Natural Bridge State Resort Park

About this park

Natural Bridge State Resort Park takes its name from a 78-foot-long sandstone arch that serves as the centerpiece of the park, one of Kentucky's original four state parks when the system was established in the 1920s. The land was donated to the state by the Mapother family, and the arch itself sits within a designated nature preserve managed by the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves, protecting the surrounding cliffs and rare species. The park holds a notable place in Kentucky conservation history: the first federally endangered Virginia big-eared bats ever recorded in the state were found here in the 1950s, and much of the park's forest remains part of the larger Red River Gorge geologic area, renowned among rock climbers and hikers nationally. A sky lift carries visitors most of the way up to the bridge itself, offering an option for those who prefer not to hike the full ascent. Hemlock Lodge and a range of cottage rentals provide overnight stays, alongside two campgrounds with both improved and primitive sites. Visitors can fish for bass, sunfish, rainbow trout, and channel catfish in Mill Creek Lake, rent canoes and kayaks, swim in the lodge pool, and explore miles of hiking trails through cliffs and forest that make this one of the most visited resort parks in the state.