Life Outside Fall 2018 - 28

If you visit Natural Tunnel State Park in Scott County
and tell someone afterwards, more likely than not,
the other person will attempt to correct you and say,
"oh, you visited Natural Bridge!" But no, the lesser
known of Virginia's natural wonders (and one that
William Jennings Bryan, the 41st Secretary of State,
declared the "Eighth Wonder of the World"), Natural
Tunnel is a must-see attraction and well worth its
out-of-the-way location.
The tunnel, though co-opted in the late 1800s for
passenger and freight rail traffic, formed naturally
by carbonic acid slowly dripping through crevices
and dissolving the bedrock over many millennia.
A creek forming underground helped speed up the
erosion process and created an opening that is now
850 feet long, up to 200 feet wide and 80 feet tall.
Established as a state park in 1967 (though famously a tourist attraction for centuries before, with a
claim to its first European visitor being Daniel Boone
in the 18th century), train tracks still run through
the tunnel today, carrying coal. However, all train
activity is carefully monitored by park staff in order

Fall 2018 \\ LifeOutside Magazine

SHENANDOAH RIVER
Find your lazy escape on the
Shenandoah River.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA STATE PARKS

VIRGINIA'S NATURALLY HIDDEN
WONDER

to ensure visitor safety.
When you arrive at the park, you'll find yourself
on the edge of a cliff overlooking the tunnel below.
While it's tempting to want to descend immediately
to the tunnel floor, take the time to explore the other
trails looping the canyon's edge. A must-walk trail
is the short (0.36 mile) Lover's Leap Trail. Legend
holds that a Cherokee maiden and Shawnee warrior
fell in love and, knowing it was forbidden, walked
to this point above the tunnel and leapt to their
deaths. Tragic love story aside, the view above the
tunnel at this point is surreal. From above, you can
truly grasp how tall and wide it is-and how much
of a natural wonder this must have been to any
early settler stumbling upon it. The longer Purchase
Ridge Trail (2.7-mile loop) gives another cliff's view
of the area and is a great walk if you're planning on
spending the full day at the park.
Once you're ready to descend to the tunnel floor,
you have two options: hike the short, but steep,
trail or catch a ride on the chairlift. Costing $4, the
chairlift is a great option for increased accessibility,
plus it's a retro-fun way to experience the park's
views. Once you reach the bottom, a large boardwalk
extends to the tunnel entrance, allowing for a full
view of the tunnel's dark, cold abyss. Stock Creek, the
stream that runs through the tunnel, rushes cold and
crystalline-blue along the boardwalk's edge. Beyond
the boardwalk, down the Carter Log Cabin Trail,
children (or adults!) can wade and play in the water,
making it a popular picnic spot. At the termination
of the Carter Log Cabin Trail, you'll find a historic,
small log cabin that was lived in by six generations
of Carters, dating back to the late 1700s. In 1997, it
was moved to its present location in the state park.
For the full park experience, Natural Tunnel boasts
two campgrounds, various cabins and yurts, and
even has a large family swimming pool with a 100foot spiral slide. Additionally, throughout
the summer, the park offers guided canoe
and kayak trips of the Clinch River and
tours of the nearby Wild Cave between
April and October.
So when your friend attempts to correct
you about which "Natural" state park you
visited, be sly and say, "wait, you haven't
been to the eighth natural wonder of the
world?" Then show them some pictures
and let them know that a camera can't do
it justice; they'll just have to drive to the
edge of Virginia and discover what all the
buzz is about.
PHOTO COURTESY OF VIRGINIA STATE PARKS

Power hydroelectric dam, which is a great spot to
rest your legs and enjoy a snack. You'll then ride
across one of the first major bridges, the Ivanhoe
River Bridge, and find yourself at the historic Shot
Tower (mm 26). Be sure to hop off your bike and walk
up the spur to the Shot Tower, a 75-foot tall stone
tower that produced ammunition for early settlers
over 200 years ago.
Shortly after passing the Shot Tower, you'll come
to Foster Falls (mm 24), the park's headquarters.
Here you can rent canoes, kayaks, or horses for a
midday diversion, or simply stock up on snacks in
the gift shop. For the next 15 miles, you'll continue to
parallel the river as you make your way gently uphill
to Draper. The grade is hardly discernible, but your
legs may begin to feel it by the time you reach the
long Hiwassee River Bridge (mm 10). If you aren't
ready to push through for the final stretch, take a
quick break in historic Draper (mm 6) and browse
one of the village's shops or grab an espresso at the
Open Roastery. From Draper, it's the home stretch
to Pulaski and a celebratory beer and dinner at Al's
on First in the historic Jackson Park Inn.
If you've never spent time along the New River,
or even if you glimpse it every day while driving
to work, taking the time to ride the length of the
New River Trail State Park offers an entirely new
perspective of the area. From chatting with locals
who regularly walk the trail to learning the history
of bullet making to enjoying expansive views from
century-old trestles, there is a vista and a conversation to be found at every turn.

Life Outside Fall 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Life Outside Fall 2018