Hidden in the mountainous folds of Southwest Virginia, Natural Tunnel awaits the amazement of both seasoned acquaintances and new visitors alike. The main attraction at the 850-acre Natural Tunnel State Park, Natural Tunnel pierces Purchase Ridge for 850 feet at an average height of 50 feet and houses both a creek and a railroad—that’s right, trains run through the Tunnel on a regular basis, their horns echoing off the magnificent 300-foot cliffs surrounding the Tunnel. In Natural Tunnel: Nature’s Marvel in Stone, author and geologist Tony Scales recounts the history of the great feature, from its geologic beginnings to the first written accounts of man’s interaction with the Tunnel, through a period of commercial exploitation, to the present-day state park. Richly illustrated with numerous historic photographs and geologic diagrams, Natural Tunnel is a must for the railfan, the casual visitor, or the die-hard fan of the treasure that is Natural Tunnel.

Tony Scales was born in Bristol, Virginia, raised in Bristol, Tennessee, and earned master’s and bachelor’s degrees in geology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. A certified professional geologist, he has spent his career in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia. He has published a number of professional articles; a casual start on one, combined with his love of a place, grew into Natural Tunnel: Nature’s Marvel in Stone, his first book. Tony resides in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, with his wife and son.