Exciting Things to do in Natural Bridge, VA

Natural Bridge State Park is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The park hosts 150,000 visitors per year and is expected to welcome more than one million per year in the future. Education at Natural Bridge focuses on bridge history, caverns, geology, and ecology. The Monacan Indian Living History Exhibit is continuing to develop and offers Virginia SOL compliant programs for students.

Field Trip/Tours Registration Form Credit Card Authorization Form

Caverns

Educational Tours

The Natural Bridge State Park is a great field trip and group tour destination in spring, summer, and fall. We invite people of all ages to learn about the discovery of the Natural Bridge, experience the Monacan Living History Exhibit, explore the deepest commercial caverns on the East Coast, and enjoy beautiful trails filled with native flora and fauna.

We offer a combination of interpretive programs at a discounted rate to schools and groups with a minimum of 10 people. For school groups, we have paid particular attention to the state of Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) criteria and developed our educational programs to be supportive of SOL requirements. Our Natural Bridge Student Group interpretive program is approximately 15 minutes long and covers the history of the Bridge and the fundamentals of geology, such as erosion and weathering.

indian village student group

Monacan Living History Exhibit

During a 45-minute tour of our Monacan Living History Exhibit, students and groups learn about the culture of the Monacan Indians, the effects of European settlers and trade goods on Native American life, and the value of archaeology in discovering past cultures. A special emphasis is placed on the use of waterways and natural resources for survival. Features of the exhibit include a newly constructed wigwam, longhouse, cooking area, men’s work shelter, and trading post. Interpreters can customize programs for K-12 students to cover Virginia and U.S. history, civics, and geography SOLs. Schools and groups are encouraged to explore the Cedar Creek Trail at their own pace while visiting the Natural Bridge State Park. Our Cedar Creek Trail features a saltpeter mine used during the Civil War for raw materials, a lost river, and a lush 40-foot cascade called Lace Falls.

garden exhibit

Exploration Center: Indoor Classroom

Explore Natural Bridge State Park’s winter educational programs. We offer the opportunity to have SOL compliant tours at both of our indoor exhibits, the Caverns at Natural Bridge and the newly opened Exploration Center.

The Exploration Center includes a naturalist area and a Monacan history exhibit including a full size wigwam. This area allows for a 30-minute tour covering the same standards of learning as the outdoor Monacan exhibit.

The Caverns at Natural Bridge will offer winter educational tours and cover standards of learning through the main areas of the cave in a 30-minute presentation.

Timeline for travel around Natural Bridge State Park during the winter: Groups of 60 people total should allow a minimum of three hours and fifteen minutes to complete the Caverns, the indoor Monacan exhibit, the Bridge, and time for lunch.

For questions and to get pricing information please email Bob Moore or phone (540) 291.2121

caverns landscape

Explore the Caverns

​At our caverns, interpreters cover earth science and geology while leading groups on a 45-minute tour of our actively growing caverns. This natural environment provides a home to many species of animals, such as cave salamanders and multiple species of bats, which are often seen on tours. Rare geologic formations such as box work and stress fractures are seen throughout the tour and demonstrate many of the Virginia SOLs for students. The average temperature inside the cavern is a cool 54 degrees. We encourage visitors to bring a jacket or sweatshirt and wear closed toes shoes with rubber soles, as it is very wet inside the caverns.

For questions and to get pricing information please email Bob Moore at bmoore@naturalbridgeva.com or phone (540) 291.2482

Request further information: