By Jeremy Patton
Callahan Falls is located in Laurel County, Kentucky.
From US-25, north of London, turn onto KY-490 and head toward East Bernstadt. Turn left onto KY-1376 (across from Ape Yard Market). Turn right onto Four Oaks Road and drive to the dead-end.
There is a private residence near the dead-end of Four Oaks Road. I drove past a dilapidated gate and parked on the side of the road in what appeared to be national forest land. I have parked there twice without any trouble, but do so at your own risk.
An ATV trail follows Arthur Ridge then descends to Hazel Patch Creek. Keep the valley to your right until you reach the creek then follow it north-west to Callahan Falls. The 30-something-foot waterfall resides on the north side of the creek and you will probably hear it plummeting into its green pool.
My trek to Callahan Falls was bittersweet. The waterfall was handsome, but Hazel Patch Creek was torn apart by an onslaught of all-terrain vehicles wielded by ignorant, drunk rednecks. How do I know they were drunk? They tossed their beer cans and packaging everywhere. The trash and erosion made the area ugly and degraded water quality. ATVs should be banned here.
I did not encounter any of these hilljacks on December 11, 2015, probably because I hiked on a weekday.
The approximately 2.25-mile trek (one way) is moderately difficult. Waders are a must, but contrary to what my cousin told me, I only really needed to ford the creek one time. On my return trip, I decided to climb into the hills to circumvent the numerous rock ledges and rhododendron that often impeded progress creek-side. This decision made the hike more difficult, but less irritating.
Friends of mine have told me that there are easier ways to get to Callahan Falls. When I investigate some of these shortcuts, I will update this article.
Thanks Darrel Thompson for your help with finding the trail.
Added 12/11/15