Recreational Activities

Recreational Activities
Natural Tunnel State Park	This state park is known for its "Natural Wonder" and has been called the "eighth wonder of the world". The Natural Tunnel is a great place to have some recreational fun. The park offers hiking along its many trials, and even has a trail leading to head of the tunnel, also there is chair lift ride that take visitors down the mountain side to the head of the tunnel. Other great attractions at the state park includes a swimming pool and picnic area. The Natural Tunnel State Park offers caving and canoeing tours. The state park is located about 45 minutes from the town of Dungannon in Duffield which is still in Scott County, Virginia. There are fees for some of the attractions at the park, but the park does give group rates for some of the attractions. Click hear to check out Natural Tunnel State Park Web Site
Falls of Little Stoney	The Falls of Little Stoney is located within Hanging Rock Park that is just minutes from the town of Dungannon. The Hanging Rock Park offers a breath taking view of the mountain area as well as the majestic 24 feet Falls of Little Stoney. DDC offers post cards featuring the Falls of Little Stoney, to find out more about the post cards click on souvenir items. There is a parking fee if parking at the bottom entrance, but there is no fee if parking at the top entrance
	Creation Kingdom Zoo believes strongly in conservation of habitat and species locally as well as around the globe. While the ideal situation for an animal would be free in the wild, unfortunately the wild habitats are being destroyed by logging, population growth, poaching, and industry. Simply put, The zoo's goal is is to serve God through education, conservation, and propogation of the animals we live with. Creation Kingdom Zoo wants to accurately and safely educate the public about where our world began, the animals we share it with, their native habitat and help protect their future by the propogation, breeding, and husbandry of exotic species Many adults and children have little to no contact with living nature, but in contrast, their knowledge of nature comes from television. While these programs are beneficial, they are no comparison to standing face to face with animals from Africa, India, South America, and beyond. Click hear to check out Creation Kingdom Zoo's Web Site
Homeplace Mountain Farm Museum	The Homeplace is located within Scott County on Wadlow Gap Road and is a living 1840's mountain farmstead. The Homeplace is a collection of authentic structures and artifacts that have been carefully taken down and reassembled on site at the Homeplace. These dwellings seem to be alive with the daily activities of a mountain farm. You can visit the working folks that you meet and imagine yourself alive over a century and a half ago. Click hear to check out The Homeplace Web Site
The Dungannon & Clinch River Scenic Guide Book	The scenic guide book is great for people wanting to getting to know the area. The book guides visitors on a 23.7 mile ride. The tour starts in the town of Dungannon and guides visitors along the Clinch River, through the many scenic areas and historical points of interest that is along the route and back to Dungannon. There is no fee for the guide book. The book can be picked up at the DDC office or downloaded by clicking here.
Carter Family Fold	Country Music's birthplace is located in Hiltons at the Carter Family Fold, which honors the late A.P. Carter, his wife Sara and her cousin Maybelle, the pioneers of country music. A museum on the family history is also located on the grounds of the Fold. The Carter Family Fold and Museum features traditional mountain music. Large crowds gather every Saturday night to listen to the melodic sounds of local and famous entertainers ad they carry on the work of A.P. , Sara and Mother Maybelle. The Fold is also anchor stop on Virginia's Heritage Music Trail, "The Crooked Road". Phone: (276) 386-6054. Fees do apply but group rates are available. Click hear to check out the Carter Family Fold Web Site.
Smoky Mountains and surroundings	The town of Dungannon is only a short drive from the Great Smoky Mountains. In less than three hours you can be from Dungannon to the most visited National Park in America. While visiting "Great Smoky Mountain National Park", you may also want to stop by and enjoy some of the wonderful tourist towns and attractions located around the park. The towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in Tennessee, offer many options for the visiting tourist including some of the best shopping and dining available. There are also plenty of fun activities in those towns such as lazier tags, mini-golf courses, water parks, a saltwater aquarium, many music and comedy theaters and of course Dollywood (see below). Just a short distance away is Knoxville, Tennessee. Visitors to Knoxville may want to see the Knoxville Zoo. Just across the mountain, in Cherokee, North Carolina, you may want to see the Indian Artifacts and Native American sites or visit Harrah's Cherokee Casino. Gambling is allowed at the casino because the land is owned and it is operated on the Indian Reservation. There may be an age requirement for gambling.
Whitewater rafting on the Nolichucky River with Cherokee Adventures	Cherokee Adventures located in the mountains of northeast Tennessee serves outdoor enthusiasts. The company has been leading whitewater rafting trips since 1979. There specialty is the scenic Nolichucky River. The Nolichucky offers a variety of rapids that cut their way through a beautiful 3000' gorge. The Nolichucky, The "River of Death" was named by the Cherokee Indians. This river is world-famous for its' white water rafting. Occasionally, the river lives up to it's name. The river has claimed many lives of rafters, swimmers, kayakers, fishermen and hikers. Click here to check out the Cherokee Adventures Web Site
DOLLYWOOD & Splash Country Water Park	The Dollywood Theme Park & Splash Country Water Park are located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee which is about two and half hours from the small town of Dungannon. Pigeon Forge is in Sevier County and is where country music legend Dolly Parton calls home. Dolly is owner of the Dollywood Theme Park & Splash Country Water Park. The parks offer many thrilling rides as well as many live musical shows and a number of mountain master craftsmen. Admission and parking fees do apply, so contact the admission office of the Theme Park for group rates. For an information guide and park map on Dollywood call the Dollywood Hot Line at 1-800-Dollywood Click hear to check out the Dollywood Web Site
Breaks Interstate Park	The Breaks Interstate Park is one of two interstate parks in America and encompasses 4,500 acres of woodland. The Breaks, home of the deepest gorge east of the Mississippi River, also rises to lofty heights where golden eagles make their home. The Towers and other rock formations, caves, flora and wildlife make the Breaks Park a unique tourist destination. History, legend and lore combine with the scenic beauty of the Park which was the reported destination of several trips by Daniel Boone Click here to check out the Breaks Interstate Park
Bays Mountain Park	Bays Mountain is a nature preserve owned and operated by the city of Kingsport, Tennessee. The facilities include the 3000 acre outdoor classroom, a 44 acre lake, and a nature center/museum, inside of which is a planetarium with a 40 foot diameter dome. The park is nestled in the northeastern end of the Bays Mountain formation only a few miles from downtown Kingsport. Framed on all sides by mountain ridges, much of the park lies in a natural basin and is a protected haven for wildlife. Open all year, Bays Mountain beckons visitors to enjoy various activities through all seasons. Click here to check out the Bays Mountain Park
Guest River Gorge Trail	The Guest River Gorge Trail is a 5.3 mile section along the Guest River designated as a State Scenic River. The Guest River actually begins above Norton, Virginia on Indian Mountain. The total length of the river is about 30 miles, ending at its confluence with the Clinch. Bicyclists, hikers, and runners are invited to use the trail. Along the trial there are signposts that indicate areas of interest. The Guest River Gorge Trail is just minutes from the town of Dungannon. No Fees Apply. Click here to check out the Gust River Gorge Trial
Movie Theaters	Marquee Cinemas - Kingsport, TN (423) 246-3456 Tri-City Cinema - Blountville, TN (423) 279-7469 Coeburn Cinema - Marty Shopping Center, Coeburn, VA 24230 (276) 395-6373 Plaza One & Two Cinema - Wise County Plaza, Wise, VA 24293 (276) 679-4252 Admission fees do apply. Contact the ticket office for group rates.
Gray Tennessee Fossil Site & Museum The Dinosaur Museum	Tennessee's Gray Fossil Site is a 4.5 to 7 million-year-old lake bed formed in a sinkhole. Because the lake would have been a magnet for life, recovered fossils include everything from fish, frogs, and salamanders, to short-faced bears, saber-toothed cats, and rhinos. The site even contains a strange, shovel-tusked elephant whose intruding lower jaw held flat, bladelike lower tusks used for stripping the bark of trees and tearing up vegetation" The Gray Fossil Site was discovered in 2000 when Tennessee Department of Transportation workers were widening state route 75 along a 1-mile stretch. In May of that year, workers dug up black clay deposits which drew concerns about the stability of the soil for the road project. DOT geologists were brought in and further digging unearthed bone fragment. The museum opened in August of 2007. It is a 33,000 square foot building and one of the few museums actually located on a fossil site. The excavation teams had to work early on to dig through the soil excavated for the museum building. In fact that is where they discovered the "new" species, a Red Panda, one of 2 new species discovered at the site in its brief history of excavation.Click here to check out the Gray Tennessee Fossil Site and Museum
The Clinch River	The Clinch River is home to several threatened and endangered species of freshwater mussels. Mussels are indicators of water quality and many of the species here are found no where else in the world. The Clinch River is great for fishing. Fees do apply for obtaining fishing license that is required for fishing.
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