Rider: Mitch Cooper
Bike: 2018 Harley Street Glide Special
Distance: 45 miles/72.4 km
Ride Time: 1 day
Difficulty: Medium to High
Intro
If you ride and have time, I highly recommend visiting one of Kentucky's most beautiful and relaxing motorcycle routes. Some call this route the Red River Gorge, but I call it a piece of heaven on earth. The Red River Gorge has been a favorite for motorcycle enthusiasts for decades, and this area becomes even more beautiful each season. This route is a must include-if you have a motorcycle trip bucket list. I am happy to say that I have checked this route off my list.
Scenery
The first leg of the trip is nothing to write home about. That changes as you get a few miles down the road.
The uniqueness of this ride makes for some of the best memories. The sheer beauty that I experienced is hard to describe. A nice piece of the route hugs the Red River and puts nature on display. From the numerous rock formations to the surrounding forest, I simply couldn’t believe I was riding in the middle of such beautiful scenery. A unique experience from this trip was getting to drink out of Nada spring. This natural spring is still in use by the locals in that area, and some say this is the best tasting and clear water they have ever drank.
Another unique piece of the route is the Nada Tunnel. Signs say this tunnel is 12ft. by 12ft. and only 900 feet in length. The Nada Tunnel sets the trail apart from others in the area.
There are so many places where we pulled off to just explored nature. Have a camera ready because you will want to post some pictures on Instagram.
The Ride and the Road
The ride experience was nothing less than exceptional. The road was well maintained, making the ride very smooth. There were plenty of straightaways and twisties to give the experience that edge we was chasing. I would put the difficulty at a mixture of medium to high as some curves are more advanced as we got further into the route. This route is no Tail of the Dragon but makes up in other areas.
Attractions
Riding along the Red River was one of the main draws to this area for my wife and me. The river added to the experience of the route. I highly recommend taking advantage of the many pull-offs found along the road. This will allow for some of the most beautiful pictures. You can also wade in the river and explore the rock formations. If you like to swim, there are rope ladders. Many people climb these ladders and jump into the river. I must admit we didn't partake in this part of the adventure. Heights are not for us, so we just observed, but many people enjoyed the water that day. As we walked the trails, we were able to explore caves and the forest. This motorcycle route is middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest and part of the Appalachian Mountain range.
Conclusion
Our trip to the Red River Gorge on the bike was fantastic. We intend to redo this trip and go back when the leaves turn in the fall. This is guaranteed to be another memory in the books. If you are ever in this area of Kentucky, don’t miss out on the opportunity to visit this beautiful piece of nature.
While riding the Red River Gorge, you should take the trip wearing the Ursus Chief Gloves from Fogy Garage. The comfort you will get from wearing these gloves will only add to the experience. Click to Learn More.