No Turn On Red

No Turn On Red

Thursday, January 7, 2021

Blue Ridge Tunnel

The Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail in Nelson and Augusta Counties (Virginia) opened just before Thanksgiving 2020, and has seen a steady stream of visitors ever since. Even on a mid-week Thursday, the parking lots were short on space.

The tunnel was built in the 1850s (specifically, 1849 to 1858) with Irish immigrant and slave labor. It was designed by noted engineer Claudius Crozet and was unusual in that work began at both ends and met in the middle - a notable engineering challenge. At the time it opened, it was the longest railroad tunnel in North America. It was used until the 1944 opening of a more modern tunnel accommodating larger locomotives built adjacent to it.

The tunnel goes beneath Rockfish Gap on Afton Mountain. Rockfish Gap is a busy place. I-64 and US-250 go over the Blue Ridge here. It is also where Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park ends and the Blue Ridge Parkway begins. The Appalachian Trail also passes through here.


We started at the West Trailhead, then hiked 0.8 miles downhill to the West Portal. The 4375 ft long tunnel is straight, not curved, so the other end is visible the entire time That doesn't mean that you don't need to bring illumination (headlamp, flashlight, cell phone) to make your way through the tunnel! The tunnel also has an unusual elliptical shape.

The western side of the tunnel is lined with bricks. Most of the rest of the tunnel is rough-cut rock.

Lon and Dakota approach the East Portal.

Looking back at the East Portal.

Just outside the East Portal is a cascade/waterfall. There are two other waterfalls near the east end of the tunnel, as well as numerous dripping spots along the way. We've been in wetter tunnels, but this one definitely has its wet spots!

The trail on the east side of the tunnel has gentle slopes (ADA compliant), and it is only about 1/2 mile to the east side parking lot. It runs along CSX tracks. The trail from the West Portal to the west side parking lot is quite different. It rises 175 ft from the tunnel to the parking lot. The west side has a lot more parking, but is not as popular!

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