Daniel Boone National Forest: Whittleton Branch Trail (Blog Hike #139)

Trails: Whittleton Branch and Whittleton Arch Trails

Hike Location: Daniel Boone National Forest

Geographic Location: east of Slade, KY (37.79703, -83.65423)

Length: 4.2 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Dates Hiked: February 2004, May 2017

Overview: A moderate creekside hike with a side trip to Whittleton Arch.

Trail Information: http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/dbnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=39540
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=940325
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: From the Slade exit on the Mountain Parkway, go east on SR 15 3.3 miles to Tunnel Ridge Road, which exits left.  The trail leaves the road on the right side opposite of Tunnel Ridge Road.  Park in a small gravel pull-out on the left at this intersection.

The hike: One of the first human entry points into Red River Gorge came at the stream we today call Whittleton Branch.  The ravine containing Whittleton Branch was too steep and narrow for farming, but the valley was just wide enough for a railroad, opening the area for timber production.  The first railroad tracks came through in the 1880’s, and the line along Whittleton Branch remained in operation until 1928.  Some of the scars from the railroad can still be seen today hiking this trail.

            The Whittleton Branch Trail (national forest trail #216) is a 1.9 mile linear trail beginning at SR 15 near the headwaters of Whittleton Branch and following the creek southwest to the Whittleton Campground, a national forest campground.  The famous 219-mile Sheltowee Trace Trail also uses this route.  The main feature of the trail is Whittleton Arch, which is reached by a 0.2 mile side trail that exits 1.1 miles from the upper trailhead.  If you are only interested in seeing the arch, the shortest and easiest route is to start at the campground and hike upstream, but this choice misses some great scenery in the upper reaches of Whittleton Branch.  The route described here begins at the upper trailhead and follows the entire trail to the campground with a side trip on the way downstream to the arch.

Upper trailhead: Whittleton Branch Trail

            From your car, cross the road and find the large wooden sign that marks the beginning of the Whittleton Branch Trail.  The trail immediately enters the woods and begins descending toward the creek, which is in its infancy at this point.  The hillside is steep, but three switchbacks and some steps cut into the sandstone bedrock aid the descent.  Once at stream level, the descent becomes much gentler, as the trail heads downstream with the creek on the right and a steep hillside on the left.

Descending on Whittleton Branch Trail

            The ravine walls get progressively steeper until, at 0.4 miles, the trail and the creek share paths for about 200 feet.  You will be walking on bare rock that is uneven and probably wet, so watch your step.  The trail exits the creekbed to the left.  0.1 miles later, the creek spills over an 8-foot waterfall and the trail crosses a hogsback between the ravine on the right and a rock shelter on the left.  On the late February day when I hiked this trail, icicles hung from the roof of the rock shelter despite the 50-degree weather.

            0.7 miles from the trailhead, the trail drops to cross the stream without a bridge just above where the two “major” tributaries of Whittleton Branch come together.  This crossing is usually easy, but it could require wet feet just after a rain.  Now on the north side of the creek, the path alternates between the creek and the hillside.  The valley is wider here with second-growth forest and an understory dominated by rhododendron and broadleaf magnolia.

Large rock beside trail

            1.1 miles from the trailhead and immediately after an especially steep area around a large boulder, the trail arrives at the junction of the Whittleton Arch Trail, which exits to the left.  Turn left here, cross Whittleton Branch on a sturdy footbridge, and begin hiking uphill along a small side stream.  The climb is moderately steep, but after only 0.2 miles and one creek crossing, you will arrive at the base of Whittleton Arch.  The arch is a massive structure, though not particularly graceful.  The area under the arch contains piles of rock debris, suggesting that the arch was formed by a collapsed rock shelter.  A large portion of the rock shelter remains on the opposite side of the creek, and the creek itself makes a nice cascade into the base of the arch.  Take a few moments to rest in the coolness of this area before retracing your steps to the trail junction.

Whittleton Arch

            Back at the Whittleton Trail junction, turn left to continue downstream.  The hiking is noticeably easier now, as you are walking on what is left of the old railroad bed.  The creek crosses Whittleton Branch several times, each time on a footbridge.  On one of these bridges you can look upstream and see a nice blue clay bank on the north side of the creek.

            Erosion is beginning to become a problem on the old railroad bed, and at 2 miles into the hike, pass an area where the trail clings to a ledge several feet above the creek.  At 2.1 miles, the trail has been reinforced with wooden beams.  The rocks in the stream also look a bit unnatural, as they bear the marks of having been chipped away by the railroad construction. 

2.3 miles into the hike, the trail comes out at an information board in Whittleton campground, thus marking the lower terminus of the trail.  Pause for a trail snack and listen to the bubbling stream before beginning the hike back uphill.  Skipping the side trail to the arch on the way back, only 1.9 miles of retracing your steps are necessary to return you to your car and complete the hike.