The best road cycling routes in Natural Bridge State Park

The Visitor Center and Bridge Entrance at Natural Bridge State Park serve as the starting point for exploring the park's main attractions, including the Natural Bridge along the Cedar Creek Trail. The Visitor Center offers amenities such as restrooms, a gift shop, and informative displays about the park's geology, history, and natural features. It's also where visitors can purchase admissions tickets and receive maps and guides for their visit. It is open from 10 am – 6 pm and the fee is $9 per persons 13 years and older, and $6 per person ages 6-12. Children younger than six are free.

The Natural Bridge in Virginia's Natural Bridge State Park is a stunning geological formation located along the Cedar Creek Trail. Standing 215 feet high and 90 feet wide, this natural limestone arch was carved by Cedar Creek over millions of years. The bridge has a rich history; once considered sacred by the Monacan people and later surveyed by a young George Washington, it is a National Historic Landmark, drawing visitors to marvel at it and explore the surrounding trails. The Cedar Creek Trail beneath the bridge offers a scenic 1.6-mile walk, passing by the bridge, a waterfall, and the Monacan Indian Living History Exhibit, making it a popular destination for locals and visitors alike.

The Indian Gap Rocks Trail is a short loop trail right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway just past the Buena Vista Valley overlook. This .3-mile trail takes you through the Indian Gap Rocks, a unique rock formation of giant stacked and balanced boulders.

Glen Maury Park, a 315-acre park in Buena Vista, offers miles of hiking and biking trails, an Olympic-sized pool, and two campgrounds. The park features several pavilions that can be rented out. Annually, the park hosts music events for music lovers of all genres, from rock n' roll to classical. Rentals for kayaks, inner tubes, and bikes are available at the park office if you want to cool off in the river after a nice hike around the trails. Additionally, the Glen Maury House is located here. Also known as Paxton Place or Elisha Paxton's house, this historic home was built between 1829 and 1832 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

Abbott Lake is located on the property of Peaks of Otter Lodge. There is a footpath point around the lake and a bunch of other trails leaving from the property. If you aren't looking to make a full stop, you can actually see the lake from the road as you ride by.

One of the more unique overlooks on the parkway in this part of Virginia, Thunder Ridge Overlook can be found at Milepost 74 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It peers over the Arnold Valley and offers views to the south of Thunder Ridge, which the Appalachian Trail traverses on its way towards the state of North Carolina.

The Terrapin Mountain Overlook is located at Milepost 72.6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway and offers views of Terrapin Mountain, which runs parallel to the parkway. This gives you a view of the spine from the face-side. There are a lot of overlooks on the parkway in this area.

The Terrapin Mountain Overlook is located at Milepost 72.6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway and offers views of Terrapin Mountain, which runs parallel to the parkway. This gives you a view of the spine from the face-side. There are a lot of overlooks on the parkway in this area.