Chasing Waterfalls in Wilmore
Wilmore, Kentucky, isn't exactly known for its water features. The Kentucky River cuts through Jessamine County with its muddy water and swollen banks, but if you're waterfall hunting, Wilmore often makes you come up bone-dry. You have to time your hike perfectly and know routes with likely falls along them. A few weekends ago, a couple of friends, my boyfriend, and I decided to head out to the Asbury Trails a few days after heavy rain with the idea of chasing some waterfalls in Wilmore.
Waterfall #1: This was found shortly after undertaking the trail (which was towards the Great Wall for those who want to retrace this route). It was located after a scramble down into the ravine, where tumbled rocks and centuries of erosion had created a thin path for the remaining rainwater from the previous days' storms.
The Kentucky River: I've never been a huge fan of the Kentucky River. The loose silt makes it this perpetually muddy-pothole-after-rain color, and if you wade in, your legs come away coated in fine grains of dirt. However, on an 80-degree day like this one, the cold water was a relief.
Waterfall #2: This is the waterfall that is generally present for most of the year on this trail. It takes a steep (and I mean, steep) climb up to reach this beautiful cascade of water. However, I would not recommend trying to ascend this part of the trail right after a storm, as the water flows right down the path you need to climb, creating mudslide-like conditions.
Waterfall #3: This is my personal favorite waterfall—or, more accurately, series of waterfalls—along the Asbury Trails. The water flows down over a sheer cliff face, until the rocks open up at the bottom to form an alcove perfect for cooling off underneath the falls. The combination of height, size, and rock features makes this waterfall captivating, as if you've been transported to an exotic locale. We also saw some gorgeous rainbows created by the falls while we were there.
Cave and Natural Spring: The cave and natural spring at the Asbury Trails is located to the right of Waterfall #1. It requires a steep ascent and navigating across narrow paths, so I wouldn't recommend having more than one group there at a time. The cave is big enough to sit down and cool off in, and it's mesmerizing to sit and watch water drip from the stalactites on the ceiling into the pool below.
Waterfall #4: While this waterfall requires some extra hiking, I would highly recommend finding it. This route takes you past towering cliff faces (on a side note: be careful at this point. When we were there, a fist-sized rock came hurtling out of no where and almost hit me in the face. I have no idea if it detached itself from the cliff and slid down, or if some backcountry hikers made a poorly timed decision) and along narrow ledges. The waterfall is very high, creating a mist-like appearance at its base, and has the interesting feature of pummeling a single large rock below. This makes it perfect for lounging under the falls, as you can see above!
Waterfall #5: This waterfall can best be reached on your way back towards the trailhead. Technically, it's part of the conglomeration of Waterfall #3, but its base is not at the bottom of the trail, so it cannot be accessed with the rest of Waterfall #3. This one takes some bravery to get to, but it's well worth the effort. I can usually manage to shimmy along the narrow ledge by clinging to the cliff face or ducking under the overhang. Beside the waterfall, there's a rock that's perfect to take a breather on, just outside the path of the falls. This waterfall gives you unique perspective over the rock features and makes you feel adventurous in the process.
Enjoy reading about hiking adventures and looking at nature photography? Check out my hikes of Princess Arch and Chimney Top Arch and Silvermine Arch at Red River Gorge!