Category Archives: Places That Connect

Emmett Snead and his family have been selling cut-your-own Christmas trees on his farm 10 minutes outside of Fredericksburg since the mid-1980s. Five days a week, Wednesdays through Sundays, from black Friday through December 20, the farm averages 386 visitors a day. That sounds like a lot of trees, but as Emmett tells it, “The […]

ThunderCroft’s lodging and trails nestled in a variety of habitats on the edge of the Jefferson National Forest offer visitors a “front-row seat to nature,” says owner Buck Cox.

With grant money from various organizations and some elbow grease from the community, Pittsylvania Parks and Recreation has restored Wayside Park to its central place in the lives of county residents.

Roanoke’s Department of Parks and Recreation is making it easier to reach the top of Mill Mountain, where its iconic star, amazing views, a zoo and discovery center, and ten miles of trails await.

A 12-acre parcel along Turkey Island Creek gives the James River Association one more way to get people out on the water.

With 20 miles of hiking trails and extensive educational and volunteer programming Loudoun County’s only nature preserve has plenty for people, too.

This historic meadow on the bank of the Jackson River across from Covington is the newest addition to Alleghany Parks and Recreation’s parks portfolio.

For 35 years, a group of citizens has banded together to conserve Dragon Run, the second-most ecologically significant ecosystem in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Radford University’s Selu Preserve gives people and wildlife the natural spaces they need to grow.

Woods Hole Hostel has been a welcome respite for hikers on the Appalachian Trail since 1986. Since 2006, it’s been protected for future hikers with an easement held by VOF.