Natural Bridge Things to Do Tips by matcrazy1

Pathway to Bridge and history

I had to get to the bottom of Cedar Creek Gorge to see the Natural Bridge. While almost all visitors took a shuttle, I decided to walk pathway down to Bridge (137 steps) passing by small waterfalls and crossing forest with beautiful fall trees. It took me some 20 min.

On the way I've seen a plaque (picture 2) put by Daughters of the American Revolution in 1926 commemorating two historical events:
1. George Washington, later the first US President, came to the site in 1750 as a young surveyoron behalf Lord Fairfax;
2. He purchased 157 acres (635,000 m²) of land including the Natural Bridge from King George III of England in 1774.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

The world oldest tree (1600 years old!)

I was very surprised to find an information put by this dead tree in my picture: Before dying in 1980, this more than 1600 year old specimen of the Arbor Vitae tree was the largest known in the world. It's diameter measures 56 inches (142 cm). Depending on climatic conditions that determine it's growth rate, the arbor vitae increases in diameter about one inch (2.54 cm) every thirty years. Native Americans use the foliage as a source of vitamin C to prevent scurvey.

Arbor Vita is common name for Thuja, a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are five species in the genus, two native to North America and three from Eastern Asia. Arbor Vita means "tree of life" in Latin and that name originates from the evergreen foliage of thujas. Some people use sometimes the incorrect name "cedar" while thujas are not cedars.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

Scenic lake and setting

When I finally went down to the bottom of the Cedar Creek Gorge I saw first the stone building of Summerhouse Cafe and beautiful little lake surrounded by trees in fall colours. As the water was crystal clear I could easily sea some fish.

At this pretty point the Cedar Creek Trail begins. It led me to the next attractions:
- Natural Bridge (150 yds)
- Monacan Indian Village (600 yds)
- Salpetre Mines (705 yds)
- Lost River (950 yds)
- Lace Waterfalls (1500 yds) where the trail ends.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

Nature's wonder

Natural Bridge is a geological formation in which Cedar Creek (a small tributary of the James River) has carved out a gorge of the limestone mountainous terrain, forming an arch 215 ft (66 m) high with a span of 90 ft (27 m). It looks impressive and is best seen from both sides and some distance.

But as for nature's wonders nothing compare (maybe except Cappadocia in Turkey) to numerous rocky arches and natural bridges in national parks of Utah (National Arches Park), at least in my opinion. Well, green trees and Ceder Creek on the bottom of the gorge make this place quite different than nude, strange, alone rocky formations in Utah.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

US-11 goes over the Natural Bridge!

I was very surprised when I learnt that the Lee Highway, U.S. Route 11 passed directly over my head, over the Natural Bridge. Well, when I looked carefully to the Natural Bridge I noticed road barriers.

Surely, as you know me, I wanted to drive or walk there, stop for a moment and take a few pictures from the above. But, I am sure there is ban on stopping there and, I don't know about Virginia but generally police tickets are extremely expensive in the USA (up to $1,000 in California!, compare with "only" $170 in Poland). So, I gave up. You may try. Be careful and good luck :-)

By the way, created in 1926 U.S. Route 11 is 1,645 miles (2,647 km) long and goes from Canadian border in New York state through 10 states to New Orleans, Louisiana. It would be great trip.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway), you will pass through Natural Bridge about 300 yards before parking lots.

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

Where I learned to say HI!

Cedar Creek Nature Trail is flat and very easy. 1500 yards long pathway goes along Cedar Creek on the bottom of a rocky gorge. Well, due to floods the trail is placed above the bottom. It ends at the Lace Waterfalls.

It was a very relaxing walk with stops at attractions described in seperate tips as well as some additional small things on the way. Well, I've seen a few squirrels but they didn't want to pose to my pictures. Add multicoloured trees in October, but not that impressive as I saw in Great Smokey National Park two days later. On the trail passing by other visitors I learned how to pronaunce "HI", probably in southern style. Well, there are many ways. Before my southern trip I used to say HELLO. It sounds more formal and sophisticated, right? Slowly I switched to HI and liked it a lot :-). Hi!

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

Gunpowder was made of bat and bird droppings

The Saltpetre Cave on Cedar Creek Nature Trail was just a hole or large rock crevice. It's not a very attractive place but the wooden bridge over the Cedar Creek leading to the cave and the setting around look quite pretty.

The information given by the cave says that during the war of 1812 and the Civil War (1861-1865), earth from the Saltpetre Cave was mined for the bird and bat droppings that it contained, to make gunpowder. The earth was saturated with cold water and left in hoppers for a day or two. Once boiled in iron kettles, the mixture of earth and water, called "soak", was filtered through wood ashes, producing a clear solution named nitrate of potassium. Boiled for a second time, the liquid was converted into crystallized salts or "saltpetre", and used to make gunpowder.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

Lost River mystery

I probably wouldn't stop on Cedar Creek Nature Trail and wouldn't pay any attention to this hole in a rock with water on the ground in my picture if I hadn't seen the information table on Lost River which said that about 1812, workmen from the Saltpetre Cave heard the waters of the Lost River, and blasted the opening to it at this place. A water main was attached to transport water to the hoppers and kettles used to extraxt the nitrate from the cave.

Legend has it that, in later years, several unsuccessful attempts were made to locate the underground channels of the Lost River. Colored dyes and flotation devices of all types have failed to determine the source and final destination of this mysterious subterranean river.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

Waterfalls

The Cedar Creek Nature Trails ends with the Lace Waterfalls. Well, after reading a lot of advertisements on these waterfalls I was a bit dissapointed. They didn't look bad but they were small, hundreds times lower than those I was lucky to see in Yosemite National Park in California a year before.

The information given by the waterfalls states that the headwaters of Cedar Creek originate from high on the south end of the first ridge of the Alleghany Mountains, 180 miles away. At this place Cedar Creek plunges 50 feet to the creckbed. After flowing under the Natiral Bridge, it continues toward the southeast and enters the James River about a mile away. I saw James River at the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City a few days before and the river was the largest one I ever saw till I saw the Mississippi River.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

Monacan Indian Village

Monacan Indian Village is the most interesting attraction along Cedar Creek Nature Trail in my opinion. Despite the information that they close at 5 pm the village was open. The area is re-constructed as it looked at 1700' and surrounded by a palisade.

I've seen first of all Monacan traditional hut which looks at first site similar to beehives of some tribes in Subsaharan Africa. They also built special huts covered with clay to hold in the steam. The tribes used steam to help cure some kinds of sickness. They would heat coals very hot and then pour water on the coals to make steam. Well, I would call it an Indian sauna.

I've got to know that Monacans - during the time of arrival the first Europeans to Jamestown in 1607 - controlled the area of the upper waters of the James River at Richmond in Central Virginia as well as areas of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley. I've got to know that there are approximately 1,400 members of the tribe in Virginia and small satellite groups in West Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio. I've told my guide that it's a very low number. He has added that even today there is no conclusive evidence connecting the historical Monacan tribe with the people who today claim to be their descendants and that these people speak English. They have their powwows (traditional gathering, a specific type of event held by Native Americans) in Virginia.

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Address: PO Box 57, Natural Bridge, VA 24578

Directions: In western Virginia, over 2 hours west of Richmond, and over 3 hours southwest of Washington, DC; off I-81: take exit 175 or 180 to US-11 (S. Lee Highway).

Other Contact: thebridge@naturalbridgeva.com

Phone: +1 (800) 533-1410

Website: http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?AttrID=20003&MGrp=1&MCat=2