THIS CACHE IS NOT ACCESSIBLE FROM KLINGER ROAD. IT MUST BE ACCESSED FROM THE MONTOUR TRAIL. The nearest parking coordinates have been provided as Parking waypoint 03.
Welcome to the National Tunnel, named for the former National Coal Mine company that operated in this area, and my favorite place along the entire Montour Trail. This section of the trail is crushed limestone and relatively flat, so it is wheelchair and stroller accessible, but you may need more rugged tires. Walking, Running and Gravel and Mountain biking are very popular along the trail. There are a number of nearby caches in either direction as well.
At the time of publishing, this is the only Virtual Cache in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
The posted coordinates are for the West end of the Tunnel (nearest the published parking coordinates). To log the cache, you will need to also visit the East end of the Tunnel, shown as Virtual Stage 01 below.
Some interesting facts I came across while researching the tunnel:
- The Tunnel has also been known as the Bishop Tunnel, for the nearby community of Bishop, and the McConnell Tunnel for the original landowner.
- The National Tunnel is a curved bore tunnel, 623 feet from end to end. This means that when standing at one end, you cant see through it to the doorway on the other end.
- The tunnel was originally built in 1913 using a wooden liner, and upgraded to concrete in 1928.
- For more pictures and history on the tunnel, visit: National.pdf (montourrr.com)
To claim this virtual and prove that you visited the tunnel, choose any two of the following tasks (Bonus points for all 4!):
1. Attach a picture of you or a personal item with the tunnel in the background (either end of the tunnel is fine).
2. Using your GPS, measure the elevation at each end of the tunnel, and email me the difference in height, and which direction the tunnel slopes. Take your elevation readings at the posted coordinates, and the listed virtual waypoint.
3. Walk between the posted coordinates and the virtual waypoint, counting the number of electric lights installed in the tunnel. These lights were installed as a Montour Trail Council improvement in 2012. Email me the number.
4. For the Earth Cachers: Describe the 'type' of tunnel this is (Wet or Dry). What does this mean, and what do you think the disadvantages of this type of tunnel are? Can you think of any advantages? See the Reference Point 02 waypoint for a sign that may help you answer this question, and send me your answer.
**Congrats to Armillo and Gremlin17 for the FTF!**
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.