Last Updated: May 2026
Natural Bridge is a 215-foot-high limestone arch spanning 90 feet, carved by Cedar Creek over millions of years — it may once have been the roof of a large cave. George Washington surveyed the area as a young man in 1750. Thomas Jefferson loved it so much he bought it. We paired the visit with a day at Monticello and came away with a lot to think about.
KOA Natural Bridge
We really enjoyed our site — huge, with a patio that had a porch swing, table, fire ring, and grill. Voltage and water pressure were solid. Cable was grainy but had a decent number of channels. Internet was nearly unusable; at 5 a.m. before anyone else woke up a page would load, but that was about it. The pool was still closed for the season and the recreation center was dated and musty. But we loved the site and its location between Natural Bridge and Monticello. They had a fenced dog park.
Natural Bridge
Thomas Jefferson purchased the land from King George III in 1774 for the equivalent of $2.40. He built a two-room cabin on the property — used as a retreat or for guests — and some notable visitors included Henry Clay, Sam Houston, Martin Van Buren, and John Marshall. While president in 1802, Jefferson personally surveyed the area again.
In 2013, Natural Bridge was to be sold at auction. The Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund purchased it for $9 million and eventually the State of Virginia assumed management. Wildflowers lined the trail in bloom.
It was nice to spot Jack-in-the-pulpit along the way.
The mile walk along Cedar Creek was beautiful. A hotel, Natural Bridge Caverns, and Lace Waterfall are all part of the park.
Lace Waterfall
A 50-foot waterfall whose headwaters originate in the Allegheny Mountains 180 miles away. Jake has become more curious since we’ve been traveling — he seems to enjoy just watching things now. He spent a good while staring at the falls.
On our way back to the trailhead we came across another very long black rat snake basking in the afternoon sun on a rock wall.
Monticello
Thomas Jefferson loved his Monticello home. This is the back side of the house — the view on the nickel. The artist left out a couple of windows.
He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and died on July 4, 1826. Remarkably, John Adams died the same day. James Monroe died on July 4, 1831. And on a different note — Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872. Jefferson’s life was really about politics and education. He served as Secretary of State under Washington, Vice President under Adams, and two-term President. More interesting than all the legislation and the Louisiana Purchase was his personal life: he loved to read in multiple languages, had a deep interest in religion and philosophy, and was passionate about architecture, mathematics, and horticulture. Monticello was filled with fascinating functional inventions — including a wind direction indicator on the front porch roof connected to the weathervane above.
Jefferson owned several plantations worked by hundreds of enslaved people.
The views from Monticello are stunning. Jefferson inherited 5,000 acres from his father at age 21, including Monticello. He treasured books — at one point owning nearly 6,500 volumes. He sold more than 6,000 of them to the Library of Congress for $23,950 to help pay down his considerable debt. His wife Martha died at 33. After her parents died, Jefferson inherited their 11,000 acres, 135 enslaved people, and more financial entanglements. He died at 83, deeply in debt. His life was absolutely extraordinary.
Jefferson was quite the wine aficionado. During his years in France, he visited many wineries and shipped numerous cases back to Virginia and to friends. He once wrote: “Good wine is a necessity of life for me.” We enjoyed walking the grounds and taking in the history, the beauty, and those views.
Many historians believe that after the death of his wife in 1782, Jefferson had a long-term intimate relationship with his enslaved servant Sally Hemings, who was of mixed race. He likely fathered six of her children. A DNA study in 1998 helped many historians validate the relationship. Jefferson lived in a transitional era when enslaved labor ran the plantations. He professed equality and freedom and as a lawyer represented enslaved people in legal matters — yet he never freed them in his lifetime. It wasn’t until after Jefferson’s death that his daughter Martha gave Sally “her time,” effectively freeing her. Sally Hemings lived her last nine years freely in Charlottesville. Jefferson freed all of Hemings’s children. Equality and freedom can be so conditional and complicated.
Visitor Information
Natural Bridge State Park is in Rockbridge County, Virginia. The park includes the bridge, Lace Waterfall, Cedar Creek Trail, and a hotel. Admission is charged. Monticello is near Charlottesville, Virginia and is operated by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Timed entry tickets are required and sell out, especially on weekends — book in advance at home.monticello.org. Dogs are not permitted inside either site, but both have shaded parking areas.
Practical Tips
The KOA Natural Bridge puts you within 20 minutes of both sites, making it an ideal two-day base. Natural Bridge itself takes one to two hours including the Lace Waterfall; Monticello tours run about 90 minutes. The grounds at Monticello are extensive and worth extra time — budget a half day if you want to walk the gardens, the Mulberry Row slave quarters exhibit, and the cemetery. Spring brings excellent wildflower blooms along the Cedar Creek trail, including Jack-in-the-pulpit, which is rarely spotted elsewhere.
