This is the second in a weekly series of articles on road trips within reasonable reach of the University.
George Washington carved his initials in it, Thomas Jefferson once owned it, and a Virginia county takes its name after it. Simply put, it's just a hole in a mountainous wall. But experiencing Natural Bridge isn't simple at all.
The extraordinary structure stretches 200-plus feet above Cedar Creek, and in person looks exactly as it does in photographs. But film cannot capture wholly the enormous environmental experience just outside of Lexington, Va.
In his "Notes on the State of Virginia," Jefferson said of Natural Bridge that "It is impossible for the emotions, arising from the sublime, to be felt beyond what they are here: so beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing, as it were, up to heaven, the rapture of the Spectator is really indescribable!"
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Okay, so he had a tendency for the grandiose. But Jefferson was no idiot. Natural Bridge does have a certain inexpressible awe about it. The bridge induces immediate incomprehension: How in the world does something like that occur in nature? How does 200 feet of mountain disappear from beneath a narrow strip of rock?
The many information centers on the bridge's grounds give theories as to its creation. But explanation does nothing to negate the wonder of the natural phenomenon.
The most striking thing about the landmark is the emptiness. It is what is not there that makes the bridge such a spectacle. After descending the stairs from the park's entrance and winding around the trail to end up smack in front of the attraction, you suddenly realize that such a huge hole in a mountain is more extraordinary than you possibly could imagine.
But still, what is felt in front of Natural Bridge exactly mirrors the emptiness it exhibits. You feel hollow because you've got no explanation for it, because nothing you know compares to it, because good God it's gigantic, because you realize there are plenty of other places you haven't seen. And no matter what the Earth has thrown at it thus far, it still stands, hovering over the hikers that pass beneath it, occasionally sprinkling them with mountain dew.
Nature is a fine destination for any trip. Its treasures are boundless, its beauty unquestionable. And Natural Bridge is no exception.
Despite the tackiness of the associated Wax Museum, the vast gift shop full of trinkets tailored to tourists, the exorbitant $8 entrance fee and the laughably advertised "Drama of Creation" (in which a biblical voice retells the creation story blasted around the bridge amid classical music and a light show), the grounds of Natural Bridge are the main attraction, and rightfully so.
Venturing through the park is a delightful way to spend the day. Take a camera for added observation. Looking through the lens forces you to pay special attention to the landmark. Make sure to examine the trees that line the path to the bridge.
As you approach the mammoth, vacant mountain, sit down and stare for a few minutes. When passing underneath it, peek up and imagine the cars driving above you on Route 11. After walking through it, turn back to look at the reverse view. Walk a bit further and look back - the hole disappears at an obtuse angle. Make sure to catch it on film.
Hike down the trail to see the site of Easter sunrise service, a series of cement bleachers among the trees. Crawl into the Saltpeter Cave further down the path, and look back out into the environment.
Check out Cedar Creek when it becomes larger - and frankly more beautiful - than the strip of stream that passes beneath the bridge. Try to coax the swimming ducks to you with your best birdcall. Walk out on the exposed part of the creek's bed, and stand in its center.
Go further up the path to the Lost River, a subterranean water flow, and take a seat in the lovely gazebo to rest and chat. Look closely at the myriad of names carved into the wood. Watch the rich sun set over the trees as your trip down the trail ends.
Natural Bridge and its surroundings are an especially sweet spot to visit, whether your aims are purely whimsical or you are yearning for some kind of natural transcendence. The latter isn't guaranteed, at least not immediately.
But Jefferson was right when he said that something about the bridge is too magnificent for words. Natural beauty often defies appropriate explanation, and the bridge is no exception.
The Monocan Indians "discovered" Natural Bridge and treated it as a sacred site, calling it a gift from God. Their claim isn't something that can be verified journalistically. But this writer can't repudiate their assertion either. Head down to Rockbridge County, and take the trek for yourself.
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