A Dangerous Place?: Recreation and Death in the Red River Gorge

Eastern Kentucky's Red River Gorge is a natural wonder nestled not far off the Bert T. Comb's Mountain Parkway, near the town of Slade. Sandstone precipices stretch for miles, and rock arches like Moonshiners' Arch and Red Byrd Arch decorate the craggy landscape. Trails with elevation and exposure are there for those who dare, and the Red River Gorge and its associated climbing areas have become a world-renowned climbing destination. It is small compared to the nation's most popular national parks, measuring around 42,000 acres. However, millions have come to enjoy its splendor, and some of those who come, they die. Over four chapters that discuss fatalities that occurred while people were hang gliding, climbing, and hiking and camping, this book chronicles some of these accidents and seeks to determine if the Red River Gorge is a "Dangerous Place" as a sign outside one of its most popular points implies.