Hiking Natural Tunnel State Park, Virginia

Рет қаралды 9,071

5 жыл бұрын

Lover's Leap Overlook, Natural Tunnel, and Carter Cabin
Natural Tunnel State Park is located just outside of Duffield, in Scott County, far southwest Virginia. The main attraction of the park is the 850 foot long, 10 stories high tunnel. The tunnel was naturally carved by Stock Creek from the limestone rock under Purchase Ridge. There are also several large pinnacles, or chimneys, formed in the cliff walls around the tunnel. Stock Creek still flows through the tunnel, and there is an active railroad line used by both Norfolk Southern and CSX with multiple trains daily hauling coal and other freight through the tunnel.
In my hike, I began at the park campground and hiked Purchase Ridge towards the Lover's Leap Overlook, then continued along the rim of the cliffs. I then passed by the park Visitor Center and continued down into the gorge for an up close look at the tunnel and Stock Creek. I also took a short hike to the Carter Cabin. The cabin is the original building, but this is not its original site. The structure was re-located to this site after it was generously donated to the Virginia parks system.
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Пікірлер: 76

@raterus 3 жыл бұрын

I've lived in VA most of my life and never knew about this place, thanks for showing us it!

@SmellNRoses 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for checking out my video. This is a fantastic state park, but it probably is lessor known than some of the other popular parks. Virginia offers so many incredible resources. I’ve been all over this state and exploring it for decades and I still feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of all we have here.

@raterus 3 жыл бұрын

@@SmellNRoses Believe it or not, but I just got back from vacationing in eastern TN, and I made sure we visited Natural Tunnel State Park as we drove along the I-81 corridor. I'd probably still have never known this existed if I hadn't found your video a month ago!

@NathansFerroceriumrods1 5 жыл бұрын

Beautiful spot. Fresh air and water.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a neat park and a fun place to visit. Very laid back during my visit, good weather and almost no people there. Thanks so much for watching, my friend!

@WormsEyeView 5 жыл бұрын

Wow what a stunning place to hike. Thanks for taking us with you.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a really nice park with a lot of history and beautiful natural features. Thank you so much for watching!!!

@sterlthepearl1000 Жыл бұрын

Cool. Thank you for sharing this with The World on KZfaq. I'm from Richmond, Virginia.

@danschardein856 5 жыл бұрын

We were there in October. Really nice park and trails. Excellent programs ad events as well.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a nice park with a lot of great features. Thanks so much for checking out my video, I really appreciate it!

@BluecollarBackcountry 5 жыл бұрын

Great job of showing the park. Very nice, and I'd sure love to have a cabin like that with a view 👍

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, my friend. This is a neat park with some cool features. That makes two of us regarding that cabin. It definitely had some real nice curb appeal in my opinion lol!

@coyote238 5 жыл бұрын

Cool place to hangout for a day. The cadin look like a great place to takeover for the night.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a nice park. Check it out if you ever get over that way. It's family friendly I think you and your fam would enjoy a visit. Yeah that cabin was aweosome. I'd definitely spend a night (or longer) in a place like that. Thanks for watching, my friend!

@JimHayesHiking 5 жыл бұрын

I bypassed hiking this park for years thinking it wasn't worth my time as for any mileage but we did hike it a couple years back and glad we did. I't's a nice little park and we made a 7 mile hike of it.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, my friend. I kind of did the same thing. I stopped by the park back in 2013 when I was working for a month in Coeburn, but I didn't spend much time on it because there were so many other spectacular spots to see in my free time. On this trip I decided to use the park as a base for a couple of days, it just had a convenient location for some of the things I wanted to do. Since I was camping there, I figured I'd check out the park some and I was really pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The trails are very short and mostly pretty easy hiking as you mentioned, but it's just a fun place and it does have some nice views and a lot of human history and the park's facilities were very clean and well maintained. I'm confident I'll make another visit there in the future.

@JeffMeadowsOutdoors 5 жыл бұрын

Looks like a super cool place. I had thought about going there sometime, but didn’t realize you could actually descend into the gorge. Thanks for sharing the great footage!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah most of the photos you see of the tunnel are taken from the overlook up above, and in many ways it is the best view of the tunnel. You can hike (or chairlift lol) down to the bottom of the gorge though in order to get a close up view of the tunnel. It's a small park and most of the trails are short and easy so you won't rack up a lot of miles hiking here but it is well worth a look if you get out that way. The campground is really nice. I camped there several days while using the park as a base to explore some other nearby places. Thanks for watching, my friend!

@themiwoodsman7222 5 жыл бұрын

Beautiful hike as always my friend . now that was in the air , one heck of a drop , i like the way the river cuts through the rock , the cabin was super cool indeed ! atb john

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a really neat park and yeah those are some serious cliffs. I too really liked the cabin, looked like a dream home to me lol. Thanks for watching, my friend!

@billyjoedenny 5 жыл бұрын

beautiful place to visit .. thanks for the video .

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a neat park and a fun place to visit. You may have driven by it on your way to Fishpond depending on what route you used. Thanks for watching, my friend!

@MrFullautoak47 5 жыл бұрын

Eye think the railroads have all the unnatural tunnels...anywho...WOW !!!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

The South Atlantic and Ohio Railroad laid tracks through Natural Tunnel in 1882, so I guess they somehow got dibs LOL! Norfolk Southern and CSX run multiple trains through there daily, mostly hauling coal. Not what you think of when you think "state park" LOL! America has to keep the lights on though LOL! Other than the trains, it is a spectacular spot for sure and a fun place to hike and camp. Thanks for watching!!!

@sutherlandoutdoors8731 5 жыл бұрын

This place looks amazing! I've never even heard of it bedore until today. Thanks for taking us along.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It's a small park in a far out of the way corner of Virginia, but it is a nice place with a lot of history and natural features. Thanks so much for checking it out!

@AlanMETALMAN 5 жыл бұрын

and what a great view it was as well, shame they had to fence it off and I know if is to make it safe but still, a shame it had to be there. That was a great trail through the woods, on down to the tunnel. The chairlift looked a lot of fun and something I think Mrs Metalman would have preferred. Looks like a great day out, cheers Alan

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching, my friend! Yes it is a really nice park. I totally agree about the fence. It really kind of ruins the view and natural character of the rock outcrops and cliffs. But of course I understand why it is there. I'm not sure if there have ever been any fatalities but no doubt if that fence wasn't there too many people would get too close to the edge. This park is not hard to get to so it can be busy at times and sadly a lot of people just don't have common sense, so we end up with fences LOL! The chairlift did look like fun. I was too early in the season for it, but I'd like to go back sometime when its in operation and give it a try. Thanks again for watching, man. As always I really appreciate your support!

@venturelyfe 4 жыл бұрын

That's a nice area to explore!

@SmellNRoses 4 жыл бұрын

Indeed it is! This is one of my favorite VA state parks and I love the general area. I recommend it to anyone. Thanks for checking out my vid.

@SectionHikingTheAT 5 жыл бұрын

Such a beautiful area. Great hike!!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It's a really neat park and a fun place to hike. Thanks for watching!!!

@CavemanOutdoorsMissouri 5 жыл бұрын

I did enjoy it, what a cool area.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It's a very small park but its a really neat place. Thanks so much for checking it out!

@KrizAkoni 5 жыл бұрын

I had no idea this existed, very cool!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a neat place. I highly recommend it if you ever find yourself out in that part of Virginia. It has a wonderful campground, I spent several nights there on this trip.

@potatothorn 5 жыл бұрын

nice hike and that's a great cabin! the desert cabins i see are always so tiny.. that one looks big enough to live comfortably in/ thanks for filming!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a really neat park. I was there on Easter Sunday so I didn't get to see any trains go through the tunnel. The cabin was awesome and I thought it felt much bigger on the inside than it appeared from the outside. According to a nearby sign, something like six generations of Carters lived in that cabin beginning in the late 1800s. Thanks for watching, my friend!

@potatothorn 5 жыл бұрын

@@SmellNRoses wow they sure got some good use out of that cabin!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

They sure did, and thankfully now we get to enjoy it.

@WesLovelace 5 жыл бұрын

Great walkabout....I like the colorful spring time foliage that's starting to pop & the wonderful views!!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Yes the wildflowers and early Spring colors were very nice. It was a fun hike. Thanks so much for watching!

@DiscoverLifeMedia 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking this!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for checking out my video, I really appreciate it!

@brookandholler5499 3 жыл бұрын

My favorite part of visiting Natural Tunnel had to be riding the chairlift, tons of fun!!! Great video 👍

@SmellNRoses 3 жыл бұрын

Yes the chairlift is awesome. It was still seasonally closed when I made this video, but I was back another time during the summer and was able to ride down. Good stuff! Thanks for checking out my video!

@TheLadyDiva85 5 жыл бұрын

I appreciate you taking multiple trails at the state parks. I usually only had time for one trail while completing my state park challenge, but the different perspective you offer makes me want to go back!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

I always try to see as much as possible, but I understand as sometimes I too have to make short visits. In this case I was camping overnight there and had the entire afternoon to check out the place. Also, this is a small park and all the trails are short and easy. This is definitely a nice park though with a lot of features. This was my second visit and I feel confident that I will be back in the future. Thanks so much for watching, and thanks also for the kind words. I really appreciate it!!!

@VirginiaOutdoors64 5 жыл бұрын

What an awesome looking place..thanks for taking us along. Great video as always, really enjoyed it...Happy Trails...Chris

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is an awesome park, my friend. Pretty far from you but I recommend you put it on your list as I think you would like it. The campground is one of the nicest I've experienced in a state park and there is a lot of natural and human history on display, the trails are short and fun to hike, and its just a nice laid back area. This was actually my second time in the park, but on my first visit I didn't see much and only snapped a few pics, never even made a video. That was back in 2013. It was nice to get to know the place a little better this trip. Thanks for watching!!!

@LeeRalph100 5 жыл бұрын

I really like that the park thought about safety for those coming to enjoy this beautiful area! That cliff was spectacular. Brother I truly believe you are living in God's Country!!! So beautiful!!!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

My friend, I am very well aware of how blessed I am to live in an area so full of spectacular parks and forests. I'm very thankful indeed. People often ask me why I don't explore further afield into other states very often. The simple answer is because I don't have to. If I go to another state, I have to pass so many great spots right here in my own woods. LOL! This is a very nice park. I had been there once before but only briefly, this time I camped overnight so spent a full afternoon hiking and checking out the sights. I'm glad you enjoyed the views. Thanks so much for watching. As always, your support really means a lot!!!

@JasonOutdoors 5 жыл бұрын

Simply amazing, I can only imagine how impressive it is in person.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah as you know videos and photos never do justice to scale and depth. Thanks so much for checking it out!

@wvoutdoorsman5326 5 жыл бұрын

I’m gonna have to check this one out buddy!!! Beautiful spot thanks for taking us along!!!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is an awesome place, man. I highly recommend it if you get down that way. You would enjoy it. Thanks so much for watching! This was part of a week long hiking/camping trip then I had to go out of town for work as soon as I got home so I'm way behind in watching my friends' channels, I gotta get caught up on your vids as soon as I can/

@PeakbaggersForCancer1 5 жыл бұрын

Wow, such a cool state park that I didn't even know existed! Thanks for sharing! :)

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a really nice park, my friend. It's kind of small and most of the trails are short and easy so hard to do big mileage but it has some really nice features. This was my second visit and I'm sure I'll be back in the future. Thanks for watching!!!

@KentuckyWoodsman 5 жыл бұрын

Ah a very familiar location for me! You did a great job with this video! I have never ventured out to the Carter Cabin. I need to that next time I am over there. Thanks for sharing your hike and it was good visiting with you while you were there.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, my friend. Yeah this is a really great park. The cabin is not far at all, you should definitely check it out next time your there.

@howdydoughty7634 5 жыл бұрын

Wow what an amazing spot!!! Definitely need to check this out.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is an awesome place, my friend. I highly recommend it if you get out that way. It's also very family friendly, take your kids they will love it. Thanks for watching!!!

@CalebYoung 5 жыл бұрын

Very nice spot! Adding this one to my list hikes 🤙

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, my friend! This is a neat park and a great place to visit. I recommend.

@KeeFrHikes 5 жыл бұрын

One of my friends that grew up in Virginia has told me several times that I need to come check out Natural Tunnel. I think I will now. Thanks for the video! Hope all is well your way.

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

This is a neat park and I think you and your family would enjoy it. There is a lot of both natural and human history here and the trails are short and fun. The campground is one of the nicest I've stayed in at a state park. This was my second visit and I'm certain I'll be back again in the future. Thanks for watching, my friend!

@burningsandsexploration3711 5 жыл бұрын

This is absolutely beautiful! This is a park that I would love to visit. I am in Nevada, but maybe one day I will make it back that way. Best wishes!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

It is a really nice park and a fun place to visit. I recommend it if you get back this way sometime. Thanks so much for watching. As always I really appreciate all your views and comments!

@JamesRobertSmith 5 жыл бұрын

I always avoided that place when it was privately owned (admission was just way too high). And I haven't been in that area since the state added it as a park. But it's on the bag-list. The clarity of the water in that creek is amazing!

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

I don't blame you for skipping over it before. A lot of times private entrepreneurs go too far in search of a dollar and the high prices turn people away. This is a small park but it sure has a lot of nice features to see. I was pleased to see the trails well maintained with a lot of informational signs telling the natural and human history of the area. I stayed a couple of nights in the campground too and found it very clean and well done. If you get back out that way sometime, stop in and give it a look. Thanks for checking out my video, I appreciate it as always!

@GadgetsAdventures 5 жыл бұрын

What a nice state park , looks like it is well maintained. Looks like you had it all to yourself. Was the campground just as nice ? Thanks for sharing , awesome job as always !

@SmellNRoses 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching, my friend. Yes this is a very nice state park. It's very well cared for, clean, and maintained. This was on Easter Sunday and there were a few people out there but it was very quiet on my visit. I spent a couple of nights in the campground, using the park as a base to visit some other nearby places. The campground and facilities were very clean and some of the nicest I've seen in a state park. The trails are mostly short and fun to hike and the area contains tons of natural and human history. This park would make a great family friendly trip. This was my second visit and I'm pretty sure I'll be back in the future. Thanks again for watching, man!

@kristopherhasenbuhler5393 2 жыл бұрын

KZfaq IS A GREAT VACATION FOR ME TODAY ALONE IVE SEEN THE PYRAMIDS IN MEXICO AND IM ABOUT TO SEE THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!!!

@SmellNRoses 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@kpcofvs911 3 жыл бұрын

What you walked in the video, can it be done within a day? Where do you recommend a good spot for sunset

@SmellNRoses 3 жыл бұрын

Yes absolutely. Everything I showed here I did in just a couple of hours after getting my camp site set up. I hiked from the campground, if you park at the Visitor Center you can save yourself even more time. As for catching the sunset, I'm not sure if you'd have a good view or not. The best bet is probably the Lover's Leap Overlook since that looks out more or less towards the southwest. If you want the best sunset experience in southwest Virginia, I highly recommend High Knob Tower near Norton, Birch Knob Tower on the state line north of Clintwood, or the Mendota Fire Tower. All three are a long drive from Natural Tunnel, but well worth it for sure!