WORTH THE DRIVE: Paddle through underground caverns in an abandoned Kentucky mine

The Red River Gorge is located in Daniel Boone National Forest in east-central Kentucky, approximately a three-hour drive from Dayton.

To fully grasp the natural beauty of the abandoned mine, the Gorge Underground offers a number of different tours that allow guests to explore the gorge either on their own or with a guide.

Custom Cave Boat Tours are available for groups of at least four people and can accommodate up to 20 people. They are led by an expert who will discuss the history and “secrets” of the gorge. Guests must weigh at least 40 pounds, and tickets must be purchased in advance by visiting the Gorge Underground’s website. Tickets are $45 per adult (ages 13+), $25 per youth (ages 8 to 12) and $10 per child (ages 3 to 7).

For those feeling a bit more adventurous, the Gorge Underground is offering guests the opportunity to hop on a kayak and explore the abandoned mine with the help of expert guides. Tandem kayaks are also available upon request. Standard kayak tours are $45 per person.

For $75 per person, guests can now request see-through kayaks and stand-up paddleboards that provide stunning views of the gorge’s rainbow trout and other details that would have remained unseen on a typical kayak or paddleboard.

Additionally, tours involving stand-up paddleboards ($75 per person) and soon, Giant Beast Stand Up Paddleboards (which can accommodate entire families), will be available at the Gorge Underground as well.

Tours generally take between an hour and an hour-and-a-half and include personal flotation devices, a helmet and headlamp and LED underwater board lights.

Guests can purchase tickets by visiting the Gorge Underground’s website.

For more information about the Gorge Underground, visit www.gorgeunderground.com/home.