Natural Tunnel State Park, Duffield, VA

Date:  Tuesday June 14 – Sunday June 19, 2016 (5 nights)

Rate:  $38/night

Website:  Natural Tunnel State Park (VA)
   1420 Natural Tunnel Parkway (use gps coordinates N36.696984 W82.738577)
   Duffield, VA 24244
   276-940-2674

Description:  In the mountains of southwest Virginia, this is a gem of a park.  We stayed in site 12 (T&D in site 11) of Lovers Leap Campground which is a little more big rig friendly than their Cove View CG.  Roads are paved with gravel sites having W/E (50A).  Good Verizon reception.  There are several Camping Cabins (houses really) just down the road in their own area.  The reservations are non-site specific so we picked our site when we arrived.  There is also a large swimming pool further in the park which is popular with the kids.  As with the other VA state parks we’ve visited, there are several excellent hiking trails here.  There are several summer activities offered too, most at a minimal cost, such as kayaking, canoeing, guided hikes and caving.  The main attraction though is a large Natural Tunnel which was formed over eons of time by groundwater slowly seeping through and dissolving the limestone and dolomite bedrock.  Stock Creek diverted underground to slowly carve the Tunnel through centuries of time.  In 1890, a railway was built right through the Tunnel.  It’s still in use and a train runs a couple of times a day carrying coal.  The Tunnel is 850 feet long and 100 feet high inside.

Trash and Recycle:  Dumpster and recycle bins (aluminum cans and plastic only) at the exit of the cg loop.

Activities:  Lots to do here.  We started at the Visitor Center to get a plan of action.  We all enjoyed the chairlift ride down to the Tunnel.  As Tricia likes to say, “I want to face my fears.”  There is also Tunnel Trail (rated difficult with lots of switchbacks) for folks like Bill.  I joined T&D for a few hikes and Gin joined us on the Stock Creek Trail to the less visited north side of the Tunnel.  It goes right beside the creek and we had it all to ourselves, plus the deer.  The sign up sheet for kayaking and canoeing were full before we got to it, but Tricia and I went on the Wild Cave Tour (Natural Tunnel Cavern) and got our shoes very muddy.

 

Us on site 12 with T&D on site 11

 

Site 12 has a shady patio

 

Visitor Center                                             Train at the VC

 

Inside the Visitor Center

 

Jumping off point                                  Gin & Dan enjoy the ride down

 

Steep section                             Almost there

  

Tricia & Dan enjoyed a couple extra rounds on the chairlift… up is easier!

 

Cliff of the Tunnel…   Natural Tunnel…   pictures do not do it justice!

 

Pedestrian rail crossing…   Natural Tunnel one way and man made tunnel the other

 

Tracks going in to man made tunnel

 

Looking up from the Tunnel                            Motley Framily

  

Railway and Stock Creek at the Tunnel

  

Nice walk to Carter Cabin

 

Looking up at Lover’s Leap        Looking at the cliff and Tunnel from Lover’s Leap

 

Stock Creek Trail is like a private walk in the woods next to a stream…

  

…that ends at the less visited side of the Tunnel

 

Train tracks going into the Tunnel                  Love the stepping stones

 

Gazebo from the Birding Trail              Blockhouse Historic Area from the Birding Trail

 

Tunnel Trail is steep with lots of switchbacks

 

Let’s go caving!                                          Happy but muddy

Fries New River Trail RV Park, Fries, VA

Date of Stay:  Tuesday June 7 – Tuesday June 14, 2016 (7 nights)

Rate:  $39/night

Website:  Fries New River Trail RV Park
   26 Dalton Road
   Fries, VA 24330
   276-233-1178

Description:  Gravel road and sites all leveled with stone retaining walls and bordered by a small babbling stream.  We stayed on site 7 with T&D on site 8.  Only 16 sites which are all FHU (50A) with cable.  No Verizon service at all but great wifi.  The owner, Tom, greets you at check-in with muffins made by his wife.  They built this great little park about 11 years ago and have never rv’ed.  He is very friendly and this park is spotless.  Very relaxing in the small town of Fries (pronounced freeze).

Trash and Recycle:  No recycle but several trash cans dispersed throughout the park.

Activities:  T&D heard about this park about five years ago and we’re glad we joined them here.  It is a bit out of the way in the mountains but in a nice little town right on the New River with a wonderful Rail Trail (57 miles long).  I joined them on our first day for a 16 mile bike ride along the river.  Beautiful!  We saw a Baltimore Oriole and later watched a deer swim across the river.  A couple of days later, the four of us enjoyed an 9 mile ride on the trail.  Tricia and I walked over to the town’s communitity center on Thursday night and thoroughly enjoyed the weekly Mountain Music Jam with the local folks dancing and playing music.  Saturday, Dan smoked a delicious brisket.  On our last day we all went on a 6 mile ride of another section of the trail.

 

Entry to the park                                         Park office

 

From top of the hill                                  T&D on site 8 and us on site 7

 

Site 7

 

Looking at the brook                                   From the brook

 

New River along the trail                              Lots of Canada Geese

 

Double Shoals natural rock formation

 

Campsites along the river                              Good fishin hole

 

Deer can swim pretty good

 

Fries Junction                                       Bridge with trestle over New River

  

I love riding over old train trestles…

  

…and riding through old tunnels

 

Riding along the trail

 

Gin enjoyed the day

 

“Framily” outing

 

New River from campsites                                 Chestnut Creek