The Red River Gorge Geological Area, including Clifty Wilderness, has a very diverse biology. The Gorge is home to a great variety of wildlife including hawks, owls, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, deer, fox, black bears, and two venomous snakes: the
copperhead and the
timber rattlesnake. It is also home to several endangered species including the
white-haired goldenrod which is found only in Red River Gorge. Experts believe that plants of Canadian origin were established in the Red River Gorge area during the Pliocene-Quaternary glaciation which started about 2.58 million years ago.
[12] These plants grow in the gorge's sheltered canyons and include diverse species such as purple fringed orchid
Platanthera psycodes, Canadian lily
Lilium canadense, and Canadian yew
Taxus canadensis.