The database is updated and now stands at 160 documented accessible arches.  The map is also updated to the 160 arches.

If you are interested in the arches of the Red River Gorge area, please see Bill Patrick's DVD's.

Also huge thanks to Tom Dunigan of Tennessee Landforms for allowing me to display his documented arches of the Big South Fork on the Kentucky side.  To see arches, waterfalls, sinkholes, mountains, peaks, lakes and all kinds of wonderful landforms, check out the Tennesee Landform database.

If you'd like to submit an arch or a photo of one in the database please click above or right here and submit an arch!

With the help of a few friends, this database sits at about 75% of all arches having a photograph for them.  So you can check you which ones you would like to see.

Also with updating the database with all GNIS documented arches, the database now stands at 100 documented arches.  The map lags behind and is not a priority right now.  But you can click in the top left corner on the 3 lines and look through all the arches that way.

Please see the Welcome post for more information about arches in Kentucky and where you can get more information on them.

All the arches now have a link to the Photographer's Ephemeris at the bottom of their pages.  The link will take you to their desktop version and put you right at the coordinates that are listed for the said arch.  It appears that it is also working on mobile devices, but this feature is mainly for use on computers because of the limitations of the Photographer's Ephemeris on mobile devices (outside the apps).  This is added at the request of Ronald Parrott and is a great feature for photographers wanting to get that great light at an arch.

This is the future database for the Kentucky Arches Database, similar to the Kentucky Waterfall Database.

Kentucky is said to rank 2nd or 3rd in the United States for arches.  There are currently around 1500 documented arches in the state.  That would make Kentucky 2nd to only the 4000+ documented arches of Utah.  To search out and find arches in the state of Kentucky is vastly different than the western states that lack the hollows, canopy and thick forest of the bluegrass.

Currently, there are several resources for locating and finding information on Kentucky Arches:

•There is Steve Martin's database at KGS's website (University of Kentucky).  It is a GIS map of arches that mainly he has been to and documented.  It includes some detailed information about the arches and includes several pictures of each arch.  There may or may not be arches from other's included on his map.  He gives you his information to submit arches to his & KGS's database on his website.  His map mainly has arches for the Red River Gorge but also includes several for other areas of the state including Carter Caves State Resort Park.

•There are quite a few arches labeled as 'Natural Arch' on the old USGS topographical maps.  The maps or quads are available from the USGS and must be searched to find said arches.  Even then, rarely is the common or historical name given for the arch.

•Tom Dunigan has a great database for Tennessee Landforms.  Part of his database includes all the known/submitted landforms for the Big South Fork NRRA.  His database for the Big South Fork includes both the Kentucky and Tennessee landforms of the park, which includes arches.  

•There is also Bill Patrick's database of the over 600 documented arches in the Red River Gorge Geological Area.  His database is in the form of 7 DVDs (currently).  There is no better resource for arches in the RRG area than Bill's DVDs.  It is one of the most thorough and best databases for an area in the nation.  His DVDs include pictures, videos, names, GPS coordinates, maps with directions, information about the size, elevation, history and other pertinent information about each arch.

•There are several publications available listing Kentucky Arches.  They are generally older and black and white photocopies.

•NABS, the Natural Arch & Bridge Society has a few hundred arches documented in their database for the state.  Nothing near the totality of even the arches of the Gorge, let alone the whole state.

•There is also the World Arch Database that includes some arches for Kentucky.

The area outside of the gorge is sparsely documented online in any format.  There are arches shown on local park maps, known by the forest service or locals that are not available to the arch hunter to go find and experience themselves.  That is part of the mission of this website.  This website will never be a one-stop shop for all arches located within Kentucky.  The Gorge is covered in great detail by Bill already and does not need to be reproduced here.

What this website's mission is to document the following for the arch hunter:

Arches that are shown on the old USGS topographical maps

Arches that are shown on park maps

Arches that are well known

Arches that are submitted by users

Arches that currently have locations freely available online

Arches that are popular amoung hikers

What this website will not be:

Is document every arch in the state

Fully document the arches of the Gorge (see Bill's DVDs instead)