The Southern Dozen are twelve routes that start in Johnson City and travel throughout the region. Each is an adventure in itself that takes you through twisting turns, breathtaking scenery, historic landmarks, local attractions, and fun rides. Whether you want to explore caves, see wolves, wander historic sites, linger in the arches of the heartland, or just enjoy the view, you’ll find a ride that’s just right for you.

This is part 4, dubbed the "8th wonder of the world" by William Jennings Bryan, which will take us to the Natural Tunnel State Park. The natural tunnel is over a million years old and has been attracting visitors for over two centuries. Ride the chairlift to hiking trails, picnic tables, and of course, the incredible tunnel itself.

The ride is officially 41 miles round trip from Johnson City to Natural Tunnel State Park and is mostly on Interstate I-26. To make the ride and the day more interesting, we will take a different route and take some interesting back roads. We will drive through Blackwater back to Johnson City.

The first part of the journey takes us to Natural Tunnel State Park. Here you can see the Natural Tunnel, which was naturally carved through a limestone ridge over thousands of years and is over 800 feet long and 10 stories high. William Jennings Bryan called it the “eighth wonder of the world.” Other scenic features include a wide gorge between steep rock walls, surrounded by several peaks or “chimneys.” There are campgrounds, cabins, picnic areas, an amphitheater, a visitor center, a camp store, and a gift shop.

After enjoying all the fun rides in the park, we take the Dry Creek Road to Blackwater, this is a beautiful scenic route with many curves through a beautiful landscape. Along the route there are a number of stops possible.

In Duffield, you can visit Fannon's Train Museum, founded by the late Kenny Fannon to preserve railroad history in Southwest Virginia. Today, his grandson, Ruston Fannon, continues the tradition. The collection includes a restored authentic N&W Railroad boxcar, a Blue Diamond Coal Company diesel engine, and an ETW&NC; tender car called the Tweetsie Line. The depot is filled with old photographs, lanterns, whistles, schedules, and all things railroad. You can also plan a lunch break in Duffield.


For a prehistoric adventure, visit the Natural History Museum in Pleasantville, which is the Gray Fossil Site, a place where visitors can explore and learn about an active fossil dig site from the Pliocene Epoch. Scientists believe the site was formed when an underground limestone cave collapsed and created a sinkhole. This created a massive fossil deposit that dates back about 5 million years, revealing saber-toothed tigers, alligators, tapirs, rhinoceroses, short-faced bears and a mastodon, as well as hundreds of plants and other animals.

The ride ends in Johnson City, where you can relax with dinner at Cootie Browns.