Gorging on Pizza

A combination pizza joint and campground? I must be near the gorge. Pulling out of Natural Bridge State Resort Park and driving on highway 11, several little tents sit outside Miguel’s Pizza, which has been a headquarters for climbers since the 1980s. I was heading to the geological area for the day to drive the American Scenic Byway that runs through it.

What if I could promise you Smoky Mountain type scenery without the Smoky Mountain type crowds? You know the feeling. Taking an awesome picture, but a million people are standing behind the camera to dilute the experience. Not the case here. Get ready to feel like you’re outdoors. Words on a blog won’t do justice to what you’ll see in the Red River Gorge. Neither will pictures. It’s truly one of the country’s most scenic areas. You get that feeling the moment you pass through the tight one-lane Nada Tunnel into the wilderness. Just look around and you’ll see giant cliffs towering several feet above you. The Red welcomes you to the right. And if you have a sporty car, it will be happy to play with the curves for the next several hours. And hours it will take. I spent the next five hours to go 40 miles. That’s because you’ll want to pull off at every parking spot along the way for short walks to the attractions nearby. Each short hike is no more than a mile in length to get to what is on display, whether it be an arch or overlook. Or waterfall. I rubbernecked at Angel Falls, which sits off the side of the road past the Gladie Learning Center. Finding the nearest pull off, I ran down the road to the falls, and when I climbed up to take a close picture, I saw where someone had already written my name on the rock! Guess I had a reservation…

Princess Arch

I stopped at Sky Bridge. I stopped at Angel Windows. Princess Arch and Chimney Top Rock. Driving up and down one lane forest service roads, smiling as I slid through some of the curves kicking up gravel dust. Rock Bridge in the nearby Clifty Wilderness was the last stop of the day, and features the only bridge with water still running underneath. Creation Falls is close by and put a fine cap on the day. There’s a bagillion other sights in the gorge that you can hike to on longer trails, and I suspect a hiker could spend years in there and not fill their tank up with experiences.

Rock Bridge

I had done so much hiking by the end of the day that I stopped and ate a whole large pizza at a local Marathon in Wolfe County. Searching for a drink and Ale-8-One dominated the sales case. In bottles, no less. The sales girl asked if I had a bottle to return for deposit, and I felt like I had suddenly stepped back in time. I had to look for a bottle opener and found one mounted on the counter. Back to the lodge and a night watching the rain possibly come and soak the rest of the tour. To the other trails at the Natural Bridge State Resort Park today!

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