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Ranger
Districts Cumberland
Ranger District London
Ranger District Stearns
Ranger District Redbird
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Volunteering USDA Forest Service
Daniel Boone
National Forest
1700 Bypass Road
Winchester, KY 40391
Phone: 859-745-3100
FAX: 859-744-1568
Nada Tunnel on Cumberland Ranger District
An
interesting way to enter the Red River Gorge is through the 900-foot
Nada Tunnel, located along KY 77. This tunnel, open to one-lane traffic
only, was built for use by a logging railroad during the early 1900’s.
The tunnel is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Gateway to Red River Gorge, Nada tunnel (measuring 13'x12'x900') was constructed to haul logs via narrow gauge railroad from timber operations in the Gorge. Construction began in December 1910 and was completed in September 1911. Rock and dirt were removed by dynamite, steam drills and hand tools. One man was killed during tunnel construction when he attempted to thaw frozen dynamite which exploded when he set it near a fire.
A 25-ton and a 35-ton Climax locomotive were used to haul logs through the tunnel starting in 1912. The first load of logs became jammed in the tunnel and had to be dynamited free. It was enlarged to accomodate the large logs common to the area.
The railroad carried the logs 15 miles to a mill at Clay City. At one time it was the largest sawmill in the eastern United States.
