For decades, it was a forgotten scar in the landscape, sealed off and whispered about by locals. Now, one of America’s greatest hidden historical sites has been painstakingly restored and opened for exploration.
The Blue Ridge Tunnel is not your typical park experience; it’s an epic, subterranean adventure. You’ll need to rely on your senses (and maybe a good headlamp) as you walk the precise path where steam engines once roared.
This is a story of powerful ambition, enormous labor, and the ultimate triumph of preservation. If you demand history you can physically touch-the kind that requires a sense of awe and a good pair of boots-Virginia’s secret tunnel awaits.
A Groundbreaking Engineering Achievement
When completed in 1858, this remarkable tunnel claimed the title of longest railroad tunnel in North America. French engineer Claudius Crozet designed this 4,273-foot masterpiece that burrowed straight through solid Blue Ridge granite…