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Natural Chimneys

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Natural Chimneys Cyclopean Towers
Natural Chimneys Cyclopean Towers

Natural Chimneys, known as the Cyclopean Towers in the 19th century, is a natural rock structure located near Mt. Solon in Augusta County, Virginia in the United States, in the Shenandoah Valley. The formation is a central feature of a regional park owned and operated by Augusta County. The formation includes seven rock "chimneys" that range in height from 65 to 120 feet (20 to 37 m) above ground level. The chimneys are formed from limestone that began to accumulate and harden into stone about 500 million years ago in the Paleozoic Era, when the region was underwater. Over time, enormous upward pressures of magma and widespread geologic upheaval, which created the Appalachian Mountains, combined with erosive forces of water and destroyed weaker layers of stone. Eventually, this created the rock chimneys which can be seen today.The park, located along the North River, has a 145-site campground with a pool, playground, and hiking trails. The park also hosts one of the largest jousting tournaments in the eastern United States. The tournament is held on the third Saturday of August, and has taken place annually since 1821. The tournament includes the historical sport of "running at the ring". Augusta County owns the property and maintains the facility.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Natural Chimneys (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Natural Chimneys
Rural Drive,

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N 38.3579 ° E -79.076 °
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Rural Drive 277
22843
Virginia, United States
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Natural Chimneys Cyclopean Towers
Natural Chimneys Cyclopean Towers
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North River (South Fork Shenandoah River tributary)
North River (South Fork Shenandoah River tributary)

The North River is a 55.3-mile-long (89.0 km) river in the mountains and Shenandoah Valley of northern Virginia, the United States. It joins the South River at Port Republic to form the South Fork Shenandoah River. The river rises at 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level in western Augusta County, below Dyers Knob on Shenandoah Mountain along the Virginia-West Virginia border. From the man-made Elkhorn Lake it flows south and then east through the George Washington National Forest. The river breaks out of the Allegheny Mountains at North River Gap and flows into the broad Valley of Virginia. The river passes through the town of Bridgewater and flows southeast, joining the South River at Port Republic. The Middle River, a major tributary, joins the North River just west of the town of Grottoes, four miles above the juncture with the South River. Other towns along the river include Mount Solon, Stokesville, Sangersville, Natural Chimneys, Mount Crawford, and the village of North River. The river is popular among canoeists, rafters and inner tubers. At one point during the 19th century barges shipped goods upstream via a canal/lock system. Typical wildlife of the North River includes the great blue heron, wood duck, Canada goose, belted kingfisher, Baltimore oriole, painted turtle, common snapping turtle, largemouth bass, sun perch, catfish, eastern cottontail rabbit, white-tailed deer, raccoon, opossum, brown bats, freshwater clams, mink, tiger swallowtail and ebony jewelwing. Typical plant life of the North River includes the cardinal flower, joe-pye weed, purple monkeyflower, great blue lobelia, bulrush, yellow iris, American sycamore, cottonwood, box-elder, silver maple, Virginia bluebells, and spring beauty.