The Red River Gorge Trail Guide was released in late April 2005. The guide includes all of the official trails in the Red River Gorge, Clifty Wilderness Area, and Natural Bridge State Resort Park. The guide includes up-to-date trail descriptions and directions to each trailhead. Detailed elevation profiles, like the one below, provide at-a-glance depictions of each trail. These profiles are large and detailed, unlike those in some guidebooks, and are therefore quite useful. Each trail was measured with a wheel, which is, despite all the new technology, still the most accurate way to measure trails. No other guidebook includes the Osborne Bend Trail or the Lost Branch Trail. All the trails are listed according to quality, difficulty, and length. The first edition was larger print, had fewer pages, and no photographs. There are 50 b&w photographs in the second edition.

The Red River Gorge Trail Guide began as research for a computer software project, but became a project ─ a thoroughly enjoyable one ─ in itself. The first printing of 500 sold out rapidly, which encouraged me to continue. I have hiked and climbed in the Red River Gorge for over 20 years and felt somewhat qualified to comment upon this unique and amazing area. Other guides to the area were out of print, incomplete, or dated, so there was an obvious need for a new guide. My goal was to create a hands-on hiking tool which would become a full-time companion to hikers in the Red. The book is designed for hikers of all experience and ability. I pay special attention to elevation changes, which will hopefully make the guide useful for beginning hikers and those unaccustomed to strenuous hiking.

I originally submitted the idea for this guide to several publishers. I received such slow responses, or none at all, from publishers (who never even saw the book), that I decided to begin a business, publish, and distribute the book myself. I had no experience in any of this, so there was quite a learning curve. I have now completed my fourth book, Hinterlands, a guide to the unofficial trails in the Red River Gorge region, so things have turned out okay. I hope to make steady improvements in the future and to keep all of the guides fresh and useful.

In an effort to promote local businesses, I am not selling the Red River Gorge Trail Guide, or my other guides, on Amazon or any other web site. It may become necessary for me to do so in the future, but for now I am giving local businesses the first opportunity. All of my books have been printed by another relatively local business, Bookmasters, in Ohio. The response and support for this project has been very heartwarming and I would like to thank everyone who has purchased or promoted the book. Feel free to contact me about errors or to suggest improvements for future editions. --Jerrell Goodpaster  (Who the heck is Jerrell Goodpaster?)   

Red River Gorge Photos