Natural Bridge Loop

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

This 1.2 mile loop is easily reached and well marked, featuring interesting geologic features and beautiful rhododendron forests.

The trail begins and ends at the Pickett State Park's parking area for their picnic facilities. From the parking area, head east down the road toward the entrance to the park. In less than a quarter of a mile, the trailhead will be on the righthand side of the road. The trailhead is well marked with signs.

The trail gradually takes you upward along a small creek through a hardwood forest, dotted with rhododendron. In about 0.5 miles you'll emerge on top of a narrow natural sandstone bridge. On the west side of the bridge is a path down for those who want to further explore the bridge from below. The beautiful, natural setting provides a great place for lunch or just a rest and refreshment and a log bench has been placed there for that purpose.

Once under the bridge, the choice is to either take a trail from that location or to climb back up on top of the bridge and follow the trail from the top. Both trails eventually merge into one trail which returns to the parking area. The lower trail is a steady, gradual descent through a hardwood forest for 0.2 miles to the merge. The upper trail travels slightly upward, staying on top of one bluff and then beside the wall of another.

At this point, the trail passes an interesting cave with two entrances. As you look into the first entrance, light from the second one illuminates the cave, beckoning one to explore by going in one entrance and exiting from the other. In 0.3 miles this trail merges with the lower trail. From the merge, the trail continues on for another 0.3 miles through lush forest to end in the parking lot.

Rhodedendron, hardwoods.