How to get there:

This place is close to the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, part of the Big South Fork Natural Scenic Area, a corridor along the Big South Fork from Tennessee up into Kentucky. South Fork is a "wild and scenic river."

This arch and Bear Creek Overlook are near each other. The overlook is high above southfork. The route to these places is part way along the route to Blue Heron, the former site of a coal mining operation. It is now a historic and recreational area.

From Somerset, go south past Whitley City to the highway 92 turnoff on the right, at a stop light. For further directions, see the map on another page.

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Barb and I took the grandsons out there. They love this stuff. The photo above right shows Alex behind the sign next to the road. When we drove into the area, the sign was on our right.

There is parking space across the road from this sign shown above. The arch is just off the road a bit, and you walk out to the cliff, of which the arch is part. A wooden railing is positioned at one end. The gap in the cliff line is on the left of the arch.

You can get a hurry up view of the arch this way, but it is more interesting to start from the main parking area and follow the trail, which will take you through a gap and under the arch.

From the parking area, we started at this sign and followed the looping trail down, and back up a little until we came up to this cliff with the gap. In this view, Barb is at the top of the steps leading up to the cliff. I think the 7/10ths mile refers to the whole loop trail. Didn't seem that far to the arch, and a guidebook to Southfork trails gives that distance for "Split Bow Arch Loop."

The photo at right was made looking to the right along the cliff line.

Photo at left shows the gap between the main cliff (right side) and the section of rock containing the arch. The other grandson, Aaron, was showing off for the camera on a tree reaching overhead across the gap.

We went through the gap and came to a wooden walkway and stairs that goes under the arch and back down to a lower level. This shot was made from within the gap. You can't see it well in this photo, but looking through the arch while there, you can see the cliff line extending out on the right.

In the right photo, you can see the stairway coming from the gap and down under the arch. Barb and the boys were standing on it.

Below is another view from the outside, facing into the gap.

Another view of the arch. According to the guidebook, the trail goes to the right after passing through the arch, and then loops around to the left and joins the beginning of the trail. From there, you turn right and go back up to the parking lot. We didn't go back that way.

Barb walked through the arch, turned left and walked along this wall, and made the photo. There are many cliff lines in the Southfork region. It's a wonder to explore.

One other item of note is these grinding holes alongside the road near the parking area. There used to be a sign saying that these holes (and others close by) were used by Native Americans to grind corn. The sign posts are still there, but the sign is gone.

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After getting back to the parking lot, we then walked the .3 mile trail to Bear Creek Overlook. It wasn't a good time for pictures from an overlook, but Barb made a couple for samples. The one above, shows the view looking right from the overlook platform, perched on a cliff. This is facing downstream on the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River. Blue Heron, the former coal mining site is a little farther along, around a couple of bends.

This is the view looking staight off the overlook platform, facing upriver. "Southfork", flows from south to north--from Tennessee up into Kentucky, and meets the Cumberland River at Burnside, Ky, just south of Somerset, Ky.

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