February 11, 2020

Marys Rock Tunnel in Winter.


This tunnel on Skyline Drive was completed in early 1932. Dynamite was used to blast through the granite, at a rate of 15 feet or more per day. the tunnel is 670 feet long and the interior is lined with concrete. In winter, icicles form on both openings, making the road slippery below them. 


Just south of the tunnel you can find some nice views of Rappahannock County.

If you want to take pictures inside the tunnel, plan on having someone else drive or use a dash cam.


This is near milepost 32 of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. I've posted pictures of it before, notably in October 2017 and January 2013

9 comments:

  1. ...man created something beautiful in this natural area. When I was a kid my family drove along the Skyline Drive, it was so foggy, I'm not sure if we saw much. Thanks Linda for stopping by with this post, enjoy your weekend.

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  2. Hello, it is interesting seeing the icicles hanging off the tunnel.. Love the photos and Shenandoah! Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy week ahead!

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  3. Great photos. But the ice on the road looks precarious.

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  4. The Blue Ridge Parkway is often closed in winter just for those icy tunnels! Great to see one that has traffic going through it (carefully.)

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  5. The ice adds a magical touch to things.

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  6. The ice looks pretty. It's too bad it makes the road slippery.

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  7. Great shots! Having gone through the tunnel many times over the years we have lived here, I don't think I have ever seen it looking this pretty. Nature's ornaments have added the magic :)

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  8. Linda,

    This tunnel is constructed like those on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in the Smoky's. I marvel every time we pass through one. It's amazing when they punch a hole through the mountain that it doesn't cave in but I'm not a construction engineer so this is above my head. :) You did a great job on the exposure . It's so hard to be in a dark environment shooting toward the light as in yours but bravo! The icicles are amazing reminding me of my childhood in southern WV while traveling to school during the winter months it wasn't uncommon to find long strands of frozen water suspended from the rocky hillside along the road. Often the eves of homes displayed long forming icicles. We would break them off and sucked on them. That's really quite nasty to think about it but we were kids and ignorant to the fact these nature made ice pops were laden with tons of germs and dirt particles. I guess that's good because that's part of the fun of being a kid, right? Thanks for sharing!

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