Appalachia Rock Climbing

The town of Appalachia is considered to be a largely intact "era" town of the late 1800s, early 1900s. At one time, the town was the center of a booming coal mining culture. The town was the hub of eight coal camps located along the outskirts of the town. Presently, many of the coal camps remain as does much of the coal mining equipment. The town sprang up after the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and Southern Railroad made a junction there in 1890. Many railroad buildings still remain in the town. It was named after the Appalachian Mountains, in the heart of which it stands. Several items of interest remain in the town, including: Bee Rock Tunnel-listed in the Ripley's Believe It or Not as the "Shortest Railroad Tunnel in the World". The tunnel is 47 ft., 7 in.

Appalachia is not far from the City of Norton, an awesome outdoor town at the base of High Knob and the close by Guest River Gorge, both of which are home to spectacular climbing opportunities. Just a short distance from Appalachia is Big Stone Gap, which has the wonderful Cliff Mountain Boulders to visit. The Town of Appalachia too has a ton of rock to offer, especially if you are willing to get out and explore.