Virginia's Newest Mountain Trail Will Take You Through A 4,700-Foot Tunnel In The Blue Ridge Mountains
By Beth|Published January 12, 2021
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Beth
Author
A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Charlottesville. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains.
If there’s one thing Virginia boasts plenty of, it’s hiking trails. Even so, we’re always thrilled to hear the announcement of new hikes we can enjoy with the whole family. The Blue Ridge Tunnel, Virginia’s newest mountain trail, belongs at the top of your itinerary. The highlight of the trail is the passage through a 4,7000-foot tunnel bored right into the Blue Ridge Mountains in central Virginia. Here’s more on why you’ll love your experience on this newly-completed two-mile trek.
In November of 2020, the Blue Ridge Tunnel opened as one of the state's newest mountain trails: the Blue Ridge Tunnel.
As the name implies, the trail travels through an epic mountain tunnel that was engineered by Claudius Crozet between 1850 and 1858 beneath Rockfish Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
As you can imagine, creating such a vast tunnel during that time period was by no means an easy feat. For that reason, the Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel is recognized as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
An excerpt from the marker above reads "The Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel, 4,273 feet in length, was the longest railroad tunnel in North America when constructed in 1849. Irish and enslaved craftsman and laborers excavated the tunnel using hand drills and black powder."
Today, hikers, bicyclists, historians, and nature enthusiasts are welcome to hike rail-trail and enjoy all that the tunnel and surrounding landscape have to offer.
The nearly one-mile tunnel isn't lit, so visitors will need to bring some sort of flashlight or headlamp to ensure proper visibility. It also stays about 50 degrees inside the tunnel, so you'll want to bring a warm layer.
The trail is wide and smooth enough to accommodate strollers; however, be mindful that the incline is somewhat steep on the way back.
Have you had a chance to hike the Blue Ridge Tunnel yet? What did you think? We’d love to hear all about your experiences in the comments below! For more adventures, be sure to read about these 12 incredible hikes under 5 miles in Virginia.
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