The Town of Big Stone Gap is located in the southwestern tip of Viginia, at the junction of three forks of the Powell River. It was the Powell River that created a pass through Stone Mountain and together they provided the setting for John Fox Jr.'s book "Trail of the Lonesome Pine." During the summer months you can attend Virginia's longest running outdoor drama based on his novel.
The town was orignally named "Three Forks" because of it's location on the Powell River. Later it became known as "Mineral City" because of the large deposits of coal and ore.
A walking tour of the town includes four buildings designated as Virginia and National Landmarks and many of the homes on the tour are Victorian Era architecture.
Best selling author Adriana Trigiani also wrote about the town in her book "Big Stone Gap."
The walking tour map and a map of locations from Adriana Trigiani's book can be obtained at:
619 Gilley Avenue
Lonesome Pine "Interstate 101 Car" Tourist Information Center
Less than an hour north of Kingsport, Tennessee and two hours east of Middlesboro, Kentucky, this is the heart of Appalachia, with beautiful mountains and colorful history.
