Join us for the 5th Annual Old Wintergreen Day Learn about the Free event
Inspired by Nature; Devoted to the Rockfish Valley
We expand, amplify, and enrich connections with our community by offering visitors rich opportunities to explore the natural world and our shared cultural heritage.
Our Foundation works hard to preserve the natural, historical, ecological and agricultural resources of the Rockfish Valley. We accomplish this by enriching the lives of our community by supporting the Rockfish Valley Loop Trail system, Spruce Creek Park and the lands associated with them. The mission furthers supports conservation, recreation, preservation, and environmental education and promotes a rural tourism experience in the Rockfish Valley of Nelson County, Virginia.
Old Wintergreen Day, Sunday October 15, 2023
Join us for the 5th annual Old Wintergreen Day Festival From 11 AM to 4 PM at Spruce Creek Park. Join us to enjoy music, old time crafts, costumed craftsmen, living history and a food truck. Children and adults have the opportunity to explore, have fun and learn about the rich history and culture of Nelson County. Entry is free! The festival is located right off Rt 151 on Glenthorne Loop just...
Year Founded
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Donation & Grant Based
Miles of Public Trails
Founded in 2005, RVF has benefited mightily from the magnificent efforts and greathearted generosity of our volunteers. For the first decade of its existence, the Foundation didn’t have much of a paid staff, and its every accomplishment was the result of many hands. RVF has grown substantially since its founding in 2005, but our volunteers still serve as the backbone of our organization. We are buoyed every day by their optimism, their commitment to projects both small and complex, and their unflagging dedication to RVF’s mission. Come join us!
Bring the Whole Family
Enjoy a hike on the trails followed by a picnic in the park. This 0.7 mile section of the trail follows Route 627 and loops around an agricultural field back to the Spruce Creek Gallery. You can link to the Reids Creek section of the Trail next to the Elk Hill Baptist Church. A few Bluebird boxes are found along this trail. Look for Swallows, Sparrows, Vireos, Gnatcatchers, Waxwings, and Warblers.
Need Directions to RVF and Spruce Creek Park?
A Special Thanks to All of our Donors
Volunteer!
Do you love working outdoors with others? Come help us maintain this wonderful place and help develop it for future generations. Whether it is planting native wildflowers, restoring worn trails, cleaning up the park, or helping out during educational programming, we’d love to have you. All ages are welcome.
Support our Work
RVF is committed to providing the community with free access to richly curated, well maintained outdoor facilities and memorable environmental programming. By heightening community awareness of the varied wonders of the natural world, we hope to inspire the next generation to be engaged and faithful stewards of Nelson County’s astonishing natural resources.
Every donation helps us serve the public. No matter the size.
Further information about the Rockfish Valley of Virginia:
Animals
Butterfly Nature Trail |
Bird Camera |
Birding
Hurricane Camille
RVF has significant resources related to Hurricane Camille. They include the photo story of the impact on Beech Grove and the Rockfish Valley by the hurricane. Another resource is the insert from the August Daily Progress newspaper. It is a 24 page insert with stories and photos written and taken within the same week as the hurricane. You can access it at this link on this website.
If you have pictures or stories, please come share them with us or call the Rockfish Valley Foundation at 434-361-0271 and leave your name and number for us to call you back. We can copy your pictures on our cell phone and write up your story. After the exhibit, we will give what we have collected to the Nelson County Historical Society at Oaklands to add to their records of what happened in the Beech Grove and Nellysford communities.
Nelson Scenic Loop
Attention history buffs, naturalists, architectural hounds, hikers, and wine aficionados! The Nelson Scenic Loop — comprised of four scenic byways — is a 50-mile auto and bike tour that features Nelson County’s bounty of natural, cultural, and historic attractions. The Nelson Scenic Loop extends along the steep, narrow valleys and wider floodplains carved by the Tye and Rockfish Rivers.
If you are a Geology buff you’ve come to the right place, literally. Learn about Nelson County’s own Nelsonite and also
check out this Geology presentation with Chuck Bailey and Callan Bentley.