The Best Day Hikes in America: Swift Camp Creek Trail

Thanks to Kentucky’s soft, red sandstone, 80-plus arches decorate this area—more than anywhere else east of Utah. Bonus: They’re crowned with poplar, oak, black walnut, and black cherry trees that burst into yellow and red finery in October. Skip the main thoroughfare for the quiet, 7-mile Swift Camp Creek Trail, which passes hollows and waterfalls en route to 25-foot-long Rock Bridge.

Distance 14 miles (out and back) Trailhead 37.789826, -83.587216 Drive time 1:08 from Lexington Season March to November Contact