Natural Bridge
State park in Virginia. Added to the National Register in 1997, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
Natural Bridge is a geological formation in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States, comprising a 215-foot-high (66 m) natural arch with a span of 90 feet (27 m). It is situated within a gorge carved from the surrounding mountainous limestone terrain by Cedar Creek, a small tributary of the James River. Consisting of horizontal limestone strata, Natural Bridge is the remains of the roof of a cave or tunnel through which the Cedar Creek once flowed.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Site |
| Address | Jct. of VA 11 and VA 130, Natural Bridge vicinity, VA |
| County | Rockbridge County |
| Listed | Nov 18, 1997 |
| Listed for | Transportation, Philosophy, Native American heritage, Entertainment and recreation, Art |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 97001401 |
| Type of place | natural arch |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark, Virginia Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 site |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Jct. of VA 11 and VA 130, Natural Bridge, VA |
| Coordinates | 37.6279° N, 79.5448° W · Directions ↗ |
| Nearest national park unit | Booker T Washington National Monument · 37 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Cave Mountain Lake Group Camp 4 miles · Cave Mountain Lake Group Picnic Shelter 4 miles · Cave Mountain Lake Family Camp 4 miles |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Rockbridge County
Public land around it
| James River Face Wilderness ↗Wilderness, U.S. Forest Service | About 4 miles away8,907 acres |
Wilderness Atlas publishes a centroid and an acreage for each unit, not a boundary line. Distance here is measured to a circle of the same area drawn around that centroid, so treat it as roughly right rather than surveyed.
Local history books for Rockbridge County
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Guidebooks to historic places in Virginia
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Natural Bridge listed on the National Register?
Nov 18, 1997. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is Natural Bridge?
Jct. of VA 11 and VA 130, Natural Bridge vicinity, Rockbridge County, Virginia. The nearest national park unit is Booker T Washington National Monument, 37 miles away.
Where is the nomination form for Natural Bridge?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near Natural Bridge?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Cave Mountain Lake Group Camp, 4 miles away. Cave Mountain Lake Group Picnic Shelter is 4 miles away, and Cave Mountain Lake Family Camp is 4 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at Natural Bridge?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 97001401. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.