The Red River Gorge hosts many of the most astonishing rock climbs in North America, putting the little sleeper towns surrounding the Daniel Boone National Forest on the map as climbers travel from all parts of the world to experience the Corbin sandstone that makes up this single-pitch climbing mecca. The Gorge has a reputation for steep, pocketed walls, often said to have the largest holds you’ll ever fall off of, thanks to the intense forearm pump. It also has greatly varied terrain across hundreds of crags and thousands of routes, all within about 45 minutes of each other. It’s said you can go to just about any destination climbing area in the world and find the legendary Miguel’s shirt, and easily strike up a conversation about good times and hard climbing.
Even though the Red has a reputation for hard, steep, technical climbing, this area is actually quite entry-level friendly. The Red has some of the best published guidebooks and immense online route catalogs. The maps and directions are spot on, driving distances are short, hikes are under 30 minutes, trails are well-marked, and the terrain is predominantly single-pitch and low-commitment — perfect for enjoyable cragging days. You don’t have to hike for hours or bushwhack; even a couple of hours will allow for plenty of great routes to be enjoyed.
Miguel’s Pizza and the destination climbing of the RRG has helped the tiny town of Slade become the “adventure capital of Kentucky.” Miguel’s offers a place of community as climbers congregate to eat the famous Miguel’s Pizza, drink the iconic local beverage Ale-8, mingle at the campfire, find climbing partners, compete at the basketball court, and camp.
All of these factors combined make the Red River Gorge the top destination for climbers of any and all experience levels seeking to hone their endurance climbing. Find our top recommendations for crags and routes below — we can’t wait for you to experience all the remarkable offerings of our beautiful area!
Highly Rated Routes per Difficulty
Sport
The Red River Gorge is particularly famous for its sport climbing, with thousands of bolted routes that cater to a wide range of abilities. Sport routes are typically well-maintained and offer the opportunity to climb safely while pushing physical limits. Key areas for sport climbing include PMRP, BRRP, MFRP, and Muir Valley.
| Route | Grade |
|---|---|
| Southern Smoke | 14c |
| The Golden Ticket | 14c |
| Thanatopsis | 14b |
| Transworld Depravity | 14a |
| Omaha Beach | 14a |
| God’s Own Stone | 14a |
| The Madness | 13c |
| Kaleidoscope | 13c |
| Golden Boy | 13b |
| Shiva | 13b |
| Table of Colors | 13a |
| Paradise Lost | 13a |
| The Force | 13a |
| Jesus Wept | 12d |
| Tuna Town | 12d |
| The Abyss | 12d |
| Belly of the Beast | 12c |
| Orange Juice | 12c |
| Cell Block Six | 12c |
| Super Best Friends | 12b |
| Mercy, The Huff | 12b |
| Gung Ho | 12b |
| Soul Ram | 12b |
| Bare Metal Teen | 12a |
| Twinkie | 12a |
| Swedish Fish | 12a |
| All Things Considered | 11d |
| Return of Chris Snyder | 11d |
| Snozzberies | 11d |
| Banshee | 11c |
| No Place Like Home | 11c |
| Witness the Citrus | 11c |
| Random Precision | 11b |
| Amarillo Sunset | 11b |
| King Me | 11b |
| Air Ride Equipped | 11a |
| Whip-Stocking | 11a |
| Toker | 11a |
| Fairweather Friend | 10d |
| Fire and Brimstone | 10d |
| Breakfast Burrito | 10d |
| Banjolero | 10c |
| Jew Jew Fruit | 10c |
| Diamond in the Rough | 10c |
| A Brief History of Climb | 10b |
| Robotic Thumb | 10b |
| Brown Eyed Girl | 10a |
| Boltergeist | 10a |
| EBGB | 10a |
| Creature Feature | 9 |
| Pogue Ethics | 9 |
| Little Wing | 9 |
| Send Me On My Way | 9 |
| 27 Years of Climbing | 8 |
| Boilerplate | 8 |
| Eureka | 6 |
Trad
While sport climbing dominates the Gorge, the history of climbing here is richly rooted in the traditional style of placing your own protection. Beginning in the late 1960s, the local RRG legends of old began climbing the impressive crack systems throughout the Gorge Proper, commonly referred to now as the “Northern Gorge.” This continued into the ’70s and ’80s until sport climbing exploded onto the scene in the ’90s. Today you can find an exhaustive library of these exploits in the dedicated RRG North printed guidebook and online resources. A virtually endless amount of trad climbing exists for those still longing for the adventure, though some of the best crack climbing in the Red can also be found scattered amongst the most popular sport climbing crags.
| Route | Grade |
|---|---|
| Charlie | 13b |
| Welcome to Ole Kentuck | 13a |
| All That Glitters | 12c |
| Solar Flare | 12b |
| Bloodline | 12a |
| Burden of Dreams | 11c |
| Jack the Ripper | 11c |
| B3 | 11b |
| Windy Corner | 11b |
| Inhibitor | 11a |
| Rebar | 11a |
| Synchronicity | 11a |
| The Return of Geoff Beene | 10c |
| Riptide Ride | 10c |
| The Quest | 10c |
| Brontosaurus | 10b |
| Doppler Effect | 10b |
| Tradisfaction | 10b |
| Oberon | 10b |
| Day Tripping | 10b |
| Where Lizards Dare | 10b |
| Do the Hemlock Rock | 10a |
| Headstone Surfer | 10a |
| Rock Wars | 10a |
| Jungle Beat | 10a |
| Africa | 9 |
| Strick 9 | 9 |
| Autumn | 9 |
| The Underling | 9 |
| Crack Attack | 9 |
| Arachnid | 8 |
| Cheaper Than a Movie | 8 |
| Indecision | 8 |
| Snake | 8 |
| Whiteout | 8 |
| Casual Viewing | 7 |
| Party Time | 7 |
| Roadside Attraction | 7 |
| Shock and Awe | 7 |
| Bedtime for Bonzo | 6 |
| Calypso II | 6 |
| Diamond in the Crack | 6 |
| Caver’s Route | 3 |
Multi-Pitch
Do you crave adventure in your climbing? Are you seeking to climb the tallest cliffs around? While the Red isn’t exactly known as a premier multi-pitch destination, you’ll find several incredible outings that offer high exposure and unforgettable climbing at hundreds of feet. Embrace the position! Many of these routes require an extensive approach, so prepare accordingly. The multi-pitch offerings here are primarily trad, though a few tall sport routes can be found with intermediate anchors, making it possible to break them up into two pitches (though they’re frequently climbed as a single pitch with a 70m or longer rope).
| Route | Grade | Type | Pitches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Geometry | 13b/c | Trad | 2 |
| Solar Flare | 12b | Trad | 2 |
| Burden of Dreams | 11c | Trad | 2 |
| Next Day Air | 11a | Trad | 2 |
| Head it on NPR | 10d | Sport | 2 |
| The Quest | 10c | Trad | 2 |
| Day Tripping | 10b | Trad | 3 |
| Excalibur | 10a | Trad | 2 |
| Jungle Beat | 10a | Trad | 2 |
| Nevermore | 9+ | Trad | 4 |
| Dicey at Best | 9 | Trad | 2 |
| Blue Biner | 9 | Trad | 2 |
| Rocket Man | 8+ | Trad | 2 |
| Whiteout | 8 | Trad | 2 |
| Frenchburg Overhangs | 8 | Trad | 2 |
| Good Tang | 7+ | Trad | 2 |
| Roadside Attraction | 7 | Trad | 2 |
| Party Time | 7 | Trad | 2 |
| Foxfire | 7 | Trad | 5 |
| Diamond in the Crack | 6 | Trad | 2 |
| Bedtime for Bonzo | 6 | Trad | 2 |
| Caver’s Route | 3 | Trad | 4 |
Recommended Rainy Day Crags
Due to the unique rock formations of the RRG, our cliff lines are often covered by a rock cap or a steady steepness, allowing climbable rock to remain dry for an extended period before it begins to seep from heavy rain. Here are some recommended crags to check out if rain is in the forecast. Remember to cease outdoor activities prior to or during severe weather events.
- Bruise Brothers
- Arsenal & Solarium
- Chaos
- Infirmary
- Bob Marley
Recommended Crags
Of course we all have our favorites, but here’s a select sampling if you only have a few days to visit and climb in the Red River Gorge region.
Sport Routes in the 5.7–5.10 Range
Here are some of the top recommended crags if you’re looking for good moderate routes or a volume day on delightful climbing.
- Bruise Brothers
- Great Wall
- Chocolate Factory
- Crossroads
- The Gallery
- Hazel Hollow
- The Unlode
Classic RRG Routes in the 5.11 and Up Range
Once in this grade range, this is where the Red River Gorge begins to shine. There are simply too many wonderful crags to list — just get out and enjoy the Red, you can’t go wrong.
If you’re hoping to narrow it down a bit, start with our “Highly Rated Routes per Difficulty” list above. You can also visit apps like redriverclimbing.com, go to route selection, and filter by grade, quality, type, and style.
Traditional Routes
If you’re looking specifically for trad climbs, check out these top-rated crags with a focus on traditional rock climbing.
- Global Village
- Gold Coast
- Pebble Beach
- Fortress
- Funk Rock City
- Eastern Sky Bridge Ridge
- Long Wall
- Wall of Denial
Top Rope Routes
Unfortunately, there are not many top-rope-specific routes throughout the Red River Gorge. Due to the nature of the cliff lines and top access restrictions, this doesn’t lend itself well to top-rope-friendly routes. Most of the land surrounding our cherished rock climbs is private, so climbers/rappellers accessing the top would be trespassing. The tops of the cliff lines are also often heavily guarded by dense rhododendron and mountain laurel thickets requiring bushwhacking, and many rock faces are steep, so even where the top is accessible, the plumb line of the rope is often quite far from the rock face itself.
If you’re not able to lead climb, we always highly encourage hiring a professional climbing instructor. There are a few well-established guide services that specialize in setting up top-ropes while also teaching folks how to lead climb and assess the risks involved.
Alternatively, if hiring a professional isn’t feasible, check out Recess Rock, Practice Wall, and Front Porch Wall, all in Muir Valley. These three areas offer convenient access above their routes, allowing climbers to set up top-ropes without lead climbing.
Bouldering
This is another style of climbing the Red isn’t especially known for — there simply aren’t many boulders throughout the RRG climbing region. However, if you’re interested in a short drive from Miguel’s, it’s worth checking out a few of these developing areas.
Foxtown
The Foxtown bouldering area is located in Jackson County, KY, approximately 1 hour from Miguel’s Pizza in Slade, KY. There are over 1,000 boulder problems and a few dozen sport routes across multiple sectors. Find more information on the redriverclimbing.com app or on Mountain Project.
BMW Boulders
This area is close to Campton, KY and has a few hundred boulder problems. Find more information on the Red River Climbing App.
RBB (Red Bird Boulders)
There are over 100 boulder problems in this area, located in a section of the Daniel Boone National Forest. Visit their Facebook group or the Red River Climbing App for more details.