On a wet winter day, to close out 2020 (a year of a worldwide pandemic) and start 2021 (one in which we are feeling hope), we walked through the dark and into the light. We went and hiked the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail.
Our hike was not only loaded with metaphor, but it was also a lot of fun.
Recently opened after a long history (more on that below), this is a short, very flat hike that is easily accessible for families and memorable for kids of all ages!
Feet smacking the soft ground through the bowels of the mountain for a mile, the pitch black engulfing you while your flashlight will suddenly and surprisingly catch a glimpse of an old brick wall or smoke stains from a century ago, this (completely free) experience can’t be replicated.
The Blue Ridge Tunnel itself has a gruesome, rough and interesting history. The tunnel was completed in April 1858. At 4,273 feet, it was the longest tunnel in the U.S. and one of the longest tunnels in the world at the time.
Like most largescale and dangerous construction projects during that era, the tunnel was dug by hand (dynamite not yet invented) by slaves and Irish immigrants. Living and working conditions were brutal and many truly awful deaths occurred.
There is also a story about passengers on one ill-fated train ride through the tunnel that misunderstood the conductor’s rules to close all windows when going through the tunnel. (The ventilation was so poor in the tunnel that engine smoke would fly into the passenger cars if the windows weren’t shut.) With the windows open, the passengers thought the incoming smoke meant the train was on fire and panicked, one girl jumping from the train.
Some believe that with all this human tragedy within its thick and impenetrable walls, there are secrets held within, making the tunnel “very” haunted. Whether you share that information with your family is up to you, of course…
In 1944, a larger tunnel was built to accommodate the large freight trains, and this tunnel by Crozet was abandoned by officials (although rumor has it locals would challenge and dare each other to go through the dilapidated and eerie tunnel). In 2007, CSX donated it to Nelson County and after successful fundraising and intense renovations, it reopened to the public as a multi-use trail in November 2020.
With all of this history, as well as its demarcation as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, this documentary on the renovation and importance will surely be fascinating.
We parked and started our trip on the east side of the tunnel trail. This is the most ADA and stroller accessible side. We didn’t make it all the way to the western trailhead, but the literature warns that it is steeper there than at the east entrance.
The entire trail itself is just over 2.25 miles. (To do the entire out and back would be under 5 miles). From the eastern trailhead parking lot, it was under a mile and a half to walk to the tunnel entrance and through the tunnel.
The road is flat and paved up to the tunnel entrance, where it becomes a fine gravel. Plenty of families were easily pushing off-road strollers, push bikes and other ride-on toys.
Be forewarned that parking is atrocious here. There are only about a dozen parking spots on the east side. The west side has only 20. The surrounding area is private property (as in, people’s homes) so please don’t park there. We noticed a few of the residents were placing signs and placards on their lots reminding people not to park on their grass. Clearly, this is a problem.
I really can’t offer a solution to this. The official literature simply asks that you be prepared to either 1) wait for a spot to open up or 2) plan to leave and come back later if the lot is full.
Timing your trip here to avoid crowds is important. Yet since the trail itself isn’t long, visitors don’t tend to stay too terribly long. Waiting may be a viable option.
This is such a wild experience, and one we loved. It was pitch black inside the tunnel and we could hear water dripping around us as we walked to the (literal) light at the end of the tunnel…remarking on how the end didn’t seem to make it closer to us no matter how long we felt we had been walking.
Be sure to take flashlights or headlamps! This really isn’t do-able without them. The tunnel isn’t lit at all (which we think is what makes it so cool). There were some families who brought glow necklaces to put around their kids, which I thought was smart.
That said, it is also fun to spend a moment or two inside the tunnel without lights. If you get a chance, and are brave enough, turn off all the lights. See if any of the hauntings come to say hello.
Also, please remind your group not to shine the flashlights up. It is sometimes hard to see visitors approaching from the opposite direction, yet no one in the world likes to get full-force flashlight beams in their eyes.
Regardless of when you go, or how you make it through the darkness to the light, this piece of history is surely worth the time.
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– Charlottesville kid “C,” 11-years-old
More about the Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail:
- Nelson County’s page on the Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail
- Official maps & directions (Google Maps is NOT CORRECT)
- The Blue Ridge Tunnel Foundation
- Trailer for an upcoming documentary on the tunnel
Raising Charlottesville is a website dedicated to highlighting fun & local activities for families living in the Charlottesville, VA area.