Natural Bridge Station, Virginia (Greenlee) | |
---|---|
Unincorporated community | |
Coordinates: 37°37′15″N79°30′21″W / 37.62083°N 79.50583°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Virginia |
County | Rockbridge |
Rockbridge Board of Supervisors Current Term | January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2023 |
Government | |
• Type | County District (Natural Bridge, Rockbridge County) |
• District Supervisor | David B. McDaniel |
Area | |
• Total | 33.1 sq mi (86 km2) |
• Land | 32.7 sq mi (85 km2) |
• Water | 0.4 sq mi (1 km2) |
Elevation | 764 ft (233 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,540 |
• Density | 47/sq mi (18/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 24579 |
Area code | 540 |
GNIS feature ID | 1493338 [1] |
Natural Bridge Station is an unincorporated community in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States, named for both its proximity to Natural Bridge and formerly having a train depot along the Norfolk & Western rail line. Formerly known as Sherwood and Greenlee, the community is located along the James River and Virginia State Route 130, 3.2 miles (5.1 km) west of Glasgow.
Natural Bridge Station is made up mostly of the southeastern corner of Rockbridge County encompassing all of the community of Arnolds Valley (named for the area's first settler, Stephen Arnold) and partially covering several other communities, with its southeastern border running along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Natural Bridge Station has a post office with ZIP code 24579. [2] The population as of 2020 was 1,540.
There are several small neighborhoods in Natural Bridge Station including:
as well as the entirety of the Arnolds Valley community which includes:
Natural Bridge Station is governed within the Natural Bridge District of the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors, the 24th district of the Virginia House of Delegates, the 25th district of the Virginia Senate, and Virginia's 6th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives.
Local law enforcement for Natural Bridge Station is administered by the Rockbridge County Sheriff's Department located in Lexington. Some areas of Natural Bridge Station along the Blue Ridge Parkway are patrolled by the National Park Service. Natural Bridge Station is part of the Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District. The area's local Ranger Station is located on Ranger Lane just off Wert Faulkner Hwy.
Natural Bridge Elementary School is located within the "downtown" zone of the community and serves most of southern Rockbridge County. The community's middle and high school students are bussed to Maury River Middle School and Rockbridge County High School in Lexington. The Bridge Christian Academy is a private school within the area.
The Stonebridge Community Center and the Stonebridge Community Church now occupy the main building and surrounding facilities that were once Natural Bridge High School, which closed after the graduation of its Class of 1990. The main building was sold by Sayre Enterprises to Virginia Tech in 2020.
The main business corridor in Natural Bridge Station is located within the "downtown" zone along Wert Faulkner Highway between Sherwood Lane and Virginia Manor Lane. There are several factories in the area including:
Some other businesses (corporate, family, small, private or otherwise) in the area include:
Natural Bridge Station's religious centers and places of various worship include:
Within Natural Bridge Station there are several tourist attractions including:
The area also has many public access points to the following:
As well as fishing access, swimming access, and boat/canoe/innertube launch/exit sites along the James River and fishing & swimming access along Elk Creek's East Fork(along Petite's Gap Rd).
The area's waterways include:
The News Gazette in Lexington, Virginia covers newspaper stories for this area. The Arnolds Valley Community Column, which covers the entire Natural Bridge Station area, published in The News-Gazette is written by local writer/photographer Karyn B. Gardner (published works include: JOURNEY: A Memoir in Photos, Beautiful Things That Caught My Eye). Local published poet, Martha Watkins, who's now deceased, started the column. The Rockbridge Advocate is another media print source for the area.
Local television stations, WDBJ7 (local reporter Bruce Young), WSLS10, and WSET13 (all three covering the greater Roanoke/Lynchburg area) cover the Natural Bridge Station community, as well as a weekly broadcast on local government access channels from Washington and Lee University journalism students called The Rockbridge Report.
Local radio coverage for this area is provided by Classic 96.7 3WZ and WREL AM 1450 in Lexington, Virginia.
Online media coverage for the area is provided by Rockbridge Forum, and EyeOnVirginia.
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover 1.8 million acres (2,800 sq mi) of land in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Approximately 1 million acres (1,600 sq mi) of the forest are remote and undeveloped and 139,461 acres (218 sq mi) have been designated as wilderness areas, which prohibits future development.
Curecanti National Recreation Area is a National Park Service unit located on the Gunnison River in western Colorado. Established in 1965, Curecanti National Recreation Area is responsible for developing and managing recreational facilities on three reservoirs, Blue Mesa Reservoir, Morrow Point Reservoir and Crystal Reservoir, constructed on the upper Gunnison River in the 1960s by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to better utilize the vital waters of the Colorado River and its major tributaries. A popular destination for boating and fishing, Curecanti offers visitors two marinas, traditional and group campgrounds, hiking trails, boat launches, and boat-in campsites. The state's premiere lake trout and Kokanee salmon fisheries, Curecanti is a popular destination for boating and fishing, and is also a popular area for ice-fishing in the winter months.
Virginia State Route 130 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. The state highway runs 34.69 miles (55.83 km) from U.S. Route 11 at Natural Bridge east to SR 669 and SR 670 east of US 29 near Madison Heights. SR 130 runs concurrently with US 501 from Glasgow through the James River gorge through the Blue Ridge Mountains, connecting eastern Rockbridge County with western and southern Amherst County near Lynchburg.
The Foothills Trail is a 76-mile (122 km) National Recreation Trail in South and North Carolina, United States, for recreational hiking and backpacking. It extends from Table Rock State Park to Oconee State Park. It passes through the Andrew Pickens Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest, Ellicott Rock Wilderness, Whitewater Falls, and Lake Jocassee.
The Pine Ridge Trail is the most popular hiking trail in the Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest, California. The 19.5 miles (31.4 km) trail traverses the Ventana Wilderness from the Big Sur Station near sea level to China Camp on Tassajara Road at 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Built in 1916 by the Post family of Big Sur, the Pine Ridge Trail offers hikers and equestrians an array of backcountry camps to enjoy.
The Mountain Lake Wilderness Cluster is a region recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique waterfalls, vistas, trout stream and wildlife habitat. The heart of the region is the Mountain Lake Wilderness, the largest wilderness in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. These public lands are enhanced by the presence of private lands which are preserved to maintain their natural integrity. The region includes the Mountain Lake Biological Station that studies distinctive wildlife and ecology of the area.
Barbours Creek Wilderness is a U.S. wilderness area in the Eastern Divide Ranger District of George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia, United States. The wilderness area was established in 1988 and consists of 5,382 acres (2,178 ha) of forests in the Appalachian Mountains ranging in elevation from 1,700 to 3,800 feet.
The James River Face Wilderness is an 8,907-acre area located near Natural Bridge, Virginia that is protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, it helps to preserve a variety of natural life forms and contributes to a diversity of plant and animal gene pools. Over half of the ecosystems in the United States exist within designated wilderness.
The Thunder Ridge Wilderness is a 2,344 acres (949 ha) area located near Natural Bridge, Virginia, which is protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, it helps to preserve a variety of natural life forms and contributes to a diversity of plant and animal gene pools. Over half of the ecosystems in the United States exist within designated wilderness.
The Raccoon Branch Wilderness is an area in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the wilderness system, it is intended to preserve a variety of natural life forms and contribute to a diversity of plant and animal gene pools. Over half of the ecosystems in the United States exist within designated wilderness.
The Lewis Fork Wilderness is an area in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area protected by the Eastern Wilderness Act of Congress to maintain its present, natural condition. As part of the wilderness system, it is intended to preserve a variety of natural life forms and contribute to a diversity of plant and animal gene pools. Over half of the ecosystems in the United States exist within designated wilderness.
White Oak Ridge-Terrapin Mountain is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. With over 1200 acres of possible old growth forest, this is a rugged area with a rich diversity of geology and plant life.
North Creek (conservation area) is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. Tall evergreen and hardwood trees in the area around Apple Orchard Falls tower above ferns and wildflowers. The area includes a valley which extends from Sunset Fields in the east to its western border near the North Creek Camping Area.
Wilson Mountain is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction.
Cove Mountain is a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia that has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction.
The Glenwood Cluster is a region in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests recognized by The Wilderness Society for its rich biodiversity, scenery, wildflower displays, cold-water trout streams and horse trails. It offers a unique habitat for rare plants, salamanders and other rare species. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail traverse the area, giving ready access with views to the east of the Piedmont region and to the west of the Valley of Virginia.
The Hermosa Creek Wilderness is a 37,236-acre (15,069 ha) U.S. Wilderness Area in La Plata County, Colorado. It s located in the San Juan National Forest 12 miles (19 km) north of Durango. It was established by the Hermosa Creek Protection Act of 2014, which also created the adjacent Hermosa Creek Special Management Area, which shares its eastern border, Hermosa Creek. Elevation in the wilderness ranges from 7,500 feet (2,300 m) along Hermosa Creek to 12,338 feet (3,761 m) at the high point of Indian Trail Ridge.
The Sinking Creek Valley Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society for its unique recreational and scenic values as well as the importance of its watershed protection for Johns Creek and Craig Creek. Sinking Creek Valley is one of the most scenic valleys in Virginia.
The Angels Rest Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society for its diversity of habitats with steep mountains, an isolated valley, a waterfall and wetlands. It is named after a high point on Pearis Mountain with views of the New River and surrounding area. It contains two large wild areas connected by the Appalachian Trail.