Natural Bridge Station is made up mostly of the southeastern corner of Rockbridge County encompassing all of the community of Arnolds Valley (named for the area's first settler, Stephen Arnold) and partially covering several other communities, with its southeastern border running along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Natural Bridge Station has a post office with ZIP code 24579.[2] The population as of 2020 was 1,540.
Local law enforcement for Natural Bridge Station is administered by the Rockbridge County Sheriff's Department located in Lexington. Some areas of Natural Bridge Station along the Blue Ridge Parkway are patrolled by the National Park Service. Natural Bridge Station is part of the Glenwood-Pedlar Ranger District. The area's local Ranger Station is located on Ranger Lane just off Wert Faulkner Hwy.
Schools
Natural Bridge Elementary School is located within the "downtown" zone of the community and serves most of southern Rockbridge County. The community's middle and high school students are bussed to Maury River Middle School and Rockbridge County High School in Lexington. The Bridge Christian Academy is a private school within the area.
The Stonebridge Community Center and the Stonebridge Community Church now occupy the main building and surrounding facilities that were once Natural Bridge High School, which closed after the graduation of its Class of 1990. The main building was sold by Sayre Enterprises to Virginia Tech in 2020.
Business and infrastructure
The main business corridor in Natural Bridge Station is located along Wert Faulkner Highway between Sherwood Lane and Virginia Manor Lane. There are several factories in the area including:
Base X
Byers
Des Champs
EDM
FEI
Heatex America
Religion
Natural Bridge Station's religious centers and places of various worship include:
Arnolds Valley Baptist Church
Beth Horon United Methodist Church
Faith Baptist Church
First Baptist Church
Glenwood Humble Beginnings Church
Natural Bridge Christian Fellowship
Stonebridge Community Church
The St. Mary Protectress Center
Attractions
Within Natural Bridge Station there are several tourist attractions including:
As well as fishing access, swimming access, and boat/canoe/innertube launch/exit sites along the James River and fishing & swimming access along Elk Creek's East Fork(along Petite's Gap Rd).
The area's waterways include:
Back Run Stream
Belfast Creek
Big Hellgate Creek
Cave Mountain Lake
Cedar Creek, East End
Elk Creek
Hopper Creek
Hunting Spring
James River
Little Hellgate Creek
Manor View Lake(Private, permission required for access)