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A Relaxing Side Trek:
Nelson County
Nelson County Tourism Information
Midway between Charlottesville and Lynchburg, bounded by the James River on the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains on the north and west, is scenic Nelson County, Virginia. Nelson County is all about outdoor recreation in every season—in warm weather, it’s a great destination for cyclists, bikers, hikers, golfers, equestrians, water sports enthusiasts, campers, rock climbers, birders, extreme adventurists, and just about anybody else, too!
25 miles of the Appalachian Trail here provide moderately challenging to rugged terrain, and Crabtree Falls offers a demanding climb that makes the views from the top of the falls all the sweeter! The Nelson County Wilderness Area offers three pristine hiking environments, with significant elevation changes and outstanding vistas. Lake Nelson and the Tye, Piney, and James Rivers offer recreational watersports opportunities—check water levels (US Geological Survey | American Whitewater) before you leave home, though, because summer rainfall (or lack of it!) makes a tremendous difference here.
Nelson County is home to the 10,800-acre Wintergreen Resort, which offers a full range of outdoor activity for guests all summer long, including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, golf, and tennis. Want to try something extreme? The Outdoor Wilderness Leadership School here offers instruction in mountain biking, dirt biking, kayaking, rappelling, and backpacking.
These hills are alive with music in summer, as Wintergreen Performing Arts presents its Summer Music Festival and Academy, from July 5 to August 1. This year’s theme is Vienna 2010. It’s a month-long tribute to the composers and music of Austria involving music, dance, theatre, film, and visual and literary arts. Chamber groups and full orchestra performances will incorporate different styles of music, so you’re sure to hear something that appeals to your musical tastes!
You might be surprised to learn that Nelson County is also winery country. Within a few miles here, you’ll find several excellent wineries—including Afton Mountain (with its unique wine storage cave), Cardinal Point, Veritas, and Flying Fox.
Close by, you’ll find five more wineries, including DelFosse (with a lake and more than five miles of hiking and biking trails), Hill Top Berry Farm (specializing in fruit wines and meads), and Wintergreen (which includes a great picnic area). Traveling south in Nelson County, enjoy the wines of Mountain Cove and Lovingston.
Nelson County bills itself Red, White and Brew County—and with good reason, since there are two active breweries in the county! Devils Backbone (located at the foot of Wintergreen Mountain) and Blue Mountain (near Rockfish Gap on Afton Mountain).
Though you may think you’ve never visited this part of Virginia before, you’ve doubtless spent many an evening here in years past. Nelson County was the childhood home of Earl Hamner, creator of The Waltons, and it is the setting for the fictional Walton’s Mountain—and, in fact, there’s a museum here, with props and sets from the show!
Spend some time in Nelson County this spring—You’ll be glad you dropped by!
Article text ©2009, Shenandoah Specialty Publishing, LLC.
May be printed for personal use only.
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