Route & Venue Change | Red River Gorge Ultra
Important Venue Change & Route Updates for 2025 RRG Ultra 50K & 25K
Hi Runners! Please note the following venue change and course re-routes that will be in effect for the 2025 race.
Venue Change
We’ve made the decision to move our start/finish line location from Koomer Ridge Campground to the Sky Lift Parking Lot at Natural Bridge State Park and Lodge.
Getting There
Click HERE for directions.
Parking
Runners can park in the parking lot around the picnic shelter (Shelter #2). If spaces are all full, please park along the road approaching the parking lot. There will be ample parking both days for all race participants.
WHY MAKE THE CHANGE?
We’ve loved hosting the RRG Ultra at the Koomer Ridge Campground Amphitheater since 2015. That venue is EPIC. However, a couple changes in the past year have made the venue increasingly more challenging. First, last year the campground was re-paved which makes parking more challenging. The raised height of the new pavement eliminates the ability to safely park on the side of the road in many spots within the campground. Parking was already a massive challenge at Koomer Ridge. Our new venue at Natural Bridge State Park gives us plenty of parking the Sky Lift parking lot! Second, in 2024 the US Forest Service allowed visitors to pre-book campsites online for the first time in our race’s existence. As such, we were not able to reserve the areas we need through our typical permitting process. Moving the race to Natural Bridge State Park just gives us a lot more parking PLUS access to actual bathrooms instead of portable toilets!
Route Changes - Both Distances
It’s no surprise that with a venue change, we’re re-routing both of these races. This was a challenge, but we believe we created equally awesome new routes for everyone. The 50K is VERY similar with only a change with the first and last 4-ish miles of the race. The new 25K, in our opinion, is a great improvement incorporating some trails that we’ve never run on before like the super rugged Rush Ridge Trail.
Maps, GPS, and Elevation Profiles
The online CalTopo maps for the event have been updated and can be viewed HERE. Here you can view course maps, download GPS files, and explore elevation profiles.
If you cannot figure out how to download the GPS files or generate elevation profiles, Google it or use the CalTopo “HELP” features.
What’s Next?
More information will be sent to registered runners in the coming weeks about what to expect on race morning, course marking, results, and more. Stay tuned and thanks for your understanding!