This beautiful park drew us for 2 reasons: It was here in 1755, after being kidnapped by Shawnee Indians in Blacksburg, VA, Mary Draper Ingles, worked the salt mines. She later escaped and walked back to VA by following the rivers. We stopped and visited the Virginia Tech campus, site of the Shawnee attack and kidnapping, at the beginning of this trip. So visiting this huge ancient lick where she was held captive, was intriguing to see. Mary's direct descendents held a 250th year reunion a few ago at this spot to celebrate her survival.
William Clark, of Lewis and Clark, came here and collected mastodon and mammoth bones for President Thomas Jefferson. Scientists consider his dig at Big Bone in 1807 as establishing American vertebrate paleontology.
A herd of bison has been reintroduced on these lands they once roamed so long ago.