WELCOME TO THE CLIFTY WILDERNESS

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WELCOME TO THE CLIFTY WILDERNESS-

NAVIGATION PAGE

Sign At Entrance to Wildcat Trail #228

stanton ranger district

For Free Info and Trail Guide,
Contact:
District Ranger
705 W. College Avenue
Stanton, Kentucky 40380
Phone: 606-663-2852

About the
Clifty wilderness

This 13,300 acre wilderness is in the Red River Gorge. The area is noted for rugged, high cliffs that offer hikers both a mental and physical challenge. Some of Clifty's cliffs are spine like--long and narrow with barely enough room to walk. And some have sheer drop-offs as high as 200 feet.

Clifty is a distinctive example of the Cumberland Plateau landscape. This wilderness is crowned by a nearly continuous system of soaring cliff lines surrounding the hollows and coves in the stream valleys. Elevations range from 1,257 feet on the ridgetops, to 722 feet in the stream bottoms.

The primary attractions of the Clifty area are its dramatic geologic formations. The towering clifflines create an enclosed world, where visitors with sufficient fortitude to press through dense forest growth are offered an escape from modern civilization. Discovery of isolated coves, unchanged over the millenia, provide oportunities for introspection and renewal so rare in our rapidly developing society. The Red River flowing through the center of Clifty is a Kentucky wild river, and has been studied for designation as a national wild and scenic river.

In 1975, the area was designated as part of the Red River Gorge Natural National Landmark, due to the unusual vegetation habitat. It contains several hundred plant species, including several rare species. The ridge-tops support an oak-pine forest, while slopes under the sandstone cliffs may have stands of beech, poplar, basswood, maple, hemlock, and some eastern white pine.

Clifty was designated a wilderness by Congress in 1985. In the wilderness, people are to be temporary visitors who leave no permanent imprint of their use. The term wilderness suggests freedom from control, and as it applies to nature, that is a valid interpretation. However, if we are to protect the future of the wilderness, our activities there must be carefully controlled.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 spells out the role that the Forest Service must take to manage the area. The goal is to protect and preserve the natural resources and wilderness character, provide for public use and the values of wilderness. The guiding principle is to allow the natural processes to share the environment.

(This information taken from Forest Service Materials)

Links:
To The Red River Gorge &
The Clifty Wilderness

LINKS PAGE (Pictures & More)

RED RIVER GORGE SCENIC LOOP DRIVE

CLIFTY WILDERNESS WEATHER

WHAT IS THE UTM GRID SYSTEM

GET NAVIGATION SPREADSHEET

NAVIGATING WITH MAP AND COMPASS

HOW TO USE A COMPASS WITH A USGS TOPO MAP

GET MAGNETIC DECLINATION FOR ANY AREA

NAVIGATING WITH GPS (Using Latitude / Longitude)

NAVIGATING WITH GPS (Using UTM Grid System)