COVID-19 Climbing Guidelines: The Red River Gorge in the Daniel Boone National Forest, Muir Valley, and all RRGCC-owned property - which includes Miller Fork Recreational Preserve, Bald Rock Recreational Preserve, and Pendergrass-Murray Recreational Preserve - request that you follow the guidelines outlined on each website if you choose to climb during this time. See links above for more details about each climbing area.

Funk Rock City

Grade Trad Mixed Sport Total
5.10 16 1 16 34
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Directions to Funk Rock City

From the parking lot of the Junior Williamson Rest Area in Slade, turn left (north) on KY 11, drive 0.1 miles under the Mountain Parkway overpass to a "T" intersection with KY 15. Turn left (east) and continue for 1.5 miles, then turn right (north) on KY 77. This highway is also known as "Nada Tunnel Road", and you may see a street sign so designated at this intersection. Drive 4.4 miles through the tiny town of Nada, through the tunnel, and over the steel bridge (stay right after you cross the steel bridge) to the intersection with KY 715. KY 77 curves left near an old barn while KY 715 continues straight. Stay on KY 715 (do not take the curve to the left) for about 7.8 miles and around a sharp bend to the left. About .5 miles past the sharp bend you will see a large pulloff on your left. Drive past this pulloff until you see an even larger pulloff on the left with a closed off dirt road. Park here and walk the road 0.6 miles to a crossing over Swift Camp Creek. The crossing may nor may not have some stepping stones. Wade the creek and walk upstream along an old road for 200 feet to locate an approach trail on your left which winds uphill to the wall. An alternate approach from the Rest Area in slade is to jump back on Mountain Parkway and head east to the next exit (Exit 40). Turn right off the exit on KY 15 and drive 0.7 miles through the town of Pineville. Turn right onto 715 and drive 5.5 miles along the road. Be sure to stay on the road when it takes a hairpin turn to the right or you will end up at the Sky Bridge Ridge parking area for the tourist trail. After the sharp turn to the right and then left, the road will head sharply downhill. Look for a large pulloff on your right before the road levels out.

Wall Sun: All day



Click the column heads to sort. Hold shift to sort on multiple columns.
Route Spray Name Type Grade Quality User Stars Length Picture

1

 Scary Monsters and Super Freaks Trad 5.10b
 
 80ft  

2

 Gyana Mudra Trad 5.13a
 
 5.00  (1) 40ft

3

 Frugal Chariot Sport 5.12a
 
 3.73  (37) 85ft  

4

 Smokin' Joe Sport 5.11b
 
 3.84  (69) 80ft

5

 Joe Camel Trad 5.8
 
 2.35  (31) 40ft

5a

 Emphysema Trad 5.11a
 
 3.00  (2) 0ft  

6

 The Infidel Sport 5.11d
 
 4.73  (84) 70ft

7

 Just Another Trad Route Trad 5.9
 
 3.00  (19) 70ft

8

 Go Easy Billy Clyde! Sport 5.12a
 
 3.93  (46) 75ft  

9

 Goodstone Trad 5.10d
 
 3.79  (38) 80ft

10

 Cruising Lane Trad 5.10a
 
 4.08  (64) 80ft

11

 Rite of Passage Trad 5.9+
 
 3.71  (70) 75ft

12

 Local Color Toprope 5.10b
 
 2.00  (2) 65ft  

13

 Veldhaus Route Trad 5.8+
 
 2.67  (6) 90ft  

14

 Eye of the Needle Sport 5.11b
 
 4.34  (97) 85ft

15

 Sparky Goes Crack Climbing Trad 5.6
 
 3.25  (24) 90ft

16

 Manic Impression Sport 5.10a
 
 4.05  (99) 90ft

17

 Trad Wagon Trad 5.9
 
 2.40  (5) 90ft  

18

 Funkadelic Sport 5.10b
 
 3.87  (99) 90ft

18a

 Gingervitis Trad 5.13b
 
 5.00  (2) 80ft

19

 Flashlight Sport 5.12c
 
 3.00  (1) 70ft

19a

 Cascading Wind Trad 5.12a
 
 85ft  

20

 Appalachian Spring Sport 5.13a
 
 4.97  (30) 80ft

21

 Seppuku Sport 5.12d
 
 3.60  (5) 75ft

22

 There Goes the Neighborhood Sport 5.11c
 
 4.54  (78) 95ft

23

 Orange Juice Sport 5.12c
 
 4.91  (85) 95ft

24

 Red Hot Chili Pepper Mixed 5.10d
 
 3.53  (32) 90ft

25

 Headstone Surfer Trad 5.10a
 
 4.37  (75) 90ft

26

 Hardcore Jollies Sport 5.12a
 
 3.47  (59) 45ft

27

 L'lle au ciel Sport 5.11b
 
 3.77  (26) 50ft  

28

 Prime Directive Sport 5.11b
 
 4.74  (70) 95ft

29

 Up Swift Creek Without a Paddle Trad 5.9
 
 3.89  (46) 60ft

30

 Snotrocket Trad 5.12+
 
 5.00  (3) 100ft

31

 Glory Be Sport 5.12a
 
 4.48  (44) 80ft

Comments

24 comments {add your own comments}
1
Ascentionist said on February 1st, 2006
GPS for Manic Impression area: 37.8033°N, 83.5760°W
2
Anonymous said on May 23rd, 2011
I've heard of many people getting lost on the approach, usually crossing the river too soon. Take the trail until it rounds a big bend in the river and eventually directly intersects it. It felt a good bit longer than the guidebook's 0.6 miles.
3
tpowell said on April 2nd, 2014
The best way to find this is to walk the closed road from the parking lot until you see a big tree bridge that crosses Swift Camp Creek. Cross the tree bridge and walk the obvious trail along the river for about .5 miles, and at that point it will start to head uphill to the wall.
4
calvinivlac said on April 20th, 2014
First time there. Nice job with the glue-ins. Really enjoyed climbing there. Will throw in some $$ to the bolting kitty.
5
Anonymous said on May 19th, 2014
So, just an addendum to the directions since while trying to follow them on a recent trip we got lost for a little while until we ran into someone. Anyway, here is my take. From the slade exit, head toward the split of 715 and 77 drive straight onto 715 like the directions said. Then drive about 8 miles to the sharp left turn, don't take the road to the right that says "sky bridge Ridge." about a quarter mile after the split is a pull off on the left, that's the trail head. The advice about the blocked off road... I think is erroneous since we found that pull off and that trail didn't seem to go anywhere. Anyway, there is an obvious trail down from the pull off which heads toward the river. Hope that helps.
6
thermalfissions said on May 19th, 2014
I made the anonymous adendum a second ago, but I was confused when I wrote it. To clear any confusion, the trail head is here N 37.813069, W 83.58286
7
Ascentionist said on March 18th, 2015
The parking area and approach used to be part of a private campground owned and operated by a local family. The trailhead is where the CG road left 715 and on the approach you cross the creek where an old low concrete ford used to exist. You could once drive across and there were car camping spots on the same side as the crag.
8
GaryO said on March 29th, 2016
Large tree crossing had washed out as of mid-February.
9
DrRockso said on January 21st, 2017
The town for the alternate approach is Pine Ridge not Pineville as per the description. What's the best place to cross now that the tree crossing is washe'd out?
10
Anonymous said on January 21st, 2017
a little ways up from where the tree used to be. just keep following the trail until it dead ends at the river at a shallow section. most of the year you can see several big rocks to help you along. sometimes in spring they're underwater. this fall it was passable without even getting your feet wet!
11
DrRockso said on January 22nd, 2017
Crossed it today in both spots. First one is at the gps coordinates listed, second one keeps you on the road side of the river until the end of trail, you cross and go straight up hill from here. About the same amount of getting wet at both spots, and was about a foot deep at both crossings.
12
njclimber said on March 10th, 2017
There is a tree for crossing the river now. May or may not be covered in poison ivy. After the big storm last week there are fallen trees all over the trail. Someone with a chainsaw would do a great community service clearing the trail. I'll lend a hand if you would like just contact me.
13
Anonymous said on March 10th, 2017
Chainsaws are illegal in Clifty Wilderness without a permit
14
njclimber said on March 10th, 2017
Thanks for the reminder. Very good point. Offer still stands if someone has some handsaws...
15
nolanamos said on April 4th, 2019
There's a nice hand crack to the left of Prime Directive. Anyone know if it has a name/rating?
16
Anonymous said on April 30th, 2020
Anyone know the legality if a buddy and I wanted to construct a tyrolean traverse for crossing the stream? We thought it might be a good way to help people cross both safe and dry.
17
Rx2Climb said on April 30th, 2020
You saw the opening of Cliffhanger right?
18
Anonymous said on April 30th, 2020
No, just last December I went for the first time in a few years and the log was extra slippery and the rocks sucked going across. Thought it might be a fun project to put up, if it was allowed legally.
19
Mdjagg said on April 30th, 2020
I seriously doubt that would be allowed. Here's some language from the FS website of prohibited actions... "Constructing, placing, or maintaining any kind of road, trail, structure, fence, enclosure, communication equipment, significant surface disturbance, or other improvement on National Forest System lands. 36 CFR 261.10."
20
Anonymous said on April 30th, 2020
The reason why Congress in 1985 declared this protected under the Wilderness Act was to keep it wild. Any type of trial making anywhere on FS land requires a permit, which is not easy to get. In that tiny portion of FS land that is protected under the Wilderness Act, permits are especially hard to get. I like it wild. Many others do too. Buy some boots if you want. Literally, just 18,160 of Kentucky's 25.8 million acres are protected under the Wilderness Act. Just leave it alone.
21
Anonymous said on April 30th, 2020
JFC no Tyrolean 🙄
22
Anonymous said on May 1st, 2020
If one is installed, I will remove it.
23
Anonymous said on May 1st, 2020
I vote yes on a tyrolean
24
Anonymous said on May 1st, 2020
ok no problem, quarantine is getting to me. Thought it might be useful, something to keep busy with, and some people might enjoy it. But based on the rules of the area and I totally get wanting to keep the area wild and untouched as possible. Ill defintely not install one. i appreciate the input.