Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County, Virginia is a unique and awe-inspiring natural wonder that continues to attract visitors from around the world. This 215-foot-tall limestone arch was carved out by Cedar Creek, a tributary of the James River, around 400-500 million years ago and captivates more than 100,000 annual visitors.

Virginia’s Monacan Indian Nation had a presence at this site, where they lived off the land for hundreds of years before the 18th century arrival of white settlers resulted in their forced removal or assimilation. In 1774, Thomas Jefferson purchased the site from King George III and the arch became widely depicted in literature like Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia (1785) and Moby Dick by Herman Melville (1851), and paintings such as Pastel of Natural Bridge by George Brewerton (1872), and Hand-colored Lithograph of Natural Bridge by Currier and Ives, around 1860.

In 1998, Natural Bridge was designated as a National Historical Landmark, but did you know that some of our most precious historical landmarks are still at risk? Natural Bridge had been privately owned for more than 200 years and was nearly sold for subdivision in the early 2010s. With help of community members, Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund (VCLF), and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Trust for Public Land helped purchase the bridge—along with 1,530 acres of surrounding land—for permanent protection. From 2016-2023, it was privately managed as a Virginia State Park. In 2023, TPL and the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation finalized the transfer of the property to the commonwealth of Virginia for permanent stewardship.