The Natural Bridge of Virginia is one of the oldest tourist destinations in the United States. It’s located in the city of Natural Bridge, in Rockbridge County. The Natural Bridge is a towering 215-foot limestone archway, that’s 55 feet higher than Niagra falls, and U.S. National Historic Landmark.
Discovered by the Monacan Indians; treasured by Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, who purchased it from King George III of England; surveyed by a young George Washington; traversed by Civil War soldiers – this great stone monument is a looking-glass of history. In Colonial and Early America, The Natural Bridge became one of the most notable natural wonders on the continent.
The view of the Bridge Entrance and Gift Shop from the Natural Bridge hotel, where we stayed.
There is a shuttle bus to take you down to what is left of the river that carved the gorge, but we decided to take all 137 steps to bottom.
There are some small waterfalls and streams alongside of the steps.
We saw an interesting tree on the way down.
Almost there. Here is the Welcome Center to the Natural Bridge and Summer House Café. Here a person checked our admission tickets, but informed us that we can visit the bridge as many time as we want during the same day.
And here is the stunning Natural Bridge! The immensity and the majesty of the bridge is striking. Twenty three stories of solid rock, carved by the fingers of nature! The Natural Bridge is an unusual rock formation that was formed when the roof of a large underground cavern collapsed, leaving only the section that forms today’s Natural Bridge. It is so strong that a highway (US Route 11) actually runs across the top of it.
Walking inside the bridge. The Lee Highway, U.S. Route 11, passes directly overhead.
The view of the bridge from the other side.
It is amazing how some stones inside the bridge are covered with the shiny minerals – very pretty.
We saw some carved names on the bridge stones.
The Monacans, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, the American Revolution, and the Civil War- over the years the Bridge has played its role in American History. In 1750 George Washington carved his initials in it when surveying the rock bridge for Lord Fairfax; in 1774 Thomas Jefferson purchased it from England, and soon after, the Europeans were the first to reproduce it. George Washington’s initials are in the white box below. I zoomed it as much as I could, but they are not easily seen. It should be G.W.
After a break, Dave and I came back down to the bridge for the Drama Creation. Cute tricycle in white, red and blue.
The Drama Creation, the narrated musical and light show presented nightly beneath the Bridge, was about to start.
During dusk symphonic music started filling the ancient walls. Colored lights were spreading a canopy of soft hues across the great stone arch, while a voice from far overhead told the Biblical story of the dawn of the world. Here is some colorful pictures taken during the Drama Creation.
