The rock bridge of Rockbridge County is now a state park.
Standing beneath the 215-foot-high limestone arch, Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Saturday declared the geological formation and its 1,500 surrounding acres as the new Natural Bridge State Park.
Although the Natural Bridge attraction has faltered financially in recent years under nonprofit ownership, its new management by the state park system is expected to boost visitation, stabilize the bottom line and forever protect its natural and historic resources from commercial development.
