Potomac News Online |

Bymanassasjm

spcr spcr

spcr spcr

Travel

Virginia: Guide

to going places
The Homestead Greece Colonial Williamsburg Blandford

Top

Travel Destinations:

Appalachian Region

Appalachia

– Blue

Ridge – Shenandoah

Valley

– Fredericksburg/Northern

Virginia

Chesapeake

Bay

– Tidewater/Hampton

Roads

– Central

Virginia

High Knob Mountain
Bob

Krist/

Virginia Tourism Corporation

Southwest

Virginia boasts grand views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

High

Knob Mountain

9416

Darden Drive

Jefferson National Forest

Wise, Va. 24293

A 4,162-foot high, multi-level observation tower offers

breathtaking views of Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina and southwest

Virginia. Two main trails for hikers are available with a 1.3-mile trail

leading to High Knob

 

Lake at the recreation area. For the more rugged hiker

there is a 19.2-mile trail, which leads to Hanging Rock Recreational Area

on the Mountain Fork Trail.

High Knob Recreation Area is at an elevation of 3,800

feet with a 4-acre cold-water lake and a 300-foot sand swimming beach.

Other amenities: Fourteen tent sites with picnic tables, bathhouse with

showers and flush toilets. The lake is stocked and fishing is permitted

with a Virginia license and a Forest Service Stamp.

Telephone:

276-328-2931

Cumberland

Gap National Park

P.O.

Box 1848

Middlesboro, 40965

The park preserves the mountain pass used

by Indians, and later by settlers moving west.

Daniel Boone blazed a trail beginning in Southwest Virginia through Cumberland

Gap, which is known as the Wilderness Road. This became the route westward

for pioneers from North Carolina. Fort McCook Earthworks, created by the

Union Army, can still be seen on this strategic crossroads, which was

the site of many Civil War battles as both North and South vied for control.

More than 50 miles of trails meander over more than 20,000 acres of wilderness.

Cudjo’s Caverns, located beneath Pinnacle Overlook, offers the tallest

stalagmite in the world, while Sand Cove, eroded rock forms, has a ceiling

of gold, red and green. The cliffs at White Rocks once served as a landmark

for early pioneers. Open from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day to Oct.

31; 8 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 1 to Memorial Day.

Hensley’s

Settlement is part of the Cumberland Gap National Park, which lies in

three states: Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. First settled in 1903

by the Hensleys atop Brush Mountain, the settlement has been preserved

without electricity, indoor plumbing, roads or any modern conveniences

from 1775 until 1951 when the last inhabitant left.

Telephone:

606-248-2817

606-248-7276

Natural

Tunnel State Park

Courtesy

Virginia State Parks

A

view of the sky opens from the chairlift at Natural Tunnel State

Park in Duffield.

Rt. 3, Box 250

Duffield, Va. 24244

This state park is built around a 100-foot high, 850-foot-long tunnel formed

through rock by the erosive action of water. A hiking trail or chairlift

provides access to the mouth of the tunnel, which has both a stream and

railroad running through it. The park offers hiking trails, picnicking,

amphitheater, swimming pool, campground and a visitor center with an education

center and gift shop. The campground offers 23 campsites and 18 R. sites

with electric and water hookups. Several programs and events take place

through the year. Location: Natural Tunnel State Park is in Scott County,

approximately 13 miles north of Gate City and 20 miles north of Kingsport,

Tenn.. To get there, from I-81, take U.S. 23 North to Gate City (approximately

20 miles). Take State Route 871 and go one mile east to park entrance.

Telephone:

(276) 940-2674

(276) 940-2029

Break’s

Interstate Park: Grand Canyon of the South

Virginia and Kentucky Interstate 80

P.O. Box 100

Breaks, Va. 24607

Located

on the Virginia/Kentucky state line, the park is one of only two Interstate

Parks in the nation. The park encompasses 4,500 acres of greenwood lands

and mountain scenery, including Breaks’ Interstate Park: Grand Canyon

of the South.

History:

The name “Breaks” is derived from the break in Pine Mountain

created by the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River as it carved a 1,000-foot

gorge, the largest east of the Mississippi, on its way to the Ohio River.

Its craggy untouched beauty reaches more than five miles long and 1,600

feet deep. Park features: Olympic-size pool, a lake with paddleboats and

fishing, hiking trails, picnic areas, camping areas, a visitor center,

a gift shop, playground equipment, cabins, a lodge, motel rooms, a convention

center, a restaurant and amphitheater. Numerous events scheduled.

Telephone:

(276) 865-4413; (800) 982-5122

Sources:

Virginia Department of Tourism, U.S. National Park Service,

”

Similar Posts

Potomac News Online |

Bymanassasjm

Ski Guide 2005 A quick getaway or a long weekend, don’t miss out on these great places to hit the slopes this winter.       Select a Destination      VA–Bryce      Resort      VA–Massanutten      VA–The Homestead VA–Wintergreen      Md.–Wisp      WVa.–Cannan      Valley      WVa.-Snowshoe      WVa.–Timberline WVa.–Canaan      NC–Beech      NC–Appalachian      NC–Hawksnest      NC–Wolf      Laurel NC–Sugar Mountain Pa.–Bear Creek Pa.–Hidden Valley Pa.–Liberty Mountain Pa.–Ski Roundrop Pa.–Montage Mountain Pa.–Shawnee Mountain Pa.–Whitetail Pa.–Seven Springs      Check the weather Is it snowing at your weekend destination? Check the weather forecast for your ski trip here. Ski reports | The…

Local News

Bymanassasjm

Dumfries hires interim manager BY AILEEN M. STRENG p>It’s not a permanent solution for Dumfries, but it does help. Full Story Bank robbery suspect arrested BY DANIEL DREW e m/ms Prince William police charged a 44-year-old Dumfries woman in the March 14 robbery of the Marumsco Plaza First Union bank at 13891 Jefferson Davis Highway,…

page 1

Bymanassasjm

    Sunshine Week “Freedom of information” isn’t just for professional journalists. Open access and public records laws are intended for everyone. The Potomac News and its partners are commemorating “Sunshine Week” – March 13-19 – with a package of stories on freedom of information as it relates to ordinary people living ordinary lives. We…