Hazard Cave and Natural Bridge Trail

Caves, Arches, and Ancient Stone in Pickett State Park

Pickett State Park is packed with geological wonders, and the Hazard Cave and Natural Bridge Trail puts two of the park’s finest features within reach on a single moderate hike. Located right in Fentress County, this trail is one of those local treasures that deserves far more attention than it gets.

Hazard Cave

The trail’s first major feature is Hazard Cave — a large, dramatic rock shelter formed by a massive sandstone overhang that stretches for several hundred feet along the cliff face. The cave is wide enough and deep enough to walk through, and the cool air that flows out of the rock on warm days makes it a natural resting spot. The cave floor is sandy and the ceiling is blackened in places from the fires of people who sheltered here long before European settlement — a tangible connection to thousands of years of human history in these hills.

The Natural Bridge

Further along the trail, the path brings you to a natural bridge — a free-standing sandstone arch formed by erosion over countless millennia. Compared to the grand scale of the Twin Arches in Big South Fork, this arch is more intimate in size but no less remarkable. You can walk over it and under it, examining the layers of ancient sandstone up close.

The Trail

The loop trail is approximately 3.5 miles and rated moderate. There are some rocky sections and a bit of elevation change, but nothing that most reasonably fit hikers would find challenging. The trailhead is located off Picnic Road near Arch Lake in Pickett State Park — a pleasant and easy drive from Jamestown.