DUFFIELD, Va. (WJHL) — The swimming pool at Natural Tunnel State Park, which has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic, will undergo renovations before hopefully reopening in 2026, officials announced Tuesday.

Representatives from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and Virginia State Parks were at the park to reveal plans for the pool.

“This is really thanks to our legislators and their constituents for letting them know how important the pool is to our community,” Park Manager Robert Chapman said. “And so, we’re hoping to have the pool back open again here at Natural Tunnel for future generations to enjoy.”

Work on the renovation project will begin in November and will include a new splash pad and accessibility upgrades.

State park swimming pools remained closed in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Then, in 2022, it was announced that the swimming pools at Natural Tunnel and two other state parks would not open for the summer after an engineering analysis of each pool found “significant code issues and safety concerns.”

The Natural Tunnel pool facility includes a snack bar and water slide.