With outdoor recreation, music, history and our own zoo, Scott County, Virginia is a great location for a family vacation.
The cabins at Natural Tunnel State Park or Appalachian Mountain Cabins make a great home base for your family fun. During the summer, Natural Tunnel offers daily activities suitable for the entire family. Take a kayak or canoe trip down the Clinch River, one of the world’s most bio-diverse river systems. Better yet, grab a spot for canorkeling where you can view the river’s large variety of freshwater mussels. Caving, guided hikes to the Devil’s Bathtub, sunset hayrides and many more family friendly activities are offered at the park.
One of the area’s top attractions, Creation Kingdom Zoo is a breeding facility for rare and endangered species. Creation Kingdom provides visitors with the opportunity to see rare animals up close and personal. Owned and operated by Marc and Elaine Bradley, the zoo is totally self-funded and participates in the Species Survival Programs (SSP). The zoo prides itself in a more natural landscape for the animals and visitors alike to enjoy! If you visit around Halloween, don’t miss Creation Kingdom Zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” event where your little ghosts and goblins can trick or treat around the animal exhibits at night!
Pack the family into the car and retrace famed frontiersman Daniel Boone’s historic trek on the Wilderness Road. Make sure to visit the John Anderson Blockhouse at Natural Tunnel and learn how the pioneers used this facility to defend themselves from Indians.
With caches placed throughout the county, this is also a great time to do some family geocaching. Bush Mill, an over-shot, water-powered grist mill, and Kilgore Fort,
one of the oldest forts still standing in Southwest Virginia, can be visited by special arrangement.
Immerse your family in the rich musical history of Scott County! The entire family will enjoy Allen Hicks’ informal Friday Night Jams in Nickelsville. Musicians, young and old, both professional and amateur, take the stage every Friday night for some laid back pickin’. Saturday night head over to Hiltons for a visit to the world-famous Carter Family Fold. Every Saturday night, the Fold celebrates the life of A.P. Carter and his contribution as the “father” of traditional old-time music. Bands take the stage at 7:30 with some foot stompin’ music and visitors are encouraged to join the regulars in flat footin’ or clogging.
There are plenty of local family-owned restaurants, plus the typical chain varieties. When visiting Scott County, however, there are several must-stop eateries—The Family Bakery, voted “Best Bakery” during the Virginia Culinary Challenge; Pal’s Sudden Service, a local franchise that is the only restaurant to win the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award; Smoke ‘n Big Barbecue, Campus Drive-in and Molcajetes Mexican Grill in Gate City; Teddy’s In Nickelsville; the Hob Nob in Daniel Boone; the Duffield Grille in Duffield; and Front Porch Store & Deli in Fort Blackmore, where fried white fish is served daily.
For more information or help planning your trip to Scott County, Virginia, call 276-386-6521.
