Red River Gorge (Indian Staircase)

Over the summer I went to the red river gorge in search of the Indian staircase. It is listed as one of the top ten most dangerous hikes at the gorge. What makes it so dangerous is it’s basically a giant vertical rock with foot holes etched into it. The name came from the belief that native Americans etched those foot holes theirselves. The trail is no longer on a traditional map of the gorge because a few people have actually passed away while attempting to hike this route. It took a little bit of searching but after about a hour I found the trail leading up to the base of the rock. That’s when I realized how steep this rock truly was. Packing gear definitely made it worse as it tried to pull you back the opposite way. If you happen to start heading backwards there’s no good possible outcome. On both sides of the rock where incredibly high drop offs.
This was a bit challenging to accomplish but it did get done, and the view was worth it.

Another reason I wanted to take on this trail was for the famous “frog knob”

after spending time on the top of the Indian staircase it was time to leave. Luckily the trail made a huge circle back to my original trail and in less that a hour I was back at my vehicle. There is a lot of nice views and formations to see on this trail. I recommend anyone who likes to hike to come check out the red river gorge and this amazing trail. Just remember to always pay attention to where you are on the trail!
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