Nestled among green rolling foothills and along the mighty James River, the historic town of Lynchburg offers adventure and scenic panoramas for outdoors enthusiasts and families alike.
Meticulously maintained gardens highlight unique histories, quiet spaces and natural splendour. Eighty miles of in-town trails lead you to downtown, through old railroad tunnels, past waterfalls and along a river island. Just beyond Lynchburg, explore Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where the Blue Ridge Parkway – known as America's Favourite Drive – and the legendary Appalachian Trail feature breathtaking vistas.
Lynchburg’s Anne Spencer House and Garden pays tribute to its former owner, Anne Spencer, a Harlem Renaissance poet who found inspiration in her peaceful gardens and writing cottage. Horticulturists recently restored the gardens to their original brilliance with heirloom flowers and plants that Spencer would have tended. While tours of the house and Spencer’s writing cottage are available by appointment, the garden gates are open daily and free for strolling. The grounds include flower-filled trellises, rose bushes, serene reflecting pools and sculptures.
Tranquil gardens bring colour and life to the 200-year-old Old City Cemetery, the oldest working cemetery in the state of Virginia. History pervades the five ‘house’ museums on site, as well as the gardens: horticulturists planted Civil War-era antique rose varieties and other heirloom plants – such as the dozen antique daffodil varieties in the Earley Memorial Shrub Garden – that would have grown there over a century ago.
The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia (the town that suffered the most D-Day casualties in the United States) honours all those who died during the invasion of Normandy in 1944. From above, the formal gardens, fountains and sculptures take the shape of the Allied forces’ patch worn on D-Day.
Youth and beauty abound throughout the lush landscapes in two area colleges: Sweet Briar College’s Sweet Briar House is surrounded by restored gardens and an expanded arboretum, while Randolph College’s Dorothy Crandall Bliss Botanical Gardens bursts into bloom with wildflowers and other native plants.
Lynchburg’s peaceful Awareness Gardens, established to honour families and caregivers affected by cancer, pays tribute with a playful fountain, engraved bricks, quiet paths and vibrant blossoms. Donations fund cancer awareness programs.
An old railroad bed blazed the way for the paved 14-mile Blackwater Creek Trail, a section of which runs through a former train tunnel made of stone. Together with Lynchburg’s attractive 3.75-mile Riverwalk, and several other trails, the James River Heritage Trail system leads hikers and bikers past a waterfall and onto Percival's Island in the James River.
The Blue Ridge Parkway features 469 miles of scenic driving, with prized mountain vistas and miles of hiking trails. Nearest to Lynchburg, Peaks of Otter (at milepost 86 on the Parkway) offers seven trails, including a path to Fallingwater Cascades waterfall and a trail with a 360-degree summit view.
Some 50 miles of the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail pass through nearby Amherst County, so hikers can trek long or short sections of this celebrated footpath.
For more information on outdoor activities and adventures in Lynchburg, visit www.discoverlynchburg.org