A The World's 20 Most Amazing Tunnels" on the Weather Channel Travel Site! We think of all of our parks as amazing, so which one was it?
It could only be the magnificent Natural Tunnel State Park!
Hike to "Lover's Leap" at Natural Tunnel State Park
Natural Tunnel, called the Eighth Wonder of the World by William Jennings Bryan, has been attracting sightseers to the mountains of southwestern Virginia for more than 100 years. Today it is the focal point of Natural Tunnel State Park, a park which offers visitors not only spectacular sights but also swimming, camping, picnicking, hiking, a visitor center, an amphitheater and interpretive programs.
The creation of Natural Tunnel began more than a million years ago in the early glacial period when groundwater bearing carbonic acid percolated through crevices and slowly dissolved surrounding limestone and dolomite bedrock. Then, what is now Stock Creek was probably diverted underground to continue carving the tunnel slowly over many centuries. The walls of the tunnel show evidence of prehistoric life, and many fossils can be found in the creek bed and on tunnel walls.
Looking up from the platform on the tunnel floor
Stairs that lead to the tunnel floor (of you can take the chair lifts in season)
Chair lift to the tunnel floor and back to the top
Camping is also spectacular at Natural Tunnel State Park with two campgrounds
Cabin 6 is a beautiful and comfortable 2 bedroom housekeeping cabin
Natural Tunnel State Park offers visitors 950 acres
See the railway crossing down below?A 500-foot boardwalk and observation deck provide accessibility to guests with disabilities who may ride the chairlift, when operable, to the mouth of the tunnel.
You can't help but notice the geology
A view of the spectacular Natural Tunnel at Natural Tunnel State Park.This is the not so often seen North Portal which may be viewed by hiking down the Spring Hollow Trail.
ONE OF A KIND FEATURE
Chairlift – The Virginia State Park system has only one chairlift, and you'll find it at Natural Tunnel State Park. The lift runs seven days a week from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. It also runs on weekends from the first weekend in May through the last full weekend of October.
EXTRA COOL AMENITY
The park has a 5,400-square-foot swimming pool and 100-foot water slide. Each member of the camper party may get a pool pass. Passes are part of the registration packet. A pass is issued for each night of rental. The pool is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
TRAILS
Hiking, mountain bike and self-guided trails – Natural Tunnel State Park has seven walking trails. The longest is 2.1 miles long. The trails lead to unique features of the park: the tunnel floor, Lover’s Leap, Tunnel Hill and Gorge Ridge. A 500-foot boardwalk and observation deck provide accessibility to guests with disabilities who may ride the chairlift, when operable, to the mouth of the tunnel. Most trails are open to mountain bikes.
FISHING
There is limited fishing within the park along Stock Creek. Other trout streams also are near the park. The Clinch River, which is about five miles from the park, is known for a great variety of fish including, walleye, smallmouth bass, red-eye, bluegill and musky.
OVERNIGHT
Cabins, and Camping. For information on availability of overnight accommodations, particular park amenities or to make a reservation, you can Click here for park fees. The park has 10 cabins and one 6 bedroom lodge, which are on a mountain ridge offering mountain views and access to the park’s trails. There are two campgrounds (with electric and water).
VISITOR CENTER
The visitor center is open daily, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on weekends, from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It's open on weekends from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in April, May, September and October.
NATURE AND HISTORY PROGRAMS
The Wilderness Road Blockhouse and Visitor Center, an interpretive area next to the park's picnic area, illustrates the role the blockhouse played in the 1700s during westward expansion of the nation. Hours vary so please call the park for specific dates and times. The park lies along the Daniel Boone Wilderness Trail driving tour; click here for more information about the tour.
Weather and river conditions permitting, guided canoe and kayak trips of the Clinch River are offered on Saturdays and Sundays in season. Trips to Natural Tunnel via Stock Creek are offered throughout summer. Wild Cave Tours are available from April 1 through Oct. 31.
SHORT HISTORY
Daniel Boone was probably among the first men of European descent to see the tunnel in that the tunnel lies along the original route he took westward. However, no one wrote of it until Lt. Col. Stephen H. Long explored the site in 1831 and published an article in a geology journal in 1832.
Natural Tunnel was first surveyed as a proposed route in 1852 via a branch line, the Virginia & Kentucky Railroad, from the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad.
DRIVE TIME
Northern Virginia, eight hours; Richmond, six hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach, eight to nine hours; Roanoke, three and a half hours.
LOCATION
map here.
CONTACT
online here.
Learn about the world's other 19 amazing tunnels here.
VIRGINIA STATE PARKS ARE ALL ABOUT FAMILY – FRIENDS AND FUN. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR VISIT SOON!