The entire trail loop is over 4 miles long and starts and ends and Buffalo Trail parking lot.

Indian Staircase is a very popular, unofficial trail as you hike 45 degree (Class 3.1) up a 200-foot bare rock with slight indentions for foot holds. If you travel to the top and totally encircle the valley, you will approach Indian Arch on the Sheltowee Trace.

Sheltowee means ‘Little Turtle’, the adopted name of Daniel Boone (one of Kentucky’s Founders); calling someone, “the Turtle” is high praise and shouldn’t be given to a certain undeserving politician. Indian Arch is a Grade A arch (perfectly formed arch that has over 7ft tall opening). Adena Arch is a grade B arch (~3’ diameter, perfectly round hole in a rock wall) and is ~2,000 ft pass Indian Arch off the Sheltowee Trace trail. You can actually see the Buffalo Trace parking lot from the Adena Arch and can travel down the Class 2 route straight to the parking lot and save over a mile vs going back to Indian Arch and traveling down 100’s of stairs to the bottom of the valley.

Danger: Do not take your dog on Indian Staircase. Dogs will panic when they start to slide, extend their claws, which will cause them to slide more quickly as they proceed to slide right off the rock. Luckily, I caught my Border Collie in mid-air by his harness as he flew past me. The grip he had on me until we got off that rock was very painful.