Virginia’s Natural Tunnel

Virginia’s Natural Tunnel
Images & Story By Marilyn Elmore-Bragg

The intersection of US-58 and US-421 is a large one.  Both US Roads are four lanes at this point, and their intersections are rather busy.  But if you can, I suggest you take time to pull over and look around.  On the corner of US 58 Eastbound and US 421 Southbound is a rather strange sight.  It’s a small locomotive, I swear, its missing half of its body! It is a fun photograph to have in your collection of strange or weird machines!

It’s at this corner we will be making a southern turn towards the Natural Tunnel and eventually back across the state line to Tennessee.  US-421/23, is a four lane road moving through the mountain passes of Virginia, eventually taking us to Duff-Patt RD (or SR 871) and SR 612 and Natural Tunnel State Park.  The entire ride from our starting point is 22 short miles.

The Natural Tunnel is believed to have begun forming more than a million years ago.  During the glacial period,  ground water and carbonic acid  began to infiltrate fissures in the rock, slowly dissolving the limestone and dolomite bedrock.  There is a beautiful creek that now runs through the tunnel, but scientists believe what is now known as Stock Creek had probably diverted underground, and continued to carve the tunnel.  After centuries of water erosion the result is this wonderful Natural Tunnel. This is an ancient place and the walls of the tunnel show evidence of prehistoric life as well as fossils (they are embedded in the walls and in the rubble of the creek bed).

It’s been said, Daniel Boone was the first white settler to see the tunnel.  We know for sure he explored this area extensively- the problem being, he never wrote about it.  The first mention of the tunnel is from a Lt. Col. Long, who explored the area, subsequently publishing an article on it in a geology journal in 1832.

In 1890 the South Atlantic and Ohio Railroad laid claim to the tunnel and surrounding area, laying track for saltpeter mining operations being conducted near in the area.  Later, in 1906 Southern Railway bought the tracks, shifting their use from supporting mining operations to passenger rail duty. It wasn’t long after this that coal was discovered in the area and Southern Railway quit running passengers to haul the lucrative coal.  To this day, coal is still hauled by freight train through the tunnels on these rails.

In 1967 the Commonwealth of Virginia obtained the tunnel as well as 100 acres from the Natural Tunnel Chasm and Caverns Corporation, establishing Natural Tunnel Park.  By 1971 somewhere around 750 more acres were garnered and the park opened in 1971.  Today, if you choose to, you can camp, picnic, hike, swim or join in interpretive programs at the State Park.

On this day though, I chose to pay my three dollars to the pimply-faced kid manning the chairlift down into the valley where the creek and rail tracks make their way through the huge tunnel! It’s a short, but impressive ride down the mountainside.  If you’re in better shape than a couch potato, you may want to walk the zig zag path

down the mountain to the tunnel.  Either way, you’ll enjoy nature at its best!

It’s time to move on, let’s ride the chair lift back up the mountain, mount our bikes and head for all parts south.  There’s still more to see!

Back on US 421/23 south, travel about five miles, then lean your bike for the turn to SR 871 South.  Better known as the Daniel Boone Trail into Gate City  Before you get there, be sure to pull over at a tiny rest stop on the left.  Here you can get an eye full of the Copper Creek Railroad Trestles.  These are tracks that run high in the air…if you’re a railroad buff, you have to stop to see these tracks and the bridge that carry them over the valley…from mountain to mountain.

Ah man, its time to head the wheels home, let’s get on the Boone Trail Highway to Gate City. We’ll be passing through Gate City to I-26 East and on home to Johnson City.

The entire ride for today is only 68 miles, but when you add it in conjunction with the Rogersville Ride from last week…hell you have one heck of a ride in front of you!