Red
KY 746 to KY 715 (10.3 miles)(Upper Red)
| Difficulty | III |
| Length | 10.3 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 14 fpm |
| Gauge | Red River Near Hazel Green, Ky |
| Flow Rate as of 50 minutes | 19 cfsbelow recommended |
| Reach Info Last Updated | October 30, 2024 |
The Upper Red River in Kentucky offers a scenic and moderately challenging canoeing experience. Originating in Wolfe County, the river flows northwest through Powell County and along the Estill-Clark County line before emptying into the Kentucky River. The river gained attention in the 1970s during a fight against the construction of a dam, helping to preserve its natural beauty and valuable canoeing waters.
The Upper Red flows through the remote Clifty Wilderness Area of the Red River Gorge, surrounded by cliffs. Paddlers will pass underneath a rock amphitheater around one of the bends, adding to the scenic experience. The difficulty of this section varies significantly with water levels. At low flows, the river is suitable for advanced beginning kayakers, but tight maneuvering through boulders can be difficult for canoes. At high flows, the rapids become more straightforward but also pushy and powerful, with some holes needing to be avoided. Scouting may be required, especially at blind bends.
The river is classified as a Class II to III run with a minimum gauge level of 200 cubic feet per second at the USGS gauge in Hazel Green. The velocity ranges from 2.6 to 5 mph with a gradient of 13.29 feet per mile. The best time to run is from December to May during average rainfall years.
The first three miles of the Upper Red consist of Class I water with a few small riffles and ledges. Below the mouth of Stillwater Creek, the gradient increases, creating a technical Class II rapid. Key features include a river-wide ledge known as the Falls, which ranges from one to one and a half feet high and is best navigated on the far left or right. After the Falls, the river remains well-behaved until reaching Peck Branch, where it enters the Narrows of the Red, a series of three borderline Class III rapids. The first rapid includes a series of ledges ending in a 2.5-foot plunge into a pool. The second rapid, known as Dog Drowning Hole, has a turbulent chute th
...Mar 28, 2017
Be aware that the class III rating for this section does not necessarily hold true at 900+ cfs on the Hazel Green guage. The big rapid in the narrows (falls section) is class IV ish at this level. Today (5.1.16) the Hazel Green guage was at ~950 cfs (cresting) with significant additional flow from tributary creeks. Great section of rapids in a beautiful setting!
May 5, 2016
Have waited for a window to run the Red for a few years. By chance I noticed a lot of black dots in eastern KY on the USGS map. The Red was running with more rain predicted. We made what turned out to be a 5-hour drive from Bristol and arrived at what we thought was the takeout with plenty of time to make the run. About half way up on the paid shuttle we realized that this was not the “upper” gorge that we wanted to run but was the middle section – all class I. After burning through the middle section (8miles) in 1.5 hours we were unable to get a shuttle to the upper and ended up staying the night at Sky Bridge Station a hostel/restaurant in Pine Ridge. Good food, beer and a clean bed with sheets and blanket. They typically serve climbers and some hikes but they do shuttles too.
The River Gods were good to us giving enough rain overnight to slightly raise the level and leave about the same flow as we had the previous day. The level was 530 at Hazel Green when we put on for the upper gorge and 463 four hours later when we arrived at the takeout just below Concrete Bridge on Hwy 715. This is plenty of water to fill the river and give a swift current with strong eddy lines and solid class III rapids. Putting in on Stillwater Creek at the Hwy 746 Bridge the 2.5 mile run down to its confluence with the Red was scenic with several rock houses and small streams cascading in along the way. No rapids to speak of, but good current. At the confluence water color went from relatively clear to light brown and the speed picked up. On the Red there are more rock houses, numerous side streams with small cascades and waterfalls and some high sheer cliffs. You wouldn’t walk out of here, you would climb to get out. About half way down there was a cross river log that had to be carried on the left. There are about 5 or so significant rapids about three of these are class III and as noted by other reviews would be IV rated at higher water. All rapids have a well-defined route but there are big waves and some holes big enough to stop and hold a boat. One class III had a boulder jumble on river right that looked congested. About half the river feeds into the jumble and a right to left line is needed to avoid the boulders. This is a fun run with lots of interesting geology. Allow enough time to explore some of the side creeks.
