Natural Bridge detour

Today we interrupt our Museum of the Bible coverage for a short story of a recent detour.

Once owned by Thomas Jefferson and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 215-foot tall Natural Bridge is a limestone gorge carved out by Cedar Creek. The newest Virginia State Park is more than just the bridge. Beautiful forests, open, rolling meadows showcase the area’s karst terrain, and vistas of surrounding mountains and the James River valley display nature’s splendor. 
~from Natural Bridge State Park website

So when we were driving home on Sunday we accidentally made a detour.  Instead of continuing on I-64 East I accidentally kept driving on I-81 south after the highways diverged.

By the time I realized the error we had already seen a sign for Virginia's Natural Bridge, and it was the next exit where I could turn around.  Instead of just turning around Amy suggested that we check it out.

We drove a couple miles down the road and came upon this visitor center building.

As Amy said, yep, that's Virginia, just slap columns on any building.

The visitor center building also includes a small store, fine arts, and a small cafe.

Outside there is a historical marker telling the connection of the bridge to the Civil War.

The park is open seven days a week and reportedly the arch is just beyond the building.  If you head along a trail you can also see a saltpeter cave and a waterfall.  We definitely plan to come back sometime when it is warmer and the whole family can hike.  The cost is only $6 for kids ages 6-12 (we don't have any of those yet) and $8 for adults.

Also of note is the fact that it hasn't been a state park for long.  Amy remembers visiting as a kid and at that time it was privately held.  Here is more of the history from the park's website.

In 1774, Thomas Jefferson bought the bridge and 157 surrounding acres from King George III of England for 20 shillings. The bridge passed from one private owner to the next and became a tourist destination.

In May 2013, then owner Angelo Puglisi announced plans to sell the Natural Bridge complex by year's end. Nearby Lexington, Rockbridge and Buena Vista passed resolutions urging a positive outcome as did land trusts across Virginia and the nation. The Valley Conservation Council and Rockbridge Area Conservation Council hosted tours, wrote articles, encouraged support and formed the Friends of Natural Bridge.

On Feb. 6, 2014, the dream to ensure protection of the bridge in perpetuity came together thanks to the nonprofit Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund and its leader, Tom Clarke. Puglisi gifted the bridge and 188 acres of the property — valued at $21 million — to the fund. The nonprofit group agreed to pay for the remaining 1,300 acres with a loan from the Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund, from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Resources Authority.

~Matt