Nelson County, located in the center of Virginia, offers great learning opportunities for home-schooling and online schooling in the state. It’s located a short drive away from Lynchburg, Waynesboro, Staunton, and Charlottesville, and the drive to Nelson is scenic and enjoyable.
The Nelson County Scenic Loop offers great opportunities for road-schooling. The 50-mile long loop is comprised of Route 151, Route 664, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Route 56. The loop boasts several stops to enhance learning. Enjoy views and attractions along the Rockfish and Tye River Valleys. Begin with a ride along the Blue Ridge Parkway to study the ancient geologic formations of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Enjoy the views of the mountains from the overlooks. Geologic formations are easier to see in the winter months when the leaves have fallen from the trees.
The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen offers field trip opportunities to study natural wildlife both outdoors along the trail and indoors in their impressive learning center. To get a hands-on experience of the Fall Line that hampered the initial settlements to the West, visit Crabtree Falls, the highest group of cascading waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. A visit to White Rock Falls will impress your future geologist. Stop at the Montebello State Fish Hatchery to learn more about local fish and their life cycles.
Kids will enjoy the Rockfish Valley Natural History Center, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places. It currently showcases exhibits from the Virginia Museum of Natural History and is open from April to December. Stop at the Rockfish Valley Community Center to view local art.
Young architects and horticulturists will enjoy stopping at Pharsalia. The former plantation is now a venue for special events and workshops. Tour the historic home as well as the outbuildings and extensive flowering gardens. Another experience can be found at The Quarry Gardens at Schuyler. Teach a history lesson about past industry as your student takes a look around the abandoned soapstone quarry, which is now a botanical garden.
Afterward, visit the Walton’s Mountain Museum to learn more about television history, as the attraction centers around the written works for Earl Hamner, Jr. and houses iconic TV exhibits from the hit TV show, The Waltons.
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Last Updated: 11/06/2020
