The Designated Virginia Main Street community of Farmville has a unique asset that few other Main streets in Virginia, or probably the entire country, can claim.  Virginia’s newest state park, the linear 31-mile-long High Bridge Trail State Park, passes right through Farmville’s Main Street district. And the highlight of the trail, the 2,400-foot-long bridge that towers 125 feet over the Appomattox River, is an easy four and half mile bike ride from downtown Farmville. 

At the June 25 official opening of High Bridge, Governor Bob McDonnell reminded the audience that, “Virginia’s State Parks provide localities with an economic engine for tourism and recreation.” That statement is already proving true only months after the unofficial April opening of High Bridge. Visits to the park have nearly doubled from 86,000 in all of 2011 to 82,000 through May of 2012 – and you can bet that with the amazing views from High Bridge, it is sure to be a popular destination for viewing fall foliage. 

 With new state park facilities, the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts and great shops and restaurants in downtown, Farmville is sure to be a busy place this summer. For an introduction to High Bridge Trail State Park, check out the great video tour recently produced by Daytime Blue Ridge.