Breaks Interstate Park

BREAKS, Va. – Famed novelist John Fox Jr. once spent three days traveling by horse and buckboard from his home in Big Stone Gap to look at the panoramic view of the gorge now known as Breaks Interstate Park.
The author of “Trail of the Lonesome Pine” was obviously impressed, and probably a bit weary and sore after his 70-mile ride. He called the Breaks “the most isolated spot this side of the Rockies.”
An article he penned after his visit created real buzz about the region, or as much buzz as could be created 100 years ago, before the ages of television and the Internet.
Fox was by no means the first to note the majestic beauty of the five-mile-long, quarter-mile-deep gorge – one of the longest and deepest east of the Mississippi River.
Daniel Boone and a couple of companions spent some time camping along the ridges and rock outcrops in 1767. Boone didn’t stay long as he passed through on one of his legendary treks to Kentucky. According to park lore, Boone thought there were too many copperheads and rattlesnakes for his comfort.
It’s still not easy to get to the Breaks, one of just two interstate parks in America, but travel along the winding state roads that hug the mountains of Kentucky and Virginia is much easier than in Fox’s day. Most visitors today – and nearly 400,000 made the trek last year – seem to believe the trip is worthwhile.
The park – nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the South or the Grand Canyon with Clothes – boasts 4,600 acres and straddles the Virginia counties of Buchanan and Dickenson and Pike County in Kentucky.
Visitors traveling to the Breaks from Haysi, Va., are treated to a glimpse of what awaits those who make it inside the gates when they drive by an overlook on state Route 80. The view is breathtaking, especially in the spring and fall, when tourists gape at the steep rock outcrops that surround the park. But the view from outside the park is nothing compared to the scenery inside.
“It’s the view,” park Superintendent Carl Mullins said about what visitors enjoy most.
The Breaks is known for its overlooks, which dazzle the mind and instill fear in anyone who harbors just a hint of queasiness over heights. Each offers a different view of the geographical wonders that ring the park. All are spectacular.
“They like the Towers and the Clinchfield overlooks the most,” Mullins said. “They really seem to favor those two.”
The Towers Overlook is one of the first inside the park. It’s also arguably the best.
“I guess it’s the Towers,” Dickenson County resident John Stanley said of the view he prefers. “I’ve traveled a great deal and the other place that took my breath away as well was the Grand Canyon. Both are breathtaking and quite distinctive.”
The Towers are actually two steep mountain outcrops ringed by the powerful Russell Fork River. The spring, summer and fall seasons feature thick leaves that give the Towers a full but soft look. Winter visitors marvel at the craggy rocks and spindly trees that line the steep Towers.
“I used to sit out there as close as I was allowed to sit on the edge,” Stanley said of his visits to the park when he was a youngster. “It’s just incredible.”
The Clinchfield Overlook also has its share of fans, even if the lengthy walk to the viewing platform is much easier than the daunting walk back up. Clinchfield features a wonderful view of the railroad tracks that run between the river and the mountains.
Fortunate visitors glimpse loaded trails hauling tons of coal destined for markets across the country and even overseas. The sharp sound of a train whistle stands out and can drown out, for just a moment, the roaring sound of the river.
Breaks also has a series of trails, several that take hikers under the overlooks, which is one reason park visitors are urged never to throw rocks or other objects into the gorge.
Most of the trails are not lengthy, but they vary in difficulty, ranging from steep or rocky terrain to smooth, flat surfaces. Tourists who enjoy a nice stroll that will not raise their heart rate but does wonders for the disposition can opt for a short hike around Laurel Lake, where birds are plenty and the splashing of paddle boats drifts across the water.
Hikers who want a pulse-pounding trek and a close view of the many rock formations that make the park famous are warned to wear sturdy shoes, pack plenty of water and travel with a friend before embarking on the River Trail.
Hikers who want a trail experience that falls between difficult and easy can stretch things out a little by enjoying the rock formations that flank the Geological Trail and link with the Ridge Trail toward the Stateline Overlook.
Visitors to the Breaks on weekends in October are sure to glimpse colorful kayaks and rafts that rise and fall on the challenging rapids created on the Russell Fork when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers releases water from the nearby Flannagan Reservoir.
The whitewater rafting experience introduces the Breaks to a new generation of thrill-seekers who want more than a hike and a peaceful time at the overlooks.
New mountain bike trails as well as horseback riding trails also are popular.
“We have 35 miles of hiking and biking trails now,” Mullins said.
The Breaks’ natural beauty is the big draw, but park visitors also have plenty to do once they have experienced the overlooks and trails. The park has 122 camping slots in its campground. Although many are designed for recreational vehicles, tent camping remains extremely popular.
Cottages are available for weekly rental, and the conference center and motel offer plenty of creature comforts.
The Rhododendron Restaurant offers a hearty menu of home-cooked meals and desserts complete with tables that provide unmatched views of the forest from a tall wall of windows.
Family picnics are also popular. Family reunions, weddings and corporate picnics are held most weekends. The sharp clank of a horseshoe hitting a metal spike is a sure sign
a family reunion is in full swing.
“We just don’t have enough shelters for the reunions,” Mullins said.
And there are plenty of picnic tables in isolated spots designed to give small families and couples a sense of seclusion.
An Olympic-sized pool is another popular place in the hot summer months, and it’s close to Laurel Lake.
Anglers who enjoy casting for bluegill and bass can be seen lining the lake banks or drifting slowly in row boats.
The park really hops on Labor Day and Father’s Day each year when gospel singing draws about 20,000 people.
The park gets most of its visitors from neighboring states, but more and more are coming from North Carolina as well as from Ohio and Tennessee, the park superintendent said. Stanley does his share of introducing the Breaks to out-of-town guests.
“I love to take them over there and show it off,” Stanley said. “It’s so breathtaking. It’s something to treat people to. It’s amazing that something that amazing is so close to us.”