Red River Gorge is a pretty area in eastern Kentucky within Daniel Boone National Forest. It is a great outdoorsy area with lots of hiking, rock climbing, camping, and more!

Red River Gorge is just an hour east of Lexington, a fun city to explore! Check out my Lexington guide here.

Red River Gorge Lodging, food & drink Recommendations:

Glamp with Dappled Light: This is a superb glamping experience with 9 tents and a cabin. The tents all have electricity and heaters to ensure a comfy experience, along with a shared bathhouse. There are thoughtful touches in the tents along with great views from the decks. Highly recommend!
Hop’s: A great restaurant and bar with tasty eats and a solid beer and bourbon list. Their seating is an outside covered patio with heaters that is dog-friendly. They’ve also got a great happy hour!
Miguel’s Pizza: This spot is a popular backpacker’s hangout with pizza, beer and camping. They have ample outdoor seating, some of which is covered, and an indoor space.
Daniel Boone Coffee Shop: A nice spot for breakfast, lunch, and coffee. They also have a little shop with some groceries and souvenirs.

Red River Gorge Hiking recommendations:

Double Arch, Courthouse Rock and Auxier Ridge Loop Trail: This is a great highlight trail of a few different nice spots in Red River Gorge. It is 6.7 miles long with 1036ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. This is a popular trail and the parking lot can get crowded. Double Arch is very cool, you can climb up under it and look out. Courthouse Rock is nothing special, it looks cooler from the stairs just after you pass it. Auxier Ridge is a cool skinny strip to walk along with views. Right before Haystack Rock is a nice cliff where you can see out to Double Arch and beyond. The beginning and end of the trail both are a bit long and boring, but overall it is a sold trail that takes just about 3 hours.
Chimney Top Trail: This is a quick .7 mile trail with 88ft of elevation gain that is rated easy. It takes 18 minutes to complete and leads out to a nice viewpoint. It is a good spot for both sunrise and sunset. The last section of road to the trailhead is gravel but it is smooth, and the parking lot is shared with Princess Arch.
Sky Bridge Trail: This is a quick .6 mile trail with 150ft of elevation gain and some stairs—it is rated moderate but is an easy hike. It takes about 20 minutes to do the loop under and on top of the sky bridge.

Another idea in the area is Natural Bridge State Resort Park. I had planned to do the Natural Bridge via Rock Garden Trail and Devil’s Gulch Trail, but this park is not dog-friendly and it was raining.

Have you been to Red River Gorge? What were your favorite things to do? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

I get asked all the time where I stay when I travel and it is 100% dependent on where I am at. Generally speaking I am a somewhat frugal travel. I try not to spend too much on hotels/Airbnbs because I would rather plan another trip with that money. Sometimes where I stay is based on a hosted collaboration, sometimes it is a basic, reliable chain hotel that is reasonably priced (usually a Hilton), sometimes it is an Airbnb—it all just depends on the circumstances.

I have spent hundreds if not thousands of nights at different lodgings around the world and here are my favorite places I have stayed at:

Latin America

Tortuga Del Mar: Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

I absolutely loved my beachfront room. The owners are so sweet and it’s nice and small so there’s barely anyone else around. The black sand beach is gorgeous and there are a couple of restaurants and a store within walking distance. Check out my Costa Rica guide here.

La Casa Verde: Banos, Ecuador

This eco-hostel is super relaxing, and the hosts are incredibly nice. There are hammocks, delicious snacks, and great views. Don’t let the word hostel throw you off—I had a private room and bathroom and nothing about it felt hostel-style, it was just a normal hotel with a variety of lodging options. Check out my Ecuador guide here.

Popa Paradise: Bocas del Toro, Panama

This is a gorgeous property! The pool, beach, walking trails and facilities were all stunning. The team here is also super nice and helpful. The food was fantastic and the place is quite small so you’re not overwhelmed by other guests. Check out my Panama guide here.

Arakur Resort & Spa: Ushuaia, Argentina

If you find yourself in Ushuaia at the very bottom of the content, Arakur is a must-stay. The outdoor pool and hot tub was one of the highlights of my entire trip! The views from the entire hotel are unreal. is Check out my Argentina guide here.

New Zealand

Edge Hill Hut: Taupo

The views from this Airbnb are superb! It is overlooking Lake Taupo and Mount Tauhara with sheep and farmland abound. The outdoor deck is packed with amazing amenities—an outdoor tub, fireplace, grill, comfy seating and more. There are thoughtful touches throughout the home and it was very clean and comfy. This airbnb is only a 15 minute drive from downtown Taupō and a little over an hour away from Tangariro National Park. It was also ridiculously affordable for such a nice spot. Check out my guide to New Zealand’s North Island here.

The United States

Kinn Guesthouse Bay View: Milwaukee, WI

The set-up of Kinn Guesthouse is very cool. Each room feels more like a loft apartment and there is a shared kitchen and living room. It is housed above an Italian restaurant and walkable to several great coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Check out my Milwaukee guide here.

Fenway Hotel: Dunedin, FL

The Fenway Hotel is a delightful spot. The hotel is gorgeous, the views from the rooftop bar are superb and the food and drinks are delicious. There is a trail on along the inlet in front of the hotel and you can easily walk into downtown Dunedin which is full of breweries, restaurants, shops and coffee shops. Check out my Dunedin blog here.

Orchards Inn: Sedona, AZ

Orchards Inn is right in the heart of downtown Sedona and the rooms offer spectacular views of the red rocks. Each room is a bit different, but my suite included a lovely fireplace, a spacious balcony, and an extremely comfortable bed. They have their own restaurant as well, 89Agave Cantina, which is delicious. Full Sedona guide coming soon!

North Carolina

This cabin on Airbnb: Bryson City, NC

This cabin had magical mountain views and was the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Outside there is a fire pit and inside their is a fire place so that you can have cozy vibes inside or out. The hot tub was excellent and there were lots of thoughtful amenities. Bryson City & Western North Carolina guide coming soon!

Aloft Wilmington: Wilmington, NC

Aloft Wilmington has loft-style vibes and is right on the Cape Fear River. The rooftop bar has great views and it is centrally located in downtown Wilmington. Check out my Wilmington guide here.

Glamping Unplugged: Boone, NC

Glamping in a dome on a creek in the middle of nowhere? Yes please. This is a fun and unique stay just 20 minutes from Boone. Make a fire, stargaze, fish in the creek, go for a hike—the outdoor possibilities are endless. Check out my Boone guide here.