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Feature article
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There's no need for an architect when Mother Nature can build something like this.
By Jessica Fischer
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Duffield, VA - Nestled in the hills of Scott County, Va., lies a natural treasure so spectacular it was dubbed by statesman William Jennings Bryan as the “eighth wonder of the world.”
That jewel is Natural Tunnel, a passageway measuring 850 feet long and averaging 100 feet high carved out of the surrounding limestone and dolomite bedrock by Mother Nature herself more than a million years ago.
The scientific type might explain its creation a little differently.
Ground water containing carbonic acid percolated through cracks and crevices and began to slowly dissolve the rock. When the water table lowered, Stock Creek, which flows south to join the Clinch River, was probably diverted underground and has since used the tunnel as a path of least resistance, thus continuing to erode it even more.
Regardless of how it came to be, today the tunnel is the focal point of Natural Tunnel State Park, although sightseers began visiting the attraction long before a swimming pool, campground and picnic area were added to its grounds.
“Natural Tunnel has been a tourist attraction since the 1800s, even before the state acquired the tunnel,” said Ishmael Richardson Jr., the park’s business manager. “Back then it was privately owned by the Natural Tunnel Chasm and Cavern Operation. There was a lodge and restaurant where the visitor center is today. So for years, it’s been a tourist attraction.”
For Richardson, it’s easy to see why. The look of amazement on the faces of first-time visitors says it all.
“People who have never seen it are always in awe,” he said. “The trail down to the tunnel, which starts just a short distance behind the visitor center, is used a lot, but you need to see the tunnel from up above and down below to get true perspective. If you’re down below, you’re looking up at sheer cliffs over 400 feet tall. If you hike up to Lover’s Leap on the other side, you get a different view of the tunnel.”
Folks who aren’t up for walking can catch a chairlift ride from the visitor center parking lot down 230 feet to the floor of the tunnel’s natural amphitheater for just $1. A round-trip ride costs $2.
In addition to camping, swimming, picnicking and hiking, Natural Tunnel also offers a variety of interpretive programs, including guided canoe trips down the Clinch River and wild cave tours.
“With all state parks, our mission is to conserve the natural resources of Virginia, and the interpretive planning is a part of that,” Richardson said. “We teach people about nature, conservation and how to use our natural resources responsibly.”
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