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USA TODAY SPECIAL EDITION
VIRGINIA | SOUTHWEST
The Other Virginia Natural wonders stun in this less-visited region of the state
Sand Cave, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
Story and photography by Erin Gifford
F
OR MANY, VIRGINIA CONJURES
up images of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, the wide 3-mile stretch of boardwalk at Virginia Beach or the stately presidential homesteads of Monticello and Mount Vernon. Few envisage sandstone slot canyons, an ice-cold aquamarine swimming hole or free-roaming ponies stationed alongside the iconic Appalachian Trail.
Yet, this is also Virginia — southwest Virginia — the less-trafficked section of the state that’s unlike what most experience motoring along its heavily traveled highways, Interstate 95 and I-81. “Southwest Virginia is a mecca of outdoor recreation in a setting that is not overcrowded or overused,” says David Woodard, executive director at Heart of Appalachia Tourism Authority in St. Paul, Va. “There’s a sacred serenity that seems to recharge and reinvigorate visitors.” Here are five must-see stops to experience on your next visit:
STOP #1: SAND CAVE Located on the far east side of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, a remote trailhead in Ewing draws in curious hikers for a nearly 4-mile ascent along dirt trails to reach the Sand Cave. It’s a remarkable geological formation deep within a verdant forest. The 250-foot-wide half-domed Sand Cave was once a massive sandstone rock, which the wind eroded over millions of years. A stunning acre of beachlike sand inside a wondrous rock cave resulted. From this same trail, scramble to the top of White Rocks — wide sandstone cliffs used as a guidepost for westward settlers in the late 1700s. From here, it’s about a 15-mile drive to Wilderness Road State Park for a chance to greet a small herd of mighty buffalo, much like those that once carved a migratory trace through the Cumberland Gap.
