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Entertainment
Activities
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| Contact Info |
Description |
Directions & Information |
| Nelson County Visitor News and
Calendar |
Information for Tourists and Visitors to Our
Community. |
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| Nelson
County Life |
Reference for activities going on in Nelson
County. |
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Local
Wineries and Breweries
|
Explore Nelson County's Finest Wineries |
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Blue
Ridge Parkway
540-377-2377 |
Virginia's 214 Parkway miles link Shenandoah
National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. The Nelson County segment - which
extends 30 miles - leads travelers through the
Blue Ridge Mountains between mileposts 0 and 30,
and offers compelling views plus opportunities for
short side trips to local attractions. The Parkway
is a designated route on the Trans-America Bicycle
Trail. Many overlooks and picnic areas. |
Parkway begins off Rt 250 at Afton Mountain,
access from Routes 664, 56 and 814. Open daily all
year around weather permitting. Facilities open
May-October |
Oak
Ridge Estate
434-263-8676 |
The mansion on this 5,000 acre estate was first
built in 1802 and acquired at the turn of the
century by Thomas Fortune Ryan, a Nelson County
native who had become one of the 10 wealthiest men
in the nation. He made impressive alterations to
the buildings and grounds - adding a formal
Italian garden, rotunda greenhouse, railroad
station, horse racing track, etc. |
Rt 653, 2 Miles East of Hwy 29, Just South
of Lovingston |
Wintergreen Performing Arts
434-325-8292 |
Concerts of classical and popular music offered
during the summer months on the ski slopes at
Wintergreen Resort. Other local venues include the
Rockfish Presbyterian Church in Nellysford. Look
under Events to find their schedule of
performances. |
Most concerts take place in the John D.Evans
Performing Arts Center on the slopes at
Wintergreen Resort |
Driving
Tours
800-282-8223 |
The Nelson County visitor center has driving
tours of agricultural and historic areas. Apple
blossom tours (mid-April) take in 5 local apple
orchards. Also, bicycle tours and suggested
motorcycle tours available. |
Visitor Center is on Hwy 29 in Lovingston. Open
7 days a week from 9-5 |
| Woodson's Mill |
Built in 1794, reconstructed in 1845. Uses
water-driven millstones to grind wheat, corn and
other grains. This 4-story post-and-beam
structure, which also houses a cider press is
listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Mill not open to the public, but you are
welcomed to view Mill from the grounds. |
Rt 778 in Lowesville, one mile from Rt 151. |
| Spring/Summer
Activities |
| Contact Info |
Description |
Directions & Information |
Free
Pools at Wintergreen for Our
Renters |
There are two HOA Pools at Wintergreen for free
use by our renters:
Chestnut Springs Pool and Pavilion/Playground:
94 Timber Camp Drive (MT) (10 minutes away
by car)
Rodes Farm Pool, Pavilion and Tennis Court:
1070 Rodes Farm Drive (Valley) (20 minutes
away by car).
They are heated and have lifeguards during the day
and the kids will really enjoy them. |
Summer pool hours are 10 am to 6 pm Memorial Day
through Labor Day. Pools are closed everyday
between 9 am to 10 am for daily maintenance and
Thursday from 6 pm to Friday 10 am for
maintenance. |
| Indoor Pool, Spa and Fitness
|
There is also a well-equipped exercise center
with experienced staff and Wintergreen offers the
very best in total body fitness while surrounding
you with a truly rejuvenating environment. The
center has a large indoor pool that is open all
year and outdoor hot tubs. This center is open
daily and has a fee of $15/person over the age of
5 (age 5 and under are free) - we do not get any
discounts, but a season ski pass does get you a
small (approximately 10-15% discount) discount. |
The Wintergarden Spa and Fitness Center indoor
pool is open year-round. All Wintergreen outdoor
pools are open daily from Memorial Day weekend to
Labor Day. Outdoor pools are located at the
Aquatics & Fitness Center, Mountain Village
(behind the Mountain Inn) and Stoney Creek Golf
Course. For more information on pools call
434-325-8280. |
| Summer Kids Programs |
The Treehouse is the starting point for numerous
activities for children ages 2½ - 14 of all
abilities. Counselors, supervisors and managers
all join the fun with lots of energy and creative
programming - with nothing but adventure in mind. |
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| Fishing
at Wintergreen |
Providing excellent fishing is Stoney Creek
itself where it flows within the boundaries of
Wintergreen. The trout stream is stocked
annually and offers lots of opportunities for
catching fish up to 20 inches. The stream is
limited to fly fishing only with barbless hooks
and is a “catch and release” area.
|
As in other waters of the Commonwealth, a
fishing license is required. |
State Fish Hatchery
540-377-2418 |
Each year approximately 170,000 newly-hatched
brook, brown and rainbow trout are nurtured to
maturity at this rearing station, then released to
stock all trout waters east of the Blue Ridge
Parkway. Fish at various stages of maturity are
visible in cascading pools. The facility is
operated by the Virginia Department of Game and
Inland Fisheries. Picnic tables and restrooms are
available. "Fish food" available so children can
feed the fish. Close to Crabtree Falls |
Rt 690, off Rt 56 in Montebello, 3 miles from
Blue Ridge Parkway. Open 8 am - 3:30 pm. Free
admission |
Lake Monocan
Canoeing and Paddle Boat Rentals
434-325-8181
|
Lake Monocan at Wintergreen Resort offers lake
canoeing and paddle boat rentals. Canoe, paddle
boat and funyaks rentals by the hour. |
Open weekends in May and September and daily
Memorial Day through Labor Day. Hours: 10am - 6 pm
and 10am - 7 pm on Saturdays in July and August. |
| Boat Launch - Wingina |
Picnic sites, fishing, boat ramp. Across the
river and 4-miles downstream of new James River
State Park. |
James River, Route 56. |
| Boat Launch - Lake Nelson |
Picnic sites, fishing. Good for canoes, kayaks,
row boats and electric powered boats. |
On Route 812 south of Lovingston off Route 655.
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| Boat Launch - Tye River Park |
Picnic sites, fishing. Suitable for canoes and
kayaks (white water) Check water level before
launching. |
On the Tye River, Route 56, south-east of Tyro.
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| Boat Launch - James River Wildlife Mgmt Area |
Watchable wildlife, picnic sites, hiking and
bicycling trails. |
On the James River, 2 miles downstream from
Wingina. On Route 626 near Mid-way Mills.
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| Canoe/Kayak Run - Rockfish River |
This run is scenic with just enough twists and
turns to make it interesting. No rapids, but some
good paddling skills required. It should take
about two to two-and-a-half hours. Check water
levels first. |
Put-in by the bridge on Route 6 and take-out at
the Nelson County Wayside on Hwy 29. |
Canoe/Kayak,
Tube Livery - James River Runners
434-286-2338
|
Canoeing, inner tubing, rafting, kayaking,
camping, and fishing on the James River . Trip
lengths vary from half-day to overnight camping
trips. Base camp at historic Hatton Ferry 5 miles
outside of Scottsville. All trips include: river
equipment (canoe, kayak, raft or inner tube),
paddles, life vests, parking, transportation, tie
down rope, trip briefing, and maps. 2 persons per
canoe on all trips, 4 or 5 persons per raft on all
trips, 1 person per Kayak, 1 person per inner
tube. |
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Canoe/Kayak,
Tube Livery - James River Reeling & Rafters
434-286-4FUN |
James River Reeling and Rafting specializes in
canoeing, half day trip to an overnight trip. Also
tubing 2-4 hours, kayaking half day to all day.
Some of the best small mouth bass fishing on the
East Coast. |
Located in historic downtown Scottsville on the
beautiful Horseshoe Bend of the James River. |
| Fall/Winter
Activities |
| Contact Info |
Description |
Directions & Information |
| Wintergreen
- Ski and Snowboard |
Wintergreen Resort was named by readers of the
Washingtonpost.com web site as the BEST SKI RESORT
in the Mid-Atlantic region! We're all looking
forward to opening day - expected to be Saturday,
November 26, 2005 |
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| Year-Round
Activities |
| Contact Info |
Description |
Directions & Information |
Bicycling - Road Tours
800-282-8223 or 434-263-7015 |
The Nelson County Visitor Center has county maps
and cue sheets for various bicycle tours that
range from moderate to very difficult.
Five loops have been mapped out: Oak
Ridge Loop-29 miles, Walton's Museum Loop-31
miles, Woodson's Mill Loop-24 miles, Blue Ridge
Parkway from Love North-40 miles and Blue Ridge
Parkway from Love South-22 miles. |
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| Blue Ridge Rail Trail |
The first 2 miles of the trail has been
completed between Piney River and Roses Mill. The
trail is opened for hiking, biking and horseback
riding. It's a beautiful easy trail along the
Piney River. The future trail will travel another
5 miles along the railroad bed to Tye River. |
There are parking lots at both ends of the
trail. Parking for horse trailers is
available at Piney River. The Trail is open
sunrise to sunset. At this time there are no
restroom facilities. |
Bicycling - Mountain Bikes
434-325-2200 |
Wintergreen Resort has rapidly become a top
destination for both international and regional
travelers looking for a fun and educational
mountain bike ride. Wintergreen offers a 12.5 mile
3000 foot downhill, a mountain bike park and
shuttle service back to the top. Combine this with
over 80 miles of trails in the adjacent George
Washington National Forest and we have over 116
miles of trails. Two of these have been voted the
BEST in the Mid Atlantic. |
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Horseback Riding at Rodes Farm
Stables
434-325-8260 |
Imagine horseback riding through the spectacular
Rockfish Valley and witnessing the beauty of the
sun setting behind the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Experienced rider guides you through scenic Stoney
Creek trails. Pony rides for kids, sunset trail
rides, riding lessons, escorted rides, hacks for
the advanced rider and more. |
Trail rides are offered daily, mid-March through
November, except Wednesdays. |
Hiking - Appalachian Trail
434-263-7015 |
Twenty-five miles of the Appalachian Trail lie
in Nelson County with moderately challenging to
rugged terrain. |
It is accessible from Route 56 in Tyro and at
trail crossings along the Blue Ridge Parkway:
Reeds Gap/Route 664, and Rockfish Gap/Afton
Mountain. You can also access the AT from the
Crabtree Falls trail by continuing on the trail
another half mile beyond the top of the waterfall.
Detailed trail maps are available at the visitor
center on Highway 29 in Lovingston. |
Hiking - Crabtree Falls Trail
434-263-7015 |
Crabtree Falls trail re-opened with a 50-65
vehicle parking lot and a universally accessible
trail from the parking lot to the first overlook
at the falls. In addition, a universally
accessible toilet is available. |
Off Route 56. Dawn to dusk. Nelson County
visitor center |
| Hiking - Nelson County
Wilderness Area |
The Wilderness designation provides permanent
protection for the two areas in their natural
state. The Priest (nearly 6,000 acres) rises from
an elevation of about 1,000 feet at the Tye river
to 4,063 feet. It is one of Virginia's most
prominent peaks and provides the backdrop for
Crabtree Falls. Three Ridges (4,608 acres)
is one of the wildest and most rugged areas in the
Virginia Blue Ridge. Several rock outcrops provide
stunning views of the surrounding areas. The
Appalachian Trail runs through both areas for
nearly 13 miles and the Blue Ridge Parkway runs
along the western boundary of Three Ridges. The
wilderness designation allows continued hunting,
fishing, hiking, picnicking, camping and other
traditional uses. The designation does not allow
roads, motorized vehicles, structures, etc. |
|
Hiking
- Wintergreen Nature Foundation
434-325-8169 |
The Wintergreen Nature Foundation has marked and
maintains 25 miles of scenic trails in the
mountains. Information and trail maps are
available through the nature foundation's office
at the Trillium House at Wintergreen. |
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Golf,
Tennis, Skiing, Swimming - Wintergreen Resort
434-325-2200 |
Wintergreen Resort has 45 holes of
nationally-ranked golf, 20 ski slopes and trails,
a tubing park, 23 tennis courts a 20-acre lake,
boat rentals and 6 swimming pools. Resort
recreation facilities are open to the public at a
daily rate. |
|
Clay
Shooting - Orion Shotgun Sports Center
434-263-6622 |
The Orion Shotgun Sports Center & Corporate
Training Facility is a recreational sporting and
professional development facility located on the
Oak Ridge Estate in Nelson County. Orion's
Shotgun Sports Center features sporting clays and
other exciting clay target sports beautifully set
into the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Orion's world class woodland sporting clays course
is fully automated with Superior Traps, equipped
with a 50' tower and highlighted with handsome
shooting stations. The semiprivate
membership based facility caters to shotgun sports
enthusiasts, and corporate groups. Private
instruction, seminars, schools and private
functions can be scheduled. |
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Outdoor
Wilderness Leadership School
434-325-8166 |
Mountain dirt biking, kayaking, rappelling,
backpacking, corporate development courses.
Located at Wintergreen Resort. |
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Out of Bounds Adventure Center
434-325-8505 |
Located at Wintergreen Resort .
Adrenaline-pumping activities, including
aggressive in-line skating, mountain biking
(self-guided), paintball, a 25-foot climbing
tower, basketball, volleyball, and a skateboard
park with half-pipes and quarter-pipes. The Out of
Bounds rental shop provides trail maps as well as
the finest names in sporting and safety gear. May
- October (weather permitting) Wintertime
activities include snow boarding and tubing. |
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Entertainment
Activities 
Spring/Summer Activites 
Fall/Winter
Activities 
Year-Round
Activities
