Virginia’s Natural Bridge

This spectacular natural formation dwarfs humans and is 55 ft higher than Niagara Falls!  We’ve known about it for hundreds of years, but it took millions to form.

Follow signs off I-81 north of Roanoke to Natural Bridge, VA. The town is small and consists of a beautiful old brick hotel and the Bridge’s Visitors’ Center.  Once inside you can buy a ticket, which isn’t cheep.  It is $20 per person, but still a great stop to stretch your legs that isn’t far off the interstate.

You have the option of walking down 137 steps to the entrance or taking a shuttle.  Once you get to the bottom the bridge is just steps away!  When you walk underneath look to your left where you can see President George Washington’s initials carved into the stone.

If you follow the path for about five minutes, you’ll find a living history exhibit of the Monacan Indians  circa 1699.  A little further down the path and you’ll discover the Lace Waterfalls, which run into the James River. The total walk is about two miles roundtrip.