Very quickly Natural Bridge comes into view above and ahead of you.  Not to be confused with the other natural bridges in the park, this rock bridge is simply named Natural Bridge, and it is the only natural bridge in Kentucky to support a paved highway.  The trail and the creek go under the bridge, which is deep enough to feel temporarily like a cave or a tunnel.

Approaching Natural Bridge

After emerging from the other side of the bridge, the trail curves left and climbs moderately to the top of the bridge where it crosses the paved park road at a marked crosswalk.  Keep an eye on the white blazes to ensure you stay on the trail.  After descending the other side of the bridge, you pass a park dedication plaque before reaching the streamside picnic shelter to close the loop.

Trailhead: Three Bridges Trail

Retrace your steps to the Welcome Center, then turn right and cross the main park road to reach the signed trailhead for the Three Bridges Trail, which goes left and right to form its loop.  The fenced entrance to Saltpeter Cave is also located here, and an historical marker describes the saltpeter mining that was done here in the 1800’s.  To cover the roughest terrain first, this trail description turns left on the Three Bridges Trail to hike the loop clockwise.

The trail climbs moderately to ascend above a cliff line that will remain just to the left for almost the next mile.  The main park road can be seen downhill to the left and the park’s golf course and cottage area lies uphill to the right, but the trail stays on the wooded hillside far from either of those man-made intrusions.  The red blazes of the Three Bridges Trail and the yellow blazes of the much longer Carter Caves Cross Country Trail (also known as the 4C’s Trail) run conjointly here.  Overall, the rather flat clifftop hiking is fairly easy.

Hiking along the cliff top

1.1 miles into the hike (or 0.6 miles into the Three Bridges Trail), you pass the park’s signed rock climbing and rappelling area.  Continuing southeastbound atop the cliffs, two spur trails exit right to the park’s cottage area.  At the second of these spur trails, you need to turn left to head down a steep set of stone steps that passes through a gap in the cliff.

South side of Fern Bridge

North side of Fern Bridge

The trail gets a little rocky before reaching Fern Bridge, your next natural bridge, at 1.4 miles.  Fern Bridge is separated from the main cliff line by only a few feet, and although it is quite large it may be the least impressive of the four bridges on this hike.  True to its name, a large number of ferns grow near the bridge’s base.  Past Fern Bridge, the going gets easier again as you round the eastern end of the main ridge.  At 1.9 miles, you pass under a power line that serves the park amenities at the top of the ridge. 

2.3 miles into the hike, you reach a major trail intersection.  The Three Bridges Trail turns left to head downhill, but before heading that way turn right and walk uphill a few yards on the blue-blazed Raven Bridge Trail to get a view of Raven Bridge, this hike’s third natural bridge.  With its thin shape and smooth lintel, Raven Bridge may be the park’s most graceful natural bridge.  Some large boulders and trees make it hard to get an unobstructed view.

Raven Bridge through the trees

Back on the Three Bridges Trail, after descending a short distance, the 4C’s Trail exits left.  Some views of Smoky Valley Lake, the park’s main body of water, appear through the trees on the left now.  The trail climbs moderately to reach a large, cool rock shelter with a sandy floor.  Some rocks make perfect benches to sit and have a trail snack just past the midpoint of this hike.

Approaching a rock shelter

At 2.6 miles, the yellow-blazed Rockhouse Trail exits right just before the Three Bridges Trail drops steeply into a small ravine.  After climbing out of the ravine, the main access trail from the lodge enters from the right.  The trail briefly becomes paved as it descends to the lowest elevation on this hike, which is only about 200 feet below the highest elevation.

The next trail exiting right provides a by-pass of Smoky Bridge, but why choose that option when the bridge lies only feet in front of you?  Continue straight to cross Smoky Bridge, then turn right and descend some concrete steps to reach the base of the bridge and a fantastic bridge view.  Smoky Bridge is the park’s largest natural bridge, so take some time and enjoy this scenic site.

Smoky Bridge

After viewing the bridge, turn left, cross the trickle of a creek that runs under the bridge, and begin climbing parallel to the creek.  The Smoky Bridge by-pass trail enters from the right.  The trail next gains 200 feet of elevation over the next 0.5 miles in a gradual but persistent climb through nice broadleaf forest.

Just shy of 3.5 miles, the trail tops out as it crosses the campground access road on another marked crosswalk.  After staying near the campground for a short distance, you curve right to begin a moderate descent.  The trail crosses the main park road shortly before closing the loop.  A left turn and short downhill walk returns you to the Visitor Center to complete the hike.  Before you leave, consider signing up for a cave tour to visit this park’s below-ground attractions.