-OUTDOOR RECREATION AND BIODIVERSITY ON-
Rocks and Rapids: Day 2
This itinerary is designed for rock-hounds, or really for anyone who is interested in the remarkable geology of the Clinch Valley. The Clinch Valley is unique since it straddles two physiographic provinces - or regions with unique physical geography - the Appalachian Plateau and the Valley and Ridge. Geology on the Clinch is much more than just rocks, though: the rugged topography created by our region's rocks allows for scenic vistas, raging waterfalls, and pastoral valleys in between. Use this suggested itinerary to plan your own two- or three-day trip to see the geology of the Clinch firsthand. (Please note: the businesses and organizations featured in this itinerary are not formally associated with this initiative and do not directly endorse this guide.)
Day 2: Down in the Valley
1.) Town of Cleveland
Get an early start from Wise and head east to the town of Cleveland, located on the banks of the Clinch. Once a town reliant on the coal industry and associated railroads, Cleveland is steadily becoming a river town based around ecotourism. A boat launch, campground, and hiking trails are all in the works just outside of downtown. While you're here, make a quick stop at Tank Hollow Falls - a beautiful cascade within the town limits.
2.) Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve
Head towards the town of Lebanon from Cleveland, following the signed route along county roads to reach the Pinnacle State Natural Area Preserve on Big Cedar Creek a few miles outside of Lebanon. The Pinnacle is a popular spot with locals and visitors alike mostly for its miles of hiking trails, foot access to the Clinch River, and scenic Big Falls a mile or two down the creek from the trailhead. It's the Pinnacle's geology, though, that truly makes this site spectacular.
The rocks found within the gorge making up this preserve are primarily dolomite, a rock type similar to
limestone but with a high magnesium content. Like limestone, dolomite erodes as water percolates down through the soil, opening up caves and eroding into incredible and sometimes bizarre features to form a "karst" landscape. Here at the Pinnacle, this activity can be best be seen in the preserve's namesake - a towering spire of dolomite that rises several hundred feet above the creek in the depths of the Gorge. Just above the Pinnacle itself, Big Cedar Creek plunges over a stream-wide cascade - formed from more resistant sandstone rock strata - at Big Falls.
Dolomite does more than just make odd rock formations, though. Our typical forest plants have difficulty growing on the dry, harsh soil found atop dolomite, meaning that only very unique plants adapted to these conditions can thrive there. Here at the Pinnacle, multiple rare plant species can be found, many of which are more reminiscent of midwestern prariries than the heart of the Appalachians. In addition, several rare animal species also live in this unique habitat - the Big Cedar Creek Millipede, for example, is only found on planet Earth here at the Pinnacle and several nearby sites. You can explore the several miles of trails at the Pinnacle on your own, although we recommend the Big Cedar Creek and Pinnacle View Trails, both of which take you by the Pinnacle and scenic Big Falls.
3.) SR-71 Caves
After your hike at the Pinnacle, head east towards the town of Lebanon, then curling back to the west along scenic backroads on State Route 71 towards the town of St. Paul. This route traces one of the Ridge and Valley Province's linear, narrow valleys, which run parallel to nearby ridges, some running literally hundreds of miles across several states. This collection of ridges and valleys is referred to geologically as a "fold and thrust belt," formed several hundred million years ago when the continental plate containing North America collided with that of Africa. The resulting force created a series of ripple-like folds running southwest to northeast along the western edge of the Appalachians, much like the altrnating folds on an accordion. Although some
exceptions to this rule do exist, most of the valleys in this region are formed from downward folds (synclines) in rocks, with ridges the result of adjacent upward folds (anticlines).
As you are traveling through this valley just outside of Lebanon, look to the left of the road for a series of cave openings in the surrounding farmland (all on private property and not publicly accessible), the largest of which is big enough to drive a large vehicle through. These caves are a wonderful example of the karst topography - this time formed from limestone - found across much of the Ridge and Valley region, since water has dissolved the limestone over eons at this site to create the caves you see today. Caves, in fact, are a hallmark of the Ridge and Valley's lower elevations, as valleys are often formed from easily-erodible limestone while the surrounding, higher ridges are composed mostly of highly resistant sandstone.
4.) Town of St. Paul
The Town of St. Paul, located on the banks of the Clinch, is a perfect midday stop for lunch and afternoon activities. St. Paul has grown into a regional hub of ecotourism over the past five years, now containing lodging options, several restaurants, a soon-to-open microbrewery, and numerous outdoor recreation activities. River rats will enjoy a tube or paddle trip with Clinch River Adventures, an outfitter offering rentals and shuttles in St. Paul's riverside Matthews Park. Other options include approximately 8 miles of hiking trails at the Sugar Hill Trail System (offering views of southwest Virginia and riverside hikes along the Clinch) and an extensive ATV trail system above town. Spend some time exploring St. Paul, but be cafeful - it can be easy to send an entire day here!
5.) Natural Tunnel State Park
After you've explored St. Paul, head west on a scenic drive down the Clinch Valley to Natural Tunnel State Park near Duffield. Passing through Purchase Ridge, the park's namesake is a true natural tunnel, which is defined as a horizontal cave open at both ends. It is over 800 feet long, 100 feet wide, and the roof averages 60 feet. Stock Creek originates on Powell Mountain to the north and flows south through the Tunnel to the Clinch River just outside of the park. A rail line (now Norfolk Southern) was laid through the Tunnel in 1890, connecting the Southwest Virginia coalfields with the Great Valley.
Natural Tunnel formed by groundwater dissolving surrounding dolostone over millennia, along fractured rocks associated with the Glenita Fault, a small thrust fault created during the Appalachian orogeny (a "mountain-building event").
Natural Tunnel State Park became part of the Virginia State Park system in the late 1960's. The park maintains trails to both portals (openings) of the tunnel and a historic cabin in the gorge floor, as well as trails on Purchase and Cove Ridges. A chairlift is an alternative route into the Stock Creek Gorge. The park has a swimming pool, camping, cabins, the Cove Ridge Education Center and a recreation of the Wilderness Road Era Anderson Blockhouse. Interpretive programs are many and varied and include pioneer reenactments, canoe and kayak trips on the Clinch River, guided hikes in the nearby Jefferson National Forest, a wading trip into the Tunnel, and more.
After exploring the park, head back to Wise to complete this trip or spend the evening in the park if you'd like another day to explore.
Other Activities - Add these to your trip or even spend another day
Brumley Mountain Trail (Great Channels)
You've driven through the lowlands of the Ridge and Valley on this trip - now get into the high country. Located between Abingdon and Lebanon, the Brumley Mountain Trail runs nearly 14 miles across the high crest of an extension of Clinch Mountain, the predominant ridge in this physiographic province. The easternmost 3 miles of the trail are overwhelmingly the most popular and lead to a firetower on Brumley's Middle Knob and the Great Channels, a honeycomb-like series of sandstone outcrops with passages reaching some 30 feet down, all created by ancient cycles of freezing and thawing. From the summit, one can view Mt. Rogers, Whitetop Mountain, and all the way back to High Knob (featured on Day 1 of this trip).
Devil's Bathtub Hike
Located between St. Paul and Natural Tunnel State Park, the Devil's Bathtub is a scenic swimming hole scoured out of surrounding bedrock in a remote section of the Jefferson National Forest near the town of Fort Blackmore. Visitors can hike a rugged, 3-mile out-and-back trail to the Bathtub that involves more than ten technical stream crossings each way. The waters of the Bathtub are famous for their crystal clear, aquamarine hue - a consequence of dissolved minerals in the water and the relatively pristine watershed that the Devil's Fork flows within. Visitors should be aware, however, that this trail may be extremely overcrowded on warm-weather weekends and may be impassible during periods of prolonged, heavy rain.