The Blue Ridge Tunnel

Near the small unincorporated community of Afton, Virginia is the Blue Ridge Tunnel, which was built to accommodate a railroad line going across the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The line was eventually rerouted through a more recently constructed tunnel, which resulted in the original tunnel being incorporated into a trail for hikers.  The tunnel was the longest and westernmost of four engineered by Claudius Crozet, who had emigrated from France in 1816 after serving in Napoleon's army, including two years as a POW after being captured by Russian forces in 1812.  He also had taught at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York and would later serve as the president of the board of directors at Virginia Military Institute.

Afton is located on Virginia Route 6 just off U.S. Route 250.  To get to the east end of the trail, I had to drive past a building that appears to have been a railroad depot, but today is privately property, as indicated by the sign on the right.  The still-active rail line is in the background on the left.

After I parked the Bigfootmobile, I saw this sign at the east end of the trail.

After walking 100 yards or so, I came upon an informative plaque, one of several along the trail.  This one is mainly about Crozet.

Here's what the trail looks like, with a fence on the left which keeps hikers away from the rail line.  A bench can be seen in the distance on the right side of the trail.

After hiking a little over half a mile, I reached the east entrance to the tunnel, where the trail curves to the right.  Since I did not have the necessary flashlight or headlamp, I didn't go in.

However, due to its straight course, I could actually see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.  It crosses under both U.S. 250 and I-64, and is about 4,200 feet long.

For more on the Blue Ridge Tunnel, go to Visit Nelson County, Go Hike Virginia, AllTrails, Visit Waynesboro and HikingUpward.