Indian Staircase

Hike Name: Indian Staircase Location: east KY Length: 3 Submitted by: Skip Van Hook Date Submitted: 0/0/00 Rating:	more Kentucky trail reviews Kentucky national parks Kentucky state parks
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Description
This trail has many interesting features and challenges. Part of the trail picks up the Shaltowee trace, the name given to Daniel Boone by the indians. On the more established part of the trail, it is a heavily forested loop around to the top of the ridgeline. The grade is steady and rises at a fairly even rate until about the 2 and 1/ 2 mile mark. At this point , it takes a steep grade and at the end of this section the Forest Service has installed a series of staies. You will know this point when you see a small arch created by ancient water ways. The next phase of the trail takes you along the ridge top.about 300 meters up the trail, it will split. The main trail will take to another trail, which is used by both horses, and some rouge ATV riders. The right hand trail takes you along the cliffs edge....this is both breathetaking and precarious...extreme caution is called for here... if you're not careful, a false step will be your last! Now you come to some of the truly interesting features on the trail. First a series of two rock
houses...one about the size of a two car garage. The other about the size of a football field! This one is dry year around and has a small waterfall seasonally. From here you can scan the the top of the ridge, which is exsposed rock except for a strip of trees. Following this ridge line brings you to the Indian Staircase. holes chipped out of the rock face to allowed prehistoric peoples access out of the valley without having to take the trail system. the holes are thousands of years old and are still quite servicable..many people still climb them to reach the rockhouses via the ridge top trail.
It is important to note that this is still not considered an official trail...and only the tree mark of the Shaltowee Trace, the blue turtle, will be seen as a trail marker. it is imperitive that after the first verticle climb you go to thr LEFT, otherwise you'll follow the trace which ends in northern Tenessee! Over all this is a wonderful trail with much to offer. This trail should be considered moderate to difficult, depending on your physical condition.

Directions to Hike
From the Mountain Parkway, south east of Winchester, take the slade exit(exit 33).Turn left and pick up ky 15 to ky 715. off of 715, on the backside of the gorge there is a principal ranger station. you may park in this area and walk across the bridge to pick up the trailhead.

Contact Information
Stanton Ranger District , 705 w. college ave. Stanton, Ky 40380 606 6632852

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