Tells the fascinating story of the Red’s climbing community through interviews with the people who lived that history and considers how sustainable ecotourism might contribute to the region economically.

Rock Climbing in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge documents, for the first time, fifty years of oral history from this famous climbing community. Through extensive interviews, Maples reconstructs the growth of rock climbing in the region—including a twice-failed dam project, mysterious first routes, unauthorized sport-route growth on public lands, and a controversial archaeological dig. The book details five decades of collaborations to secure ongoing access to some of the world’s most beautiful and technically demanding routes and the challenges along the way.

More than a recounting of the past, however, Rock Climbing in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge uses the region’s extraordinary history to argue that climbing has the potential to be a valuable source of sustainable economic activity in rural areas throughout Appalachia today and in the years to come. The book concludes by offering policy recommendations and lessons learned about building beneficial partnerships among climbers, local communities, and public land managers to encourage community development and ecotourism alongside preservation.

James N. Maples is director of the Division for Regional Economic Assessment and Modeling and associate professor of sociology at Eastern Kentucky University. His work examines the economic and environmental impacts of outdoor recreation and sustainable tourism.

Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. A Brief Overview of the Red and the Surrounding Region
2. The Motherlode
3. The Red River Dam, 1962–1969
4. Cumberland Climbers, 1968–1975
5. Trad Climbing Growth and Climbing Guides, 1974–1986
6. Sport Climbing Begins in the Red, 1987–1995
7. Climbing Guides, Climbing Bans, and Climbers Organizing, 1993–1997
8. White-Haired Goldenrod and the Memorandum of Understanding, 1997–2000
9. The Military Wall Archaeological Dig, 2001–2002
10. Transitioning off Public Land and into a New Era at the Red, 2002–2004
11. The RocTrip, Growth, and Impact Issues, 2005–2010
12. Learning to Be a Red River Local, 2011–2019
13. What Comes Next? Climbing in the Red and Beyond, 2020–2050
Notes
Bibliography
Index