Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail, East Trailhead — Attraction in Waynesboro

The trail is 2.25 miles long. There are parking lots on each end (West entrance & East entrance). This is Not a looped trail so you will have to double back to your vehicle. The tunnel was nice and cool on a very hot day. The trail from the west end parking lot to the tunnel's entrance is a steep downhill gravel path. The path in the tunnel is wet, and pocked with large pot holes and long ridges so wear good walking shoes. The tunnel is long and unlit so a headlamp or flashlight is needed. There are Porta potties at each parking lot. There is no place to get water or food so bring your own. Always remember to Pack it In, Pack Out, take your trash with you so that you Leave No Trace you (or your dog) were there. The trail is leashed-dog friendly. No playground. There is a bench or two along the trail leading to the tunnel (No seating inside.) My photos of inside the tunnel show some of the many hand drilled holes where dynamite was placed when making the tunnel in the 1850s. The last picture is the literal light at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel itself is just under a mile long. The whole trail from parking lot to parking lot...

The east entrance is flat and densely packed rock, so it is very stroller friendly. The west entrance has a steep decline getting down to the tunnel - something a couple bikers were kind enough to point out when they saw me making my way towards the entrance with my dog and stroller. East entrance has plenty of parking and porta-potties. The trail is very well marked, including distance signs, and fun facts along the way for those who enjoy reading. Trail is very easy, however, more than a phone flashlight is highly recommended for the tunnel itself as it is DARK. It is also quite chilly (significant temp drop from the 85⁰ temp outdoors) - I'm grateful my son had a long sleeve, footed onesie and hat, or he would have been cold. The tunnel itself is relatively smooth but it is grooved in areas from water. There is running water and dripping water from the tunnel archway throughout, so do not be surprised to get wet. It's a little eery for little ones (my kiddo slept through most of it), and even my dog was a little on edge, but it was fun and worth the stop. Budget about an hour...

Sooo cool! Never done anything like this before. It's about a mile or less to hike in from the East parking lot. We opted to go this way in hopes of catching the little waterfall before the tunnel. Sadly, it wasn't available probably due to lack of rain.

The trail to the tunnel is a paved path. It felt rather safe to travel down. When you arrive at the tunnel, it just looks so fascinating. Make sure you have a light source as the tunnel is very dark and long. It's .8 miles one way.

Headlamps were perfect. You can find them cheap in store or online. Some people we saw used their phones but it only goes so far. I still recommend headlamps or flashlights. We were lucky and there was only a random group well behind us and well ahead of us when we went.

Watch your step, while the inside is paved, it's definitely got texture. We made it to the end of the tunnel and then turned around and walked back through and to the east parking lot.

We saw a couple bats on the ceiling/side wall on the way back, which was cool!

You cannot miss this experience if...