Townsend Mountain Adventure

I'm always thinking about new ways to explore Townsend Mountain in Daniel Boone National Forest, Eastern Kentucky. So I was thrilled to randomly meet some other hikers on the hunt for natural stone arches in the parcel. I easily led them to two of the arches, but we never located the others. Instead we weaved through miles of massive cliffs, huge rocks, rock caves, jungles of rhododendron, abandoned buildings and mining equipment.

My GPS app eventually gave up the ghost, but my estimate is that we covered 7+ difficult miles. We walked out on an old forest service road, after scaling the side of a mountain, and climbing through rhododendron thickets at the edge of a cliff. A very fun, but exhausting adventure in the Eastern Kentucky woods.

Townsend Mountain - DBNF Closed Rd

February temps were an unseasonably sunny 65°F/18°C. I took the day off work and ventured back to Townsend Mountain for another try at the old forest service road, where we had exited on a past hike. It was easy hiking down to the creek. Unfortunately, the topographic maps in wide circulation show the road ending rather than leading back to the trailhead. Guess we didn't have to scale that mountain after all.

The path didn't have any exceptional points of note, beyond some large rocks covered in ferns. But it was certainly quiet and rarely visited. Deer hooves and raccoon prints lined the shores of the creek. I didn't see a raccoon, but I saw deer, tiny fish, salamanders, butterflies, and several varieties of birds.

Walking from the ridgeline down to the valley

First wildflower bloom of the year! 

Some of the old road bed remains

Several Painted Lady butterflies were enjoying themselves.

Around the side are a number of old oil production ruins

One of the enormous boulders along the creek

Close-up of the ferns & moss on the rock above. 

First daffodil blooms I've seen in 2017. 

Interesting formations on the enormous boulders

Raccoons at the creek

White's Branch Creek

Fallen trees mark the end of the old road

Miller's Double Arch & Giant Doorway Arch

I met back up with my new buddies from last week in Daniel Boone National Forest. Thanks to some expert navigation, we were able to visit Miller's Double Arch, Zed's Window and Giant Doorway False Arch -- all located on the original Townsend Tract. A natural arch is created when an opening is formed in a rock through natural geological processes. In contrast, a false arch was created by fallen rock, and is not one continuous piece of stone. 

Now I know of five arches in the area. Maybe there are more hidden behind the trees and massive rhododendron thickets! 

Obviously, more exploration is needed! 😺

Miller's Double Arch is nearly hidden by all the trees, even in Winter.

View from below Miller's Double Arch

View on top of Miller's Double Arch. 

Exploring a cave near Zed's Window, one of many along the cliffs.

Giant Doorway False Arch reminded me of a jungle temple complex. 

The forest around the false arch resembled a jungle. 

Standing inside Giant Doorway. The other side opens to the creek. 

Creekside entrance of Giant Doorway

View looking back into Giant Doorway, where we had lunch. 

Standing next to the enormous boulders on Townsend Creek.

Turkey prints along the creek! We also spotted deer, raccoon and coyote.

"The trail is right through here. Trust me."