Our family loves to take little day trips.  One of our favorite spots is the Natural Tunnel State Park in Virginia.  It’s about 15-20 minute from Kingsport and the perfect place to spend a sunny day!  In the parking lot of the gift shop there’s a fun little train car that my kids enjoy playing on.  There is even a nice museum adjacent to the gift shop.  Take the time to roam around and learn about the history of the tunnel.  There are some really affordable goodies in the gift shop, so even if your kids only have a dime or two they can at least buy a piece of candy.

There is a parking booth at the gate to the park, but there has never been an attendant in it when we’ve been there.   We always take a few dollar bills with us so that we can ride down on the chair lift.  It costs $3 per person but they usually only charge us for the adults.  It’s so worth it….the ride down is very quiet and beautiful.  If you don’t want to ride (or if you only want to ride one way) the walk down is also fun.  We take the kids on a little bug-and-flower scavenger hunt when we walk down it.

At the base of the mountain there is the amazing Natural Tunnel.  It’s so beautiful down there!   There’s the amazing, romantic story of Lover’s Leap and the sound of rushing water.  You can’t stand around or walk on the train tracks, but you can cross them and stand on the platform.  My kids love to look over at the huge rocks and down at the water.  We usually take a few minutes to walk on the trail, too, because there are some fun things to discover like a bridge and a small cabin.   There are several places where you can easily walk to the water’s edge to skip rocks.

If you’ve got the rest of the day to spare, be sure to hit the pool.  Natural Tunnel has the cleanest public pool I’ve ever seen!  The bathrooms are always immaculate and even smell freshly cleaned.  The playgrounds are nearby and are a good spot to hit just before or after lunch, too.

If you’re ready to head home, be sure to stop for some ice cream!  The cute little red Stone Drive In is just off the beaten path as you head out of Natural Tunnel.  It’s not fast food—and they have a sign to make sure that you know that—but it’s tasty.  While you wait for your yumminess to arrive, take the time to talk with your kids about your fun day  at Natural Tunnel.