Alerts and Conditions
Map and Route Updates
Clear Creek Campground Trail Addition →
Clear Creek Campground Near Cave Run Lake (near Southbound mile 50.8 in Far Out app)
The Trace will go through the campground now. A pdf file of the new route can be downloaded from the link above. This route is not reflected in the official print maps. When you look at the map insert (linked above) for Clear Creek you will notice a blue dashed line leading from the campground. There is also a blue dashed line from the Picnic area to the Campground. This is a new side trail to parking at the Picnic area primarily for day hikers.
Wilson Ridge - Rock Creek Reroute →
Wilson Ridge and Rock Creek south of Yamacraw (near Southbound mile 257.0 in Far Out app)
When you cross Rock Creek you continue straight for about a mile and come to an intersection where the old trail crosses a feeder stream and the new Trace path goes left and up the hill. At the intersection with Wilson Ridge you go right and in about 1000 feet the Trace returns to the woods at the brown sign on the Kentucky Trail. A pdf map insert is also available for download at the link above and should be reflected in the Far Out app.
Red River Suspension Bridge High Water Route →
Red River Suspension Bridge (near Southbound mile 77.9 in Far Out app)
The suspension bridge over the Red River is inaccessible due to destruction caused by falling trees in 2022. Recent heavy rains have rendered fording the river unsafe. Use the alternative high water route linked above.
Blue Herron Bridge Closure →
Located in the Blue Herron Mining Camp in the Big South Fork (near Southbound mile 262.0 in Far Out app)
Tipple Bridge has been closed for safety issues. This effectively closes the parking lot at Blue Herron as an access point to the Trace. We are working to find an alternate route that can get you safely across the river there and up to the trail. The closure is indefinite. The Trace is open on the other side of the bridge but the closure makes accessing the facilities at Blue Heron and visiting the mining camp an impossibility at the moment.
Other Alerts
Dogs on the Trace →
Highway 399, Cressmont and Todd Road - (Southbound miles 103.1 to 118.7 in Far Out app)
At several points along this 15 mile stretch you may encounter local dogs that come out to greet you. This is rural Kentucky where the homeowners are away usually in the daytime working and the dogs are there to protect the property. We have included a link to a document that is filled with suggestions on how to handle the dog situation. You may have no trouble with dogs and the next hiker has an unfortunate encounter. We want you to be prepared and the linked PDF has some suggested actions you can take. We strongly encourage you to report to the State Police any adverse encounters you have with dogs in this area.