Clifty Wilderness

About Clifty Wilderness

Clifty Wilderness offers natural beauty and quiet solitude. This 12,646-acre area has more than 20 miles of trail that take hikers through stream valleys with dense hemlock forest and across ridges with spectacular landscape views. The terrain is rugged and steep, offering plenty of physical challenge and adventure.Clifty Wilderness supports an unusual array of flora with 750 flowering plants and 170 species of moss that thrive in the area. This diversity is attributed to geographic location, topography and glacial history. Some plant and animal species in this area are listed as endangered, threatened, sensitive or rare. Leave No Trace of your visit so others can enjoy the same wilderness experience. Make this page look nicer by submitting photos of your hike in this area. Learn more...Safety note: The cliffs in Clifty Wilderness are beautiful, but they can be dangerous if you step too close to the edge. Each year, someone is seriously injured or killed from falling off a cliff in the Red River Gorge. Please exercise caution and avoid getting near cliff edges. Clifty Wilderness is located in the Red River Gorge on Cumberland Ranger District.Learn more about Wilderness areas...

Plan Your Visit to Clifty Wilderness

Heading to Clifty Wilderness? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)