The Natural Bridge
Nature's Gift to Virginia

The Natural Bridge is a 215 foot high rock bridge formed by nature eons ago when a cavern collapsed and left the span that we see today. The indigenous Monacan Indian tribe has a legend that the bridge appeared just as they needed to escape from an advancing enemy.

In 1750, 18 year old George Washington surveyed the site for Lord Thomas Fairfax. Who would ever imagine that 39 years later, Washington would become our first President.

Lord Fairfax was an English nobleman who inherited his family estates in Virginia's Northern Neck Proprietary between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. The inheritance was from his mother's Culpeper family, and included a great portion of the Shenandoah and South Branch Potomac valleys. All Virginians will certainly recognize the Fairfax and Culpeper names.

Lord Fairfax moved to Virginia between 1735 and 1737 to take charge of his lands. It was in 1748 that he made the acquaintance of George Washington, a distant relative of the Yorkshire Fairfax. Impressed with Washington's energy and talents, Lord Fairfax employed him to survey his lands lying west of the Blue Ridge, including the site of the great stone bridge.

There is a "G.W." carved in the rock on the wall of the bridge that is believed to have been the work of Washington himself.

History has it that in 1774, Just before the American Revolution and writing of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson purchased 157 acres of land including the rock bridge from King George III of England for 20 shillings.

It would be an interesting bit of research to uncover how the property went from the Lord Fairfax to King George. One apparent conflict is that in 1781, Lord Fairfax's title and immense domain in America, consisting of 5,282,000 acres, was passed to his only surviving brother, Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, who died at Leeds Castle in 1793.

However, during the Revolutionary War the vast holdings were still in possession of Lord Thomas Fairfax. We also know the land was confiscated during the war by the Virginia Act of 1779.

Two obvious questions from all this are: (1) how did Jefferson buy the bridge and surrounding acreage from King George when it was owned by Lord Fairfax and (2) since the Fairfax holdings were owned by Virginia in 1779 (by confiscation), how were they passed to Thomas's brother Robert two years later?

We will leave that to you historical sleuths to sort out.

In the late 1700's, its development as a retreat began when Jefferson built a two room log cabin - one room was reserved for guests. This would have been around the time that Jefferson's wife had inherited the Poplar Forest plantation and thus causing him to take an interest in the surrounding area.

The Jefferson plantation is only 36 miles from Natural Bridge which is about half the distance from Poplar Forest to his home at Montecello in Charlottesville.

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This natural attraction has something for everyone. Besides its prime attraction, the rock bridge, there are great accommodations. The Natural Bridge Hotel boasts a colonial decor, large rooms and beautiful mountain views. If you are motorhomer or camper, just five miles away is Yogi Bear's Jellystone RV Park and camping resort.

Attractions include the east coast's deepest caverns, 34 stories below ground; hiking and nature trails, waterfalls, the Lost River and saltpeter Cave which was mined during the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the Civil War for potassium nitrate, an ingredient of gunpowder.

Hungry? Dining options are in abundance. For pure southern hospitality there is the Colonial Dining Room inside the Natural Bridge Hotel, featuring specialty buffets and the chef's array of delights. Adjacent to the Colonial Dining Room is the Red Fox Tavern for great appetizers and your favorite beverage.

Up for a short walk and a grilled burger or casual cuisine, take in the Summer House Cafe along the Cedar Creek Nature Trail near the rock bridge. The Gift Shop houses a great cafe noted for its signature sandwiches, great BBQ and chili, and don't miss the candy and ice cream counter.

For history and culture buffs, be sure to visit the Monacan Indian Village to see what life was like 300 years ago. If you want to go a bit further back in time, there is the Dinosaur Kingdom.

For the kids and young at heart, amusements abound; including Professor Cline's Haunted Monster Museum; the Wax Museum and Factory Tour; Foamhenge, a full sized replica of the famous Stonehenge; the Toy Museum; and miniature golf.

In 1833, Jefferson's heirs sold the site and the new owner erected the Forest Inn to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. Several decades later, during the 1880's Natural Bridge attained resort status under the ownership of Colonel Henry Parsons.

Natural Bridge is open year round and easily accessed from U.S. 11 and route 130; it is just 15 minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway's milepost 61.6 or 63.7; less than 5 minutes from I-81 off exits 175 and 180 and just 15 minutes from I-64's exits 175 and 180.

Ticket sale begin at 8:00 am until dark and the ticket price includes Cedar Creek Nature Trail, the Monacan Village, the evening show "Drama of Creation" and adjacent museums. Admission prices are $18 for adults and $10 for children but prices may be subject to change, so if price is an issue, check the website for any updates.

Some attractions are open "subject to weather", some are weekends only, and some are seasonal so it may be a good idea to check the Natural Bridge website to check on schedules before hitting the road. Their site is www.naturalbridge va.com.