We chose to park in the West Trailhead side and walked in from that direction of the tunnel. We…read morestarted out with our flashlights on but wanted to walk the tunnel without the flashlights. The Experience was fantastic. We did turn on our flashlights when we saw people approaching so we would not startle them. It is dark, damp, and cold in the tunnel. You hear the little water falling inside. We had pocket warmers and I think they were needed. We were both happy we had our pocket warmers. The hike to the tunnel has wonderful forest views and an excellently maintained trail. They also have some plaques with historical information on them. We really thought that was a nice additions to our hike. Both sides of the tunnel has picnic tables. The picnic tables are brand new this year. We stopped and had lunch. There are 2 parking areas. East Trailhead Blue Ridge Tunnel and West Trailhead Blue Ridge Tunnel. Both have a porta potty but no running water. So you will want to take some hand sanitizer. Easy hike, 4.6 miles. Out and back. 370ft elevation gain. The best maintained trail I have ever seen. Hiker friendly, kid friendly. Dogs on leash, Forest view, tucked away on the side of a mountain, Historical tunnel view. Some of the trail is paved, then gravel, and then dirt with gravel mix. Make sure you leave no trash behind

We had a group of eight for the hike. We started on the east side. The walk through the tunnel…read morewas great. I was thankful that started on the east side because it was a pretty steep and long climb after the tunnel. It was 4.5 miles total for the walk. To have the steepest part at the middle was perfect rather than having it at the end. Highly recommend. The tunnel is not claustrophobic at all as it is large inside and you can see the end the entire time. It was a perfect fall hike with the leaves changing. We stopped at Blue Mountain Brewery afterward (only 6 minutes away) for lunch.

A little bit of unique history that gets driven by and probably criticized often, but is so unique…read moreit's awesome. Now this feels like something you'd do at Disney or a theme park, but it's not that at all, because it's as real as possible right to the north of downtown Buchanan. The stone pier you see today is the original from 1851 and this bridge spans 366 feet across the James River and is 57.6 feet tall. And it sways or swings and you can not only feel it, but you can see it too. And it's all made out of wood. Seriously I was hesitant at first, good thing I had my 3 boys worn me, afraid of nothing with death not even a thought (it's not that bad). The view from the bridge are breathtaking and because of the uniqueness of it, it's just cool. You feel like you've walked into yesteryear, where the civil war raged, which it did. Apparently the original bridge was burned down as a strategy by the Confederate General McCausland. We spent about 20 minutes taking it in and our confidence grew the more we tested the old rickety bridge. Good times by one and all and we enjoyed the park and basketball hoops right next to the parking lot for the bridge. It's a beautiful downtown with lots of history. Next time your pass Buchanan, swing on by for a walk on the swinging bridge and step into history.

Currently closed, which is a shame. The 366 foot long bridge dates back to some of the stone piers…read morebeing laid in 1851. Back then, the toll to cross the bridge was five cents with an additional five cents for each additional horse, mule or oxen. The bridge was burned by Confederate forces in 1864 to prevent Federal forces from crossing the river on their way to Lynchburg but was rebuilt after the war. In 1937, the neighboring concrete bridge over the James River mostly replaced the use of this bridge but the bridge still remained. There is a free parking lot on the south side of the river. I'm a little glad that it is closed as it helped me not have to make the decision to cross it on foot. I'm not sure I'm daring enough. [Review 13772 overall, 1093 of 2020, number 1207 in Virginia.]

What a beautiful cemetery for are confederate heroes it's the final resting place for Stonewall…read moreJackson and his family other important people are buried there as well

Five stars for a cemetery -- that's a first for me. But it's just because Oak Grove Cemetery is…read morehistoric and contains part (but not all) of General "Stonewall" Jackson. I say part because I was told that the General is buried here for the most part, but some of his parts are missing. I don't know which parts or where they are, but ain't here. This is one of the stops if you take the horse-drawn carriage tour through downtown Lexington. The tour guide will tell you a bit about the cemetery, and you can look around from the carriage. But if you really want to explore, you need to do so by foot on your own. The cemetery is open to all to explore.

The ruins are located on the grounds of the Barboursville Vineyard…read more They are all that remain of the grand brick mansion of James Barbour -- a Virginia governor, U.S. senator, Secretary of War under John Quincy Adams, and close friend of Thomas Jefferson. Built in 1822, the original house was designed by Thomas Jefferson in his neoclassical style, complete with a distinctive octagonal drawing room (note connection to the naming Barboursville Winnery award winning red!) On Christmas Day, 1884, the mansion burned in a devastating fire leaving only the brick walls, columns, and chimneys standing. Instead of rebuilding, the Barbour family moved to a nearby residence, and the ruins remain as a picturesque shell. A short walk from either the tasting room or cottages, this is a must stop for history buffs interested in civil war era and Thomas Jeffereson and photographers for the weathered remains with the vineyard and blue ridge foothills in the background Parking nearby if you choose to drive. Steep uneven climb from parking

This site is part of a winery complex which has a restaurant and an inn. The site is free to enter,…read morethough it is confusing as my map tried to bring me in on a dirt road that wasn't open rather than the actual entrance which is east of the site. I eventually wormed my way around to find the one-lane bridge to the site blocked by someone who bizarrely just seemed to want to sit there, so I parked at the winery/restaurant and walked over. It's a nice walk. The ruins are interesting to look at. There's not a lot to the site and you can't go past it as it becomes private space for guests of the site. It also closes at 5:30 and signs angrily warn that being there after 5:31 is trespassing, so you can't plan on catching a sunset there or anything. But if you looked this up and your goal is to see some cool ruins, you can, within limits.

What a great place!…read more April, who operates the mill, knows her craft and is happy to share it. Our tour of the mill was brief, but April was more than willing to answer our questions and go into any level of detail about the building, milling grain, etc. We purchased several items while there and would gladly go back.

I really love this spot. The grounds are beautiful and the mill is very charming. I've purchased…read moremany of their mixes and they are truly delicious! The owner kindly showed us around and her hospitality was appreciated.

My wife, two teenage sons, and I enjoyed a brief rest stop while driving north on I-81 from…read moreBlacksburg, VA to northern VA. On the plus side, it's free and has an open, dog-friendly grassy area. We gave our 9-year old miniature poodle some time to walk around. It also has a small historical display and pretty landscape with the Blue Ridge mountains in the background. The only minus is that it did not seem to have a full-fledged restroom facility in late April 2025, so you may be limited to a port-a-potty that is infrequently cleaned. However in the summer months, an indoor restroom may be open in the historical display area of the mill. In any case, the farm is a nice place to stretch your legs or take a short break from driving. Dog and kid-friendly!

You can see a museum full of interesting artifacts, a blacksmith's shop, gristmill and lots more…read moreMcCormick Farm. Best of all, it's free! This is the former home of Cyrus McCormick, the inventor of the mechanical grain reaper. At this beautiful farm, you can learn about agriculture, see the old grist mill, walk along a nature trail to see cows in the pasture, and have a picnic in the picnic area. Pets are also welcome! I met the resident cat who roams around. Perhaps you'll meet him, too. Also, I got to see a calf take its first steps while I was there! This is a pretty neat place. This place is also known as the Shenandoah Valley Agricultural Research and Extension Center, and is part of Virginia Tech University.

The tour guides were friendly, well informed, and spent time answering questions. The setting is…read morebeautiful, and although the main building is not the original Monroe house, it is filled with furniture appropriate to his time, as well as containing original family items. They are doing interesting archeological work which they discussed as well. The site has a cute gift shop, bathrooms and a picnic area. Overall we enjoyed the visit

Really enjoyed my time on the grounds of a another founding father…read more Plenty of history here. Though not as elevated as Monticello, Monroe's Highland is beautiful in its own right. If you like hiking, there are a few trails around the estate to enjoy. The history of the grounds was fascinating as it tells of a very diverse life of one of American history's statesman. This guy did everything, and his uncle set him up in a good position to succeed in life The guest house, not the original home on the property, shows off items that belonged to the Monroes. Hats off to Roy White who gave a marvelous introduction to the grounds, its history and use. The staff were super friendly. One of the curators gave me a great rundown of the future excavation and the re-unveiling of the foundation of the original Monroe residence. A few folks were checking out the grounds for a wedding location, their host was also nice. During the summer they honor the Blue Star Program so access to the grounds is free. Recommended summer stop.

This is not only a great place of American History but also a beautiful setting with gorgeous…read moreviews. It is pretty neat to be able to walk the same rooms that the third president walked and see where he spent his time. It is also very sobering to see the ugly side of American history that made this location what is was. The estate is very well preserved and has tons of artifacts and items that make the tour so valuable. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and accommodating as well.

Having been wanting to visit Monticello for years and finally got the opportunity. You can purchase…read moretickets on line however we got them the morning of at the visitor center. First we watched an informative movie then took the shuttle up the hill to the house. Had a 10:40 tour time which was on time. Pretty large group. Many reviews stated that the visit through the home was fast and crowded. Totally agree. Maybe they could have the tour last one hour instead of 45 min giving guests a few minutes in each room to take pictures. Cut out a few tours which could help with timing. We also got in the slave tour, garden tour and the talk with Thomas Jefferson. All tours were very educational and well done. Took the shuttle to Jefferson's grave ands walked back to visitor center. Ended in the gift shop which had an array of items.

I love this place. It's so peaceful. There is rarely anyone here, so you get to walk the…read morebattlefield in peace in the shady woods and imagine what it was like to have soldiers camped out there, each army so close to each other. Parking is plentiful and easy to access. When you get to the settlement where the houses are, you encounter beautifully preserved homes that are set up as they would have been during the war. Unlike other battlefields that feel oppressive with death, Appomattox feels like hope for me. Maybe it's my imagination -especially because people died here too, but the way the two generals conducted themselves went a long way in restoring peace. It's a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

The site of Lee's surrender, essentially ending the Civil War. The village remains frozen in time,…read morereplicating the historical significance with buildings that you can poke your head into and see items and set ups of the time. There are trails through and around the village, additional waysides for other historically significant markers, like a cemetery and the opposing team's HQ's. Dog's are allowed on site, but not into buildings.

I enjoyed learning the history of the bridge. The cave arches were breathtaking. I did not enjoy…read moreclimbing the stairs to return to the main building, but the experience was definitely a hike! I was excited to watch otters fish for food in the streams. The waterfall was not as grand as I expected it to be, but the natural scenery was worth viewing for $9. As a bonus, there is a trail to a cave.

This is a perfect place to take a road trip break! We did exactly that on a recent drive from…read moreAsheville to Richmond. The visitor center was easy to find and the building reminded me of those found at the University of Virginia, which was founded by Thomas Jefferson. Coincidentally, Thomas Jefferson also owned the land on which the Natural Bridge is located. After paying your admittance fee at the center, you head down several stairs and will pass a small waterfall. Very soon thereafter, you will see the Natural Arch. There is a flat path that leads you through the arch where you can continue your stroll along a steam for about 15 minutes to see a larger waterfall. "Saltpeter Cave" can also be found along the path. It was interesting to read that Mr. Jefferson leased out this shelter for the excavation of potassium nitrate which was eventually used to make gun powder. While I would not make the Natural Bridge a destination trip, it is definite worthwhile to explore if passing through the area.