A replica of the Anderson Blockhouse that was built in the Natural Tunnel State Park in 2003. The original Blockhouse was built by John Anderson in 1775 in the East Carter Valley of what is now Scott County, Virginia. It became an important stop-off point for the many settlers that traveled through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. The original Blockhouse burned in 1876.
Rosebay Rhododendrons (Rhododendron maximum) in full bloom frame the cool, rushing waters of Whitetop River in the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area just west of Damascus, Virginia. Rosebays are a species of Rhododendrons native to the Appalachians of eastern North America, from Alabama north to Nova Scotia.
The autumn leaves highlight the cool waters of Laurel Creek as it flows over one of many waterfalls in the Jefferson National Forest near Damascus, Virginia.