I
think this is one of the most unique rides I have ever
been on. You will be riding along the Red River. This
was a logging river at one time. There are numerous rock
formations and outcroppings to amaze and amuse. Make sure
you stop to get a drink at the spring coming out of the
pipe along the road (on Rt 77 before the Nada Tunnel).
It is the best water I have ever had. The day we rode was
very hot and still, a cool drink and head dunk felt mighty
good. Riding along the river allows many opportunities to
pull off to explore trails or take a dip. Keep your eyes
peeled and you will see some big rocks with a ladder
on them which you can climb on and jump into river.
Now you will come upon the Nada Tunnel. My friend who told
me about this route didn't tell me about the tunnel. I really
don't call it a tunnel. I say it is a 12 ft. by 12 ft. by
900 ft. hole in a mountain. Take your sun glasses off after
the spring as this tunnel isn't lit. This is a slow cruise
road, stop often and enjoy nature.
Motorcycle
Road Quality:
This
is just your regular 2 lane black top road. It was in good
shape in 06. It has the usual repaired potholes but nothing
out of the ordinary for this type of road. The road is quite
twisty and hilly, I think it follows and old Indian trail.
I would caution to take it easy as it is a local road and
some are just putting along. Watch for the Nada Tunnel which
is after the spring a little bit. Keep watching for the
12 ft. clearance signs. Each entrance to the tunnel is out
of a small curve so go slow and peek in first. I made a
lot of noise going through the tunnel i.e. blowing my horn,
revving my motor, and such. I told my wife it was for safety,
but she didn't believe me.
Motorcycle
Roadside Amenities:
This
route is not populated so no shopping or such. The area
does have some nice attractions. Make sure you stop at visitors
center and look around. We got a fridge magnet with picture
of Nada Tunnel in winter with icicles hanging off it. Also
much area history. Look for the story of Old 96, cracked
me up. Make sure to take side trip through Natural Bridge
state park. It has some wonderful lookouts and trails. We
haven't stayed at this State Park Lodge but if they are
as nice as the rest I'm sure it would make a great stay,
and their restaurants always have good food if you need
a bite to eat. We are going back this way next summer and
hope to stay at lodge and explore some more of the area.
Maybe even take that swim this year.
Going east through the Nada Tunnel
This is the Gladie House that can be found off of 715. You can't go inside it but you can walk around the property
Here is Sky Bridge. I would recommend taking the 1 mile loop hike to see it in person. Be prepared for the stairs at the end of the trail! :)
Directions:
Written
directions:
Get
yourself to the starting point of Stanton,
KY (about 35 miles southeast of Lexington, KY) then
just head south on the Bert Combs Parkway until you get
to Rt 77 (also known as Nada Tunnel Rd) where you need to
go east (turn left). Keep following 77 until Rt 715 turns
off to the right. This will take you back to the Bert Combs
Parkway at Pine Ridge, Ky. If you take 77 to the right off
of Bert Combs Parkway you will enter Natural Bridge State
Park.
Additional
Information:
I
looked this up in the Scenic Byways book I have and it
says takes 1 hour to drive and 5 hours to enjoy. That
is the best I can tell you. Take your time and explore
here as it is so beautiful and peaceful. We are going
back again this summer and doing more exploring of our
own.
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Chris - 2005 Honda
Posted 364 days ago
I've live on 77, If possible I'd recommend making enough time to hike some of the trails, and if you get hungry stop at rose's dinner on natural bridge road. Neat little restaurant with some great food.
Ok, I got home from this trip today and it was Awsome!! Great view and the mountains were increadable...I hope to do it again next year!! I have some great pictures of the tunnel and the spring water was great. Have to watch for it or you will pass it. I just happen to pull over at the second pull off and looked across the road and it was right in fromt of us. Really enjoyed the ride and thanks to who ever posted this site.
Nada Tunnel is cool and scary at the same time! I would also recommend going south on Hwy 77 thru Natural Bridge State Park. Taking the 1/2 mile hike to see Natural Bridge. Nice restaurant at the lodge. KY at its best.
We started with the ride down AA/9 from Cincy to Mayville, then cut across Ky 11 to Mt Sterling, and continued on 11 to Stanton then took KY 15 to Red River & Nada Tunnel ride. It was great, we compared it to the Dragon's tail. Absolutely beautiful scenery. This is a ride to take you time with to take it all in, just don't take your eyes off the road......LONG way down to the river.... Ride it and enjoy it.
Thanks for posting this site, I am heading out in the morning to take this ride. I am leaving from Ohio and heading to Richmond, Ky. then next morning heading to the Tunnel and river. From there may head to Charleston, WV. and spend the night and back to Ohio. Alot to do in three days but I will let you know how it was. Thanks Mike Bashor
This user rated the route: 9 out of 10
Posted 233 days ago
Thank you for posting this route. It was fantastic. The entire route was worth the trip. There were three motorcycles in our group and everyone had a blast on this section of our trip. We missed the spring water but hopefully we will find it next time.
We took the ride coming in out of Ohio through Salt Lick on HWY 121. Definitely some pretty country and a great ride. We would also recommend taking HWY 15 back towards Clay City.
This user rated the route: 10 out of 10
Posted 175 days ago
This ride was awesome! Everything from the scenic views, the curvy roads, to the quick stops to walk some of the trails... it was all great. Make sure you bring your camera!!!! I'll be posting some of my pictures on here to share. I would highly recommend you bring some sort of water supply and a snack because you'll most likely end up staying a lot longer than you planned for. I didn't plan on staying but about 2 hours and ended up staying for 6 - 7 hours. I would recommend you stop at the Sky Bridge (1 mile trail loop.) There are plenty of areas to pull off on the side of the road if you decide to stop and park for a few minutes to take pictures, hydrate, or snack. Also, be prepared for the roads to be wet in some spots due to the moisture as well as vehicles stopped in the road. If you stop off to see the "Suspension Bridge" (1/2 Mile Trail Loop) there is a swimming hole on the way to the bridge if you want to cool off; there is also a huge rock to jump off of too. The fresh spring water is about a 1/4 -1/2 mile on the right before you get to the Nada Tunnel if you're heading east on 77, and yes... it's good! The only thing that freaked me out was the used bar of soap sitting on the rocks.
