Hopewell Arch Out and Back with Detailed Navigation

Hopewell Arch Out and Back with Detailed Navigation

Hopewell Arch is the most beautiful arch I’ve seen so far in Red River Gorge. While I’ve published trail navigation before, I took some extra time to put together detailed directions for this out and back. The reason is simple - when hikers don’t have marked trails, a zoo of trails invariably forms. These zoos detract from the hiking experience, damage vegetation and habitat, and generally turn what could be a beautiful forest walk into a trashy network of dirt. So, please take care to follow the trail and download an offline copy of this post in Chrome by tapping the download button. Alternatively, print a copy of this page to .pdf and save it to your device before you reach the trailhead.

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Hopewell Arch, Copperas Falls, and Box Falls

Hopewell Arch, Copperas Falls, and Box Falls

This is a seemingly short hike at just over four miles, but it takes a good bit of time if you want to keep your feet dry-ish. Plan for a half day or more to explore this hike that is unmarked and has some challenging (sometimes extremely so) sections. The falls are beautiful and Hopewell Arch is among my favorites.

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Copperas Creek Exploration - Copperas Falls, Sandy Arch, Copperas Arches 1, 2, and 3, Big Trickle Falls, Hopewell Arch

Copperas Creek Exploration - Copperas Falls, Sandy Arch, Copperas Arches 1, 2, and 3, Big Trickle Falls, Hopewell Arch

This is a tremendous hike with five arches and up to three waterfalls when conditions are right. On this day, it was a light rain throughout the day with nothing heavy. Coming on the heels of a lengthy drought, the waterfalls were still on the low flow side of things, but the arches more than made up for it! Plus, it was nice drying out for a bit under Copperas Falls and at the arches.

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