Kentucky trails · Gilbert Ck / Elisha Ck Loop
Gilbert Ck / Elisha Ck Loop
A 12.9-mile out-and-back in Kentucky, with 786 ft of climbing. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Elevation profile
Most of the climbing sits in the middle third — 59% of the ascent, between mile 4.3 and mile 8.6. It gives back about 1,860 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Heads up
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:36 a.m., the sun rises at 7:03 a.m. and sets at 8:04 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:30 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 01 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 25.8-mile round trip takes roughly 10 h 20 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 5:23 p.m. — 2 h 41 min before sunset.
Loop options
- REDBIRD CREST + GILBERT CK / ELISHA CK LOOP + LEFT FORK OF ELISHA CREEK — 12.9 mi loop, 2,304 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Redbird Crest — 6.8 mi
- Shillalah Creek Trail — 29.5 mi