Perfectly Natural...
 Perfectly natural is the soothing sound of a babbling Spring brook and the
soft whirl of a fisherman's reel. Perfectly natural is the peaceful Summer
breeze atop a majestic mountain, and it's the mountains' brilliant show of
scarlet, gold, and burgundy in the Fall. Perfectly natural is also the silent
Winter snowfall on lush evergreens. Any season, Wise County, Virginia is the perfectly
natural choice for your next vacation or weekend getaway.
 Located in the southwestern portion of Virginia in the heart of the
Appalachian Mountains, Wise County has been blessed with scenic, recreational,
and historic attractions. The Powell Valley Overlook provides a breathtaking
view of a rare geological formation. For beautiful scenery, you should also
visit the Flag Rock Recreation Area overlooking Norton and the observation tower
at High Knob where you can see several states from one point of view.
 35,924
acres of the Jefferson National Forest lie in Wise County, supporting a
multitude of outdoor recreational opportunities: hiking, biking, swimming,
canoeing, hunting, fishing, camping, boating, picnicking...and of course, it's a
leaf-looker's paradise.
If you're not an outdoor enthusiast, you can explore our antique and craft
shops, colleges, museums, and other historic and cultural attractions.
 To learn about Wise County's coal mining heritage, visit the Harry W.
Meador, Jr. Coal Museum. The Southwest Virginia Museum of the Virginia State
Park System showcases the lifestyle of early Southwest Virginia pioneers and
founders of Big Stone Gap. And the former home of author John Fox, Jr. is now
a Virginia Historic Landmark that contains furnishings and memorabilia from
the Fox family.
For local and regional music every Saturday night, visit Country Cabin II and the
VA-KY Opry.
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Wise County has been called home by many famous and intriguing people,
including U-2 spy pilot Francis Gary Powers; actor George C. Scott;
bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley; Grand Ole Opry stars Jim and Jesse
McReynolds; former Green Bay Packer and Super Bowl Champion Carroll Dale;
Glenn Roberts, originator of the basketball jumpshot; and Olympic Gold
Medalist Ollan Cassell.
Big Stone Gap served as the former home and inspiration for novelists John
Fox, Jr. and Adriana Trigiani. Fox penned many famous works, including The Trail of the
Lonesome Pine and The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come.
Trigiani authored the trilogy Big Stone Gap, Big Cherry Holler, and Milk
Glass Moon.
Pound native Napoleon Hill wrote magazine profiles of such business leaders
as Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison. Hill virtually invented the
gospel of personal achievement by distilling their principles of financial
success into several motivational books, including the bestseller Think and
Grow Rich. Napoleon Hill also lectured widely and served as an advisor to
presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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Every community has an annual festival that features good food, arts
and crafts, music, dance, and a variety of other entertainment and activities.
- Best Friend Festival - Norton - June
- Clinch River Days - St. Paul - June
- Coal/Railroad Days - Appalachia - August
- Guest River Rally - Coeburn - Labor Day Weekend
- Home Craft Days - Big Stone Gap - October
- Pound Heritage Days - Pound - May
- Wise County Famous Fall Fling - Wise - October
Wise County also plays host to many other annual events such as the
Virginia-Kentucky District Fair & Horse Show and to many mountain music festivals, including The Dock Boggs Festival,
Ralph Stanley
Memorial Bluegrass Festival, and the Mountain People's Music Fair.
 The
Trail of the Lonesome Pine, Virginia's Official State Outdoor Drama,
opened in 1964 and is now the longest-running outdoor drama in the State and
the fifth oldest outdoor drama in the nation. The story, written by John Fox,
Jr., tells of the great coal boom in Southwest Virginia and the resulting changes in the
people and the region. The Trail of
the Lonesome Pine is performed mid-June through late August at
the June Tolliver Playhouse.
The Pro-Art Association, an affiliate of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts,
presents musical, theatrical, and artistic programs to its members, the
public, and in the schools.
For a complete calendar of local events, restaurant and lodging information, or a list of
area campgrounds, contact the Wise
County Virginia Chamber of Commerce at 276-679-0961 or e-mail wisecountycoc@verizon.net.
You can also visit our on-line calendar
of events.
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Appalachia
- Bee Rock Tunnel
- Roaring Branch
- The Peake Building (Guiness Book of Records)
Big Stone Gap
Coeburn
- Guest River Gorge Nature Trail
Norton
- Benge's Rock
- Flag Rock Recreation Area
- High Knob Recreation Area
- VA-KY Opry
- Country Cabin II
- Powell Valley Overlook
Pound
- North Fork Reservoir
- Historic Red Fox Trail
St. Paul
Wise
Regionally...
- Bark Camp Lake & Recreation Area
- Breaks Interstate Park
- Carter Fold - "The Birthplace of Country Music"
- Cumberland Gap National Historic Park and Tunnel
- Hensley Settlement
- John Flannagan Dam & Reservoir
- Little Stony Falls
- Natural Tunnel State Park
- Pinnacle Natural Area Preserve
- Pocahontas Exhibition Mine & Museum
- The Homeplace Mountain Farm & Museum
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All photos on this page are protected by copyright and provided courtesy
of...
tim cox Photo/Graphics
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