Kentucky trails · Blue Heron Loop Trail
Blue Heron Loop Trail
A 6.8-mile network in Kentucky, with 540 ft of climbing. Reaches Blue Heron Overlook and other viewpoint destinations.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 69% of the ascent, between mile 2.3 and mile 4.5. It gives back about 591 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Blue Heron Overlook (viewpoint)
- Devils Jump Overlook (viewpoint)
Getting there
Blue Heron Loop Trail access — parking nearby. About 59 min drive (40 mi) from Somerset. 36.67791, -84.53027 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On October 14, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 7:18 a.m., the sun rises at 7:44 a.m. and sets at 7:03 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 7:29 p.m. (EDT) — 11 h 19 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 6.8-mile route takes roughly 2 h 46 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 10:30 a.m. — 8 h 33 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Blue Heron Road (Mine 18 Road) + Blue Heron Campground Spur (Old) + Blue Heron Loop Trail — 7.5 mi loop, 1,167 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Kentucky Trail (Segment E) — 1.5 mi
- Cotton Patch Loop — 4.0 mi
- Buffalo Canyon — 11.3 mi
- Nathan Mcclure — 25.1 mi