Rush of visitors at Red River Gorge sparks call for changes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — One of the Appalachia's most beloved natural attractions is becoming a victim of its own popularity.

A sharp increase in the number of visitors to Kentucky's Red River Gorge has the U.S. Forest Service considering changes that would improve safety and accessibility for people and add more protection for delicate wilderness areas, officials said.

The sandstone arches and towering cliffs in the 42,000-acre Kentucky geological area has long attracted hundreds of thousands of hikers, rock-climbers, kayakers and campers each year, but the number exploded this spring, said Tim Eling, a spokesman for the Daniel Boone National Forest, which manages the area. He said that after the coronavirus pandemic hit, the number of visitors spiked. That led to jammed roadways, parking problems, more visitors needing to be rescued and new threats to rare natural special and delicate archeological sites.

The gorge is home to rare plants like the white-haired goldenrod and rare animals including the Virginia big-eared bat. There are also several archeological sites such as rock shelters that have fragile artifacts from Native Americans and early settlers.

“The popularity of recreation in this region has grown much faster than our agency anticipated and, with that growth, comes tremendous opportunity and significant challenges,” Cumberland District Ranger Jon Kazmierski said in a statement.

The challenges led forestry officials to develop new recommendations to protect the Red River Gorge. A virtual public meeting Tuesday evening will explain the recommendations and seek public feedback on them.

It is the first time in 12 years that the Forest Service has sought public feedback for changes at the gorge. Dozens of public planning meetings were held from 2005 to 2008, which led to several actions including the...