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Ralph Vanover | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Breaks Interstate Park tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Breaks Interstate Park

Breaks Interstate Park, located on the Virginia/Kentucky border in Dickenson County is one of two interstate parks in the nation and is home to "the Grand Canyon of the South . . . but with clothes on" — plenty of flora and fauna!

Daniel Boone is credited with discovering The Breaks in 1767 as he attempted to find ever-improved trails into Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley beyond. Passes through these rugged mountains were called "breaks" by early settlers.

The Breaks is the deepest gorge east of the Mississippi River, through which the Russell Fork River and Clinchfield Railroad (now the CSX Transportation Kingsport Subdivision) run. It is accessed via Virginia State Route 80, between Haysi, Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, and passes through the community of Breaks, Virginia east of the park.

The park itself covers 4,500 acres. The parks main feature, Breaks Canyon, is five miles long and ranges from 830 feet to 1,600 feet deep. The canyon was formed by the Russell Fork River through millions of years of erosion.
Park Entrance
Park Entrance		 Rocky Bluff
Rocky Bluff		 Dogwood seeds
Dogwood seeds		 Rhododendron Blossom
Rhododendron Blossom
Example of park fungus
Example of park fungus		 A rock in the Garden Hole
A rock in the Garden Hole		 A snowy day in the park
A snowy day in the park		 Formation sign
Formation sign
Mill Rock Point sign
Mill Rock Point sign		 Mill Rock Point view
Mill Rock Point view		 View from Mill Point Rock overlook
View from Mill Point Rock overlook		 The Towers sign
The Towers sign
Formation known as The Towers
Formation known as The Towers		 View from The Towers overlook
View from The Towers overlook		 Fall in the park #1
Fall in the park #1		 Fall in the park #2
Fall in the park #2
One of the park's many trails
One of the park's many trails		 Steps on a park trail
Steps on a park trail		 Informational sign #1
Informational sign #1		 Informational sign #2
Informational sign #2
A scene across the canyon #1
A scene across the canyon #1		 A scene across the canyon #2
A scene across the canyon #2		 Russell Fork River way down below
Russell Fork River way down below		 A scene across the canyon #3
A scene across the canyon #3
Rock formation near canyon rim #1
Rock formation near canyon rim #1		 Rock formation near canyon rim #2
Rock formation near canyon rim #2		 A scene across the canyon #3
A scene across the canyon #3		 Stateline Overlook
Stateline Overlook
View from Stateline Overlook
View from Stateline Overlook		 Laurel Lake #1
Laurel Lake #1		 Laurel Lake #2
Laurel Lake #2		 Laurel Lake #3
Laurel Lake #3
Garden Hole #1
Garden Hole #1		 Garden Hole #2
Garden Hole #2		 Scene from October #1
Scene from October #1		 Scene from October #2
Scene from October #2
Scene from October #3
Scene from October #3		 Scene from October #4
Scene from October #4		 Garden Hole #3
Garden Hole #3		 Park plant life #1
Park plant life #1
Park plant life #2
Park plant life #2		 Garden Hole #4
Garden Hole #4		 Russell Fork River #1
Russell Fork River #1		 Russell Fork River #2
Russell Fork River #2
Russell Fork River #3
Russell Fork River #3		 Russell Fork River #4
Russell Fork River #4		 Scene from near the Garden Hole
Scene from near the Garden Hole		 Looking toward Kentucky #1
Looking toward Kentucky #1
Looking toward Kentucky #2
Looking toward Kentucky #2		 Trail along Laurel Lake
Trail along Laurel Lake		 Laurel Lake #3
Laurel Lake #3		 Giant fall leaves
Giant fall leaves
October 20, 2008 #20
October 20, 2008 #20		 Rock formation near canyon rim #3
Rock formation near canyon rim #3		 Rock formation near canyon rim #4
Rock formation near canyon rim #4		 Rock formation near canyon rim #5
Rock formation near canyon rim #5
A scene across the canyon #4
A scene across the canyon #4		 A scene across the canyon #5
A scene across the canyon #5		 A scene across the canyon #6
A scene across the canyon #6		 Pine needles near the canyon rim
Pine needles near the canyon rim
Frosty morning in the park #1
Frosty morning in the park #1		 Frosty morning in the park #2
Frosty morning in the park #2		 Lovers Leap Overlook sign
Lovers Leap Overlook sign		 View from Lovers Leap overlook #1
View from Lovers Leap overlook #1
View from Lovers Leap overlook #2
View from Lovers Leap overlook #2		 View from Lovers Leap overlook #3
View from Lovers Leap overlook #3		 View from Lovers Leap overlook #4
View from Lovers Leap overlook #4		 Cabins on Laurel Lake
Cabins on Laurel Lake
Edge of Laurel Lake
Edge of Laurel Lake		 A fall day in the park #1
A fall day in the park #1		 A fall day in the park #2
A fall day in the park #2		 Rock and tree collision
Rock and tree collision
Looking down #1
Looking down #1		 Looking down #2
Looking down #2		 Rock formation near canyon rim #6
Rock formation near canyon rim #6		 Rock formation near canyon rim #7
Rock formation near canyon rim #7
Rock formation near canyon rim #8
Rock formation near canyon rim #8		 Looking down #3
Looking down #3		 Rock formation near canyon rim #9
Rock formation near canyon rim #9		 Rock formation near canyon rim #10
Rock formation near canyon rim #10
Rock formation near canyon rim #11
Rock formation near canyon rim #11		 Looking down #4
Looking down #4		 Looking down #5
Looking down #5		 Looking down #6
Looking down #6
Looking down #7
Looking down #7		 Northeast rim of the canyon
Northeast rim of the canyon

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