The second weekend of January 2013 provided temperatures in the low 70s and lots of rain. However, we decided to take a chance and hike to Yahoo Falls and Yahoo Arch in the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Access to the trail head is by way of a well-maintained gravel road off of Kentucky highway 700 near Whitley City. Restroom facilities at the parking area have been repeatedly vandalized, so the park has resorted to a portable toilet. There are a series of interconnecting trails to the base of the falls and back above the falls as well as a spur trail to the arch. Most trail intersections are not marked, so you either need to carry a trail map or take a picture of the trail map signage at the beginning of the trail. However, the first trail intersection is well marked with the left path leading to the base of the falls while the right path stays on top of the cliff and provides three overviews. We decided to head to the base of the falls first. This part of the trail has 70 stone steps and then another 68 steel steps.
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| One of the few benches on the trail is at trail head |
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| The initial portion of the trail is wide and relatively flat |
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| The descending trail narrows... |
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| ...and becomes a series of stone steps... |
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| ...until it gets so steep it requires steel stairs with hand rails! |
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| Note the trees that have been cut off of the stairs |
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| The trail narrows to a single file path |
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| The tree moss is thriving so far this winter |
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| Yahoo Falls |
At 113 feet, Yahoo Falls is the highest waterfall in Kentucky. The trail passes behind the falls before ascending back to the top of the cliff via a series of switchbacks. At the top of the cliff, a left turn will lead to Yahoo Arch in 0.8 miles. While there is no trail marker coming up from the falls, there is a sign on the spur trail to the arch. According to the US Forest Service, the arch has a span of 70 and a height of 17 feet. The trail used to continue another mile back to KY 700, but we've been told that some of the stairs have suffered storm damage due to blown down trees.
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| The trail widens out in the open country |
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| The trail follows a tributary creek for a short distance before the switchbacks |
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| Yahoo Arch from the trail |
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| Under Yahoo Arch |
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| A secondary arch |
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| Yahoo Arch from the "back" side |
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| Looking back along the trail from the top of the arch |
Returning back to the parking area, we stayed on top of the cliff and crossed Yahoo Creek just above the falls. There is no bridge here, but a couple of tree trunks have been strategically placed to allow a dry crossing. Our walking sticks came in very handy at this point. There are three overlooks along this portion of the trail. One is before the creek crossing and two are on the parking lot side of the creek. Even in winter, the vegetation was too thick to allow a decent picture from any of the overlooks. The total hiking distance was just over three miles.
Back at the parking area, we stopped at the overlook above the Big South Fork.
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| Looking up the Big South Fork |
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| Looking down the Big South Fork |
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