I’m pretty behind on posting adventure pictures so here’s a bunch from my field trip to Natural Tunnel a few weeks ago. This is a long post, but a good one. Natural Tunnel is exactly what the name suggests, it’s a cave system in the far southwestern corner of Virginia that still sees train use as an easier way to get through the mountains.

To start things off, here’s the nearby Clinch River.

Here’s a look down at the tunnel from an overlook. I managed to catch a coal train going through! It was an amazing moment to rush to the top to watch it come and go.

To get over there you can take a chairlift that actually takes you down the mountain instead of up.

Here’s what the entrance looks like on the ground. Not easy to get a picture or capture the scale of the place.

Another shot of the tracks.

This is the creek that flows through the tunnel from the other side.

The other entrance to the tunnel with some falling leaves.

From inside the cave looking back out.

Looking back on it I guess I didn’t get a lot of great pictures of the tunnel entrance itself, but know that it was super impressive in person. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to go visit this place.