Berea Pinnacles - Berea College Forest, Kentucky

Berea Pinnacles, part of the Indian Fort Trail system, is located within 9000 acres of forested land managed for generations by Berea College Foresters, making it one of the oldest managed private forests in the country – miles of connected trails lead to unobstructed views in every direction, including multiple destinations such as the East Pinnacle, West Pinnacle, Indian Fort, Buzzards Roost and Eagles Nest drawing hikers from near and far to this outdoor jewel of the Bluegrass State.

This is an adventure with multiple vistas to conquer over the course of a day - visiting all five would equal around 7 miles, or you can choose to hike to as many or as few as you like.

The hikes to each lookout vary in difficulty - starting from the main trailhead, they all branch from a trail that is initially uphill. For first timers, Berea College recommends an out and back trek to East Pinnacle, while more experienced hikers might enjoy West Pinnacle, which requires a bit of rock scrambling – distance between each lookout is around a mile or so, some less, some just a little longer. There is also a short spur trail off the Indian Fort Trail, the Devil’s Kitchen Trail, that leads to a worthwhile geology formation known as Rock House/Devil’s Kitchen – don’t miss it!

We began and ended our hiking adventure at the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center on a beautiful October day, the Bluegrass forests of Indian Fort Mountain ablaze in the warm shades of autumn – following a general clockwise route, we explored, and thoroughly enjoyed, several of the lookouts and pinnacles via a 6.22 mile loop.

Our hiking route:
Berea College Forestry Outreach Center (Main Trailhead) to Indian Fort Lookout via Indian Fort Trail
Indian Fort to Devils Kitchen
Devils Kitchen to Eagles Nest via Robe Mountain Trail
Eagles Nest to East Pinnacle via Robe Mountain and East Pinnacle Trail
East Pinnacle back to Berea College via East Pinnacle /Lower East Pinnacle/Indian Fort Trails