A common assumption when camping in the Daniel Boone Forest is that it is legal to build a fire and camp under an arch. This is a big NO.  In the National Forest it is illegal to camp within 100 feet of a cliff line, where most arches are found. Besides the legal complications of camping under an arch, the damage to the rock itself is catastrophic.  There are over 30 arches in the Daniel Boone National Forest that are being exposed to fire and camping every season because of their easy access. It is important to understand how fire damages arches.  Most arches in Kentucky are made of sandstone.  Unlike harder stone, sandstone erodes much quicker than most other rock because it is composed of compressed sand.  When exposed to fire the sandstone blackens, becomes brittle, and breaks off, accelerating the eventual collapse of the arch. What can we do to help deter this activity?  I have read where folks have run across people camping and burning a fire under an arch. 95% of the time these folks have no clue what they are doing is illegal. Even if you are irate, kindly mention that it is illegal to camp under the arch.  Explain what they are doing to the arch.  If they get belligerent, move on.  In most cases you will come across the remnants of the fire event long after the folks have left.  Often there is a fire ring.  What most of us do is take the rocks of the firepit and disperse them over the hill (there’s almost always a hill next to an arch). If there is wood piled under the arch, disperse it away from the arch as well. As mentioned in the Apex Arch post last week, trail cameras are not an option. The Forest Service has limited funds and can not afford it, and for a private citizen to put up a trail cam is illegal without permission. Unfortunately our only option, for right now, is to disperse the remains and make it more difficult to camp and build fires under arches.

Below are several examples of firepits and fire damage to arches.

A fire ring under Buffalo Arch:

© Bill Fultz

A fire pit under Daylight Twin East Arch:

© Bill Fultz

A fire pit under Friendship Arch:

© Christopher Morris

Fire scarring on the arch at Hole in the Rock Arch:

© Bill Fultz

Fire scarring and damage to Hollow Rock Arch KY 50:

© Bill Fultz

Fire scarring to the underside of Lost Arch:

© Bill Fultz

A fire pit under a private property arch:

© Bill Fultz

The remains of a fire in an alcove under Princess Arch:

© Wayne Suké

The remains of a fire pit under Schoolhouse Arch:

© Bill Fultz

Fire scarring on the underside of Skeleton Cave East Arch:

© Bill Fultz

The remains from a fire under Whistling Arch:

© Bill Fultz

Something we are adding this year, which was a recommendation to us by Todd Fife, was to document the history of arch hunting in Kentucky. Specifically the arch hunters that have been tromping through the forest and mountains of Kentucky searching for and documenting the natural wonders that they came across.  Several of the forefathers of arch hunting started out in Kentucky, before moving out West and documenting the arches of Utah and beyond.  

One of the first arch hunters was Bob Vreeland.  He has two unpublished volumes on Kentucky arches.  He listed many of the now well known arches of Kentucky, in his first volume.  

Read on about Bob Vreeland here.

Here is the cover of Bob's first volume of 25.

Robert H. Vreeland 1917-2005. SPAN - July 2005 - Robert H. Vreeland (1917-2005). (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2022, from http://www.naturalarches.org/span-0507-article-RobertVreeland.htm

Is it an arch or a natural bridge?

As many of you are aware we talk a lot about arches in this group, but we have never really discussed the difference between a natural arch and a natural bridge.  A little bit of confusion is thrown in because of what Natural Bridge and Sky Bridge are named in the Red River Gorge.  When we are saying there are now 2,500 documented arches in the Arch Database we are including natural bridges in that number. Technically a natural bridge is still an arch.  In most cases an arch is formed by wind and rain or also called weathering.  There are some fracture type arches which are associated with geological movement.  A Natural Bridge is formed by running water.  That water doesn’t necessarily have to be constantly flowing either. The most well known true natural bridge in the state is Rock Bridge in the Red River Gorge which also happens to be the best example. Where some confusion comes in are in the cases of Natural Bridge Arch and Sky Bridge Arch.  Often when folks are joining the group and they answer the participation question “What is your favorite arch?” they will respond with “It’s not an arch but a Natural Bridge.”  Truth is Natural Bridge is an arch. The reason for this anomaly is that Natural and Sky Bridges were both named prior to the modern standard of classification.  Both are shelter type arches.

Below are examples of a natural bridge and an arch.

Rock Bridge:

© Christopher Morris

Natural Arch:

© Bill Fultz

As we kick off Arch Awareness Month, we always highlight arches that have been abused around Kentucky.  This can vary wildly, but generally includes either spray painting on the arch or carving into the rock of the arch.  There are other abuses, such as illegally driving across an arch.  Other arches have had illegal fires or campsites created underneath them.  Another form of arch abuse is the illegal digging for artifacts, known as potholing.

Since we have started Arch Awareness Month back in 2019, we have been highlighting these abuses to bring awareness to the fact that damage is being done, and that you should not do this to these unique features.  

You can check out pictures of the arch abuse in our new section called Arch Abuse.  Click here, or it is on the top left menu under Arch Awareness.

If you would like to check out some additional arch awareness information and to follow along on it all, please visit our Facebook group, Kentucky Waterfalls, Arches and Landscapes.

Apex Arch, which is one, if not the most abused arch in Kentucky.

© Bill Fultz