Photo Credit: Chris Weisler
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Our small towns and big backyard are natural places to make memories.
Whether it’s a family vacation, a couple’s getaway, or a solo adventure, you’ll find unique experiences in our small towns and big backyard. We pack thirty attractions into a thirty-mile radius.
Natural Bridge towers 215 feet above Cedar Creek. A sacred place to Native Americans, our county takes its name from the picturesque National Historic Landmark.
Natural Bridge was dedicated in 2016 as Virginia’s 37th state park. The park preserves 607 hectares of land once owned by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson. In 2021, Natural Bridge State Park received International Dark Sky Park status from the International Dark Sky Association. The isolation from external light offers stunning night views.
Natural Bridge State Park is also the recipient of a Virginia Green Travel Leader Award by the Virginia Green Travel Alliance for the new Children’s Discovery Area.
While Natural Bridge is one of our most popular attractions, it’s just the start of your nature-packed adventure. Rockbridge County offers miles of hiking, biking, horseback riding, and running trails. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through Boxerwood Nature Center and Woodland Garden, an award-winning small educational preserve located just outside downtown Lexington. Meander along the seven-mile Chessie Nature Trail, a rail-trial that parallels the Maury River to Buena Vista. If you are looking for a challenge, Devil’s Marbleyard is an epic four-mile out-and-back trek to a boulder field featuring stunning natural vistas. It’s the kind of thing that can work up quite an appetite.
Fortunately, we have plenty of incredible dining experiences to satisfy every taste. From All-American favorites to modern cuisine to tempting sweets, you’ll find your fill at our restaurants and eateries. Adults will also enjoy our wineries, craft breweries, and cidery.
If you want to step outside of your comfort zone, we’ve got dinosaurs, giraffes, bison, and big cats. Dinosaur Kingdom II offers family fun with Bigfoot, Pterodactyls, and more. Come face-to-face with the animals at Virginia Safari Park with an interactive drive-thru experience and the opportunity to see giraffes and kangaroos up close. Natural Bridge Zoo offers animal petting and feeding encounters and hand-feeding birds in the aviary.
The Virginia Horse Center is a travel destination for equestrians and world-class horses, with events held throughout the year—most events are free for spectators. The 600-acre facility also hosts community events and concerts, and offers flexible spaces and catering services for meetings.
McCormick Farm is the site of the invention of the grain reaper that started the mechanical revolution in agriculture. Visit the self-guided museum exhibiting the apparatus and a grist mill featuring the milling process. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy mountain views, the pond, and walking trails. A part of Virginia Tech’s Agricultural Research and Extension Centers, the farm offers educational opportunities on McCormick history as well as sustainable agricultural, environmental, and wildlife practices.
If you want to make a splash, the Upper James River Water Trail offer lots of recreational choices including paddling, tubing, swimming, or fishing. Bring your own equipment or let our outfitters set you up with all the gear needed for a great day on the James River.
Rivers aren’t the only thing that runs through our communities. Enjoy a country drive or cruise America’s most popular scenic drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway. Along the way, you’ll discover quaint country towns, friendly locals, and surprises around every bend.
Glen Maury Park in Buena Vista is a 315-acre city park with a pool, playground, skate park, picnic pavilions, tennis courts, hiking and biking trails, and a 52-site campground with many sites overlooking the Maury River. There is also offers a new disc golf course.
Other popular camping options include Cave Mountain Lake Recreation Area, Lake Robertson Park, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort, and Natural Bridge/Lexington KOA Campground. With the variety of amenities and locations, you’ll find the perfect spot for your tent, camper, or RV.
Around here, we try to make every day count. Our calendar is filled with family-friendly events, from a hot air balloon festival to concerts and car shows.
You’ll make plenty of memories, and you might want to pick up something a little more tangible to take home. Friendly downtown merchants can add sparkle to your wardrobe or art to your walls. Rockbridge County is an antiquing mecca if your tastes run a little more toward yesteryear.
There’s so much to do, you won’t want to stop! But when you do, you’ll find friendly innkeepers, boutique and historic hotels, modern lodging, and plentiful camping.
Ready to go? Get the Lexington, Buena Vista and Rockbridge County Inspiration Guide at LexingtonVirginia.com to plan your “small towns, big backyard” adventure.
