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Photo By Anne Sampson
History, natural beauty and fun activities make Natural Bridge a great place to spend a day.
Natural Bridge is a Virginia icon.
It’s an image rooted in Virginia’s colonial history, with origins millions of years ago. Now the limestone arch and its surrounding 1,540 acres are Virginia’s newest State Park. If you haven’t visited since your last elementary school field trip, it’s time to go back.
You’ll cross Natural Bridge on Route 11 to reach the Visitors Center and the 118-room Natural Bridge Hotel and Conference Center. Perched on a hill overlooking the junction of Routes 11 and 130, the hotel is well-known for seafood and Italian buffets on Friday and Saturday nights. Hotel packages offer tickets to the bridge and nearby attractions like Natural Bridge Safari Park, with its drive-through and walk-through trails, Natural Bridge Caverns and Dinosaur Kingdom II, featuring a juxtaposition of dinosaurs and Civil War soldiers.
I challenge you to get a first glimpse of the 215-foot-high span without catching your breath, after descending beside a cascading stream and travertine falls. Make the easy woodland hike under and beyond the bridge along Cedar Creek. Experience Native American culture at the Monacan Indian Village, finishing at multi-tiered Lace Falls, and attend the “Drama of Creation” light and sound show beneath the bridge, as night falls.
There are plenty of dining options. The hotel offers everything from fine dining to tavern fare to a snack bar. Natural Bridge General Store/Natty B’s Café carries necessities, plus breakfast and lunch in a vintage store. The seasonal Cedar Creek Café, at the head of the bridge trail, seats you outside right by the creek. And don’t forget the Pink Cadillac Diner, just down Route 11, with its 50’s/Elvis décor and traditional diner fare.
Plan your winter visit to coincide with the hotel’s Festival of Gingerbread, which benefits Toys for Tots. See the gingerbread house competition, roast marshmallows, drink cocoa and visit Santa, while enjoying a bit of Virginia’s iconic history.
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