Hiking the Pinnacles in Berea, KY

View from the East Pinnacle. Berea, KY

What are The Pinnacles?

The Pinnacles are rock outcroppings located on the Eastern and Western portions of Indian Fort Mountain just outside of Berea, KY. They are a part of the Knobs region of Kentucky that forms a horseshoe around the more low lying Bluegrass Region. The Knobs are composed predominantly of sandstone which is more resistant to erosion than the nearby limestone of the Bluegrass Region. Beyond the Knobs region to the south and east lies the Cumberland Plateau. The hiking trails to the Pinnacles are located within The Berea College Forest, owned and managed by the college forestry department.

Why hike the Pinnacles?

The East and West Pinnacles as well as Indian Fort Lookout offer some of the best views of the bluegrass to the north and the knobs region to the south and east. Additionally, the trails are easily accessible from Lexington and Richmond. They may even be worth a further drive if you live elsewhere in Kentucky. There are a variety of trails that can be connected for different difficulties and lengths.

When to hike the Pinnacles?

The last time I hiked the Pinnacles, it was February 3rd, the day after Phil had seen his shadow and predicted 6 more weeks of winter. Accordingly, it was every bit of 23 degrees when I started out on the hike at 9:50 AM. I saw 3 other people during the next 3 hours on the trail and a recent ice storm had left a shimmering glaze on all of the trees and bushes. If you can bundle up and brave the cold, winter is a great time to hike the Pinnacles because there are less trees and people resulting in unobstructed views. The fall is perfect but will be more crowded. The spring is lovely as well but you can expect some muddy spots on the trails. Summer would be the last on my list of seasons to hike there due to bugs, snakes, and muggy temperatures, but it could still be nice on a cooler day.

Trailhead: The main trailhead is located at 2407 Big Hill Rd, Berea, KY. There is a very large parking lot and the Berea College Forestry Outreach Center is also there. If you decide to hike the West Pinnacle only, there is an alternate parking lot at the West Barton Trailhead.

Which trail is right for you?

If you want the easiest trail possible with the highest payout.

Indian Fort Lookout out and back

• 2.04 miles round trip

• 630 feet of elevation change

• Intermediate

If you want a slightly longer but more gradual trail with a view to the east.

A view from the trail on the way to the East Pinnacle

• East Pinnacle out and back

• Take the Indian Fort Trail to the Lower East-West Trail

• 3.6 miles

• 600 feet of elevation change

• Intermediate

If you want to see two different vistas.

• Main trailhead to East Pinnacle to Indian Fort Lookout and back to the parking lot.

• Take the Indian Fort Trail to the Lower East-West Trail. Then follow the Lower East-West Trail to the Upper East West Trail to rejoin the Indian Lookout Trail. Follow the Indian Lookout Trail back to the parking lot.

• 3.4 miles

• About 800 feet of elevation change

• Intermediate

If you want a longer, more challenging hike and to see both Pinnacles and Indian Fort Lookout.

• Counterclockwise East-West loop trail from Main Trailhead to East Pinnacle, then Indian Fort, then West Pinnacle, and back to the Main Trailhead

• *See details on this hike below

• 5.5 miles

• About 1,000 feet of elevation

• Difficult

The climb to the top of the West Pinnacle is not for the faint of heart.

What about the West Pinnacle?

In order to really get the full experience of the West Pinnacle, you will need to free climb a crack in the rock outcropping to get to the top. It is an easy climb (5.3 ish) but there is no protection and the fall is far. We did this with our children the first time we hiked to the West Pinnacle and they were ages 5, 7, and 9. Looking back, I can’t believe I let them do it and I was terrified at the time. If you are an able bodied individual with some experience climbing and no fear of heights, it is doable. But, honestly, the view isn’t as good as the East Pinnacle or Indian Fort Lookout anyway. As a result, I don’t think it is worth the risk and it definitely would not be my first choice with kids.

A view of the climb to the top of the west pinnacle from the bottom.

More on the East-West Counterclockwise loop trail:

The route—follow Indian Fort Trail to the lower East-West loop trail

Turn right onto the East-West loop trail and take this to the East Pinnacle (you will come to a junction with the Upper East West loop trail and will stay to the right, following signs for the East Pinnacle)

Once you reach the East Pinnacle, turn around and follow the same trail back to the Upper East-West Loop trail. Stay right here and follow signs to Indian Fort Lookout.

Selfie from the top of the East Pinnacle.

Once you hike to the top, you will come to an intersection with the Robe Mountain Trail and will stay left, following signs for Indian Fort Lookout.

**Just past this intersection, there is another unmarked split in the trail. To see Indian Fort lookout, take the right fork.

The unmarked split on the way to Indian Fort. Take the right fork.

You will then come to another sign at the edge of the cliff pointing you to the left for Indian Fort Lookout.

Once you reach Indian Fort Lookout, you have two options: 1)Turn back the way you came to the unmarked fork in the trail and take the other fork to continue on the Upper East-West loop trail. 2) Continue following the cliff line past Indian Fort lookout until you rejoin the trail. I did option 2) but there are steep drops all along the trail. If you are with small children, avoid this route and take option 1. (Or don’t do this trail at all)

Once you rejoin the Upper East-West loop trail, you will start following signs to the West Pinnacle. The signs will warn you of a “Difficult Descent”. This is no joke. I am not sure how I would have felt about the descent in warmer conditions, but it was definitely sketchy with ice and snow on the rocks. I honestly considered turning around at one point but decided to push on.

Sign leading to the difficult descent to the West Pinnacle from the East West Loop Trail.

The Upper East-West loop trail from Indian Fort lookout to the West pinnacle requires a lot of scrambling and was difficult to follow in the winter. I had to take a few moments to find the trail on two different occasions.

View from the bottom of the difficult scramble down on the way to the West Pinnacle from Indian Fort

You will eventually join up with the lower East-West loop and continue following signs to the West Pinnacle. There will be a short, steep scramble to the West Pinnacle and there are multiple common use trails at this point. They all seem to lead to the Pinnacle.

After seeing the West Pinnacle, turn around and follow the steep scramble back to the lower East-West loop trail.

You will pass an intersection with the West Barton trail. Stay left and follow signs for the East Pinnacle at this point.

You will arrive back at the first intersection of the trail and take a right onto Indian Fort Lookout trail to head back to the parking lot (follow signs for the parking lot).

Length: 5.5 miles

Difficulty: Difficult

Payout: 10/10 for the East Pinnacle and Indian Fort Lookout.

Indian Fort Lookout. Berea, KY

Final thoughts:

There are many trails to explore and great vistas at the Pinnacles. Just take a map and find the best route for your expertise level. Don’t do the Upper East-West loop trail unless you are an experienced hiker. After your hike, be sure to stop in the quaint little town of Berea for a bite to eat or a cup of coffee. Share your thoughts on the Pinnacle trails and any of the sights I have not mentioned below.