Chimney Top Rock
Red River Gorge, Kentucky · 1,155 ft
A sandstone pillar at the end of a ridge with the Red River about 400 feet below and cliff lines running out on both sides. Fog fills the gorge on cold October mornings and burns off through the color.
Typical peak
Oct 17 – Oct 25
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Drive Chimney Top Road (Forest Road 10) off KY 715 to the lot at its end, then hike Trail 235 about 0.4 mile to the rock.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- tulip poplar
- sassafras
- white oak
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 21Typical color progression for Chimney Top Rock. No change from Sep 13 to Sep 30. First color from Sep 30 to Oct 9. Approaching peak from Oct 9 to Oct 17. Peak from Oct 17 to Oct 25. Past peak from Oct 25 to Nov 4. Bare from Nov 4 to Nov 18.
Color starts around Sep 30.
Light at peak
Chimney Top Rock on October 21, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:22 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 103° | 7:48 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light | 8:24 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:19 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset | 6:13 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 257° | 6:49 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:16 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 1m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.