🌿 RelaxedLong weekend · from Richmond, VA
Brew Ridge — Wintergreen, Crabtree Falls & the Nelson 151 Corridor
This unhurried three-day loop trades the interstate for the winding two-lane roads of Nelson County, the stretch of Blue Ridge foothills that has quietly become one of Virginia's great craft-beverage regions. Day one climbs to the mountaintop village of Wintergreen Resort and settles into the Brew Ridge Trail, tasting through Devils Backbone Brewing Company's Basecamp and Blue Mountain Brewery with the ridgeline as a backdrop. Day two slows further still: a morning at Crabtree Falls — Virginia's tallest cascading waterfall, tumbling more than a thousand feet in a series of ledges — followed by an afternoon drifting between the cideries and vineyards of the Rockfish Valley, from Bold Rock's cavernous cider hall to the estate slopes of Veritas. Day three ambles down the Nelson 151 corridor to the tiny hamlet of Schuyler, boyhood home of author Earl Hamner and the setting for The Waltons, before the easy drive back to Richmond. Throughout, the pace is deliberately gentle — long tasting-room afternoons, porch dinners, and mountain nights at Wintergreen.
Day 1 — Wintergreen Resort & the Brew Ridge TrailDay 2 — Crabtree Falls & the Rockfish Valley cideriesDay 3 — The Nelson 151 Corridor & Schuyler
Day 1 — Wintergreen & Nelson County, VA
Day 1 — Wintergreen & Nelson County, VA
🚗 2 hr driving📍 5 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Richmond, VA → Wintergreen Resort, Nelson County, VA
2 hr8:00 AM → 10:00 AM
Wintergreen Resort
★ 4.4Perched atop the Blue Ridge at nearly 3,900 feet, Wintergreen Resort is the mountaintop anchor for the whole trip — a self-contained village of lodges, condos, and cottages spread across an 11,000-acre wooded property straddling the Nelson–Augusta line. Arrive, check in, and orient yourself at the mountain-top complex, where the reception area, restaurants, and the head of several trails cluster together. The Devils Knob overlook and the resort's namesake ski slopes fall away to the west, opening onto a long view down the Shenandoah Valley that is worth pausing over before the afternoon fills up. In summer and fall the alpine air runs ten to fifteen degrees cooler than the valley floor below, and the surrounding forest laces with hiking trails for an easy leg-stretcher on arrival.
10:00 AM📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
🍽️ Lunch11:00 AM
Devils Backbone Brewing Company — Basecamp Brewpub
The most celebrated stop on the Brew Ridge Trail, Devils Backbone's sprawling Basecamp Brewpub sits in the Rockfish Valley directly beneath the mountains, its timber lodge and outdoor beer garden framed by the ridgeline. The brewery built its reputation on clean, award-winning lagers — Vienna Lager above all — and the kitchen turns out a full lunch of burgers, wood-fired flatbreads, and pub fare that makes this the natural midday base. Grab a table on the lawn, order a flight and a plate, and take in the mountain backdrop; on weekends there is often live music and space for kids and dogs to roam. It is a relaxed, unhurried place to spend the middle of the day before the afternoon's tastings.
2 options · tap to switch
☀️
Afternoon
🍽️ Lunch12:00 PM
Blue Mountain Brewery
A few miles up Route 151 in Afton, Blue Mountain Brewery was one of the founding stops on the Brew Ridge Trail and remains one of its most scenic — a working brewpub with a wide covered deck and lawn looking straight out at the Blue Ridge. It was among the first Virginia breweries to grow its own hops, and the estate hop yard is still visible from the patio. The afternoon here is meant to be slow: settle in with a flight of the flagship Full Nelson Pale Ale and a wood-fired pretzel, and let the mountain light shift across the ridge. If the weather turns, the Rockfish Valley's scenic overlooks along 151 make an easy alternative way to pass the afternoon.
2 options · tap to switch
🌙
Evening
🍽️ Dinner5:00 PM
Copper Mine Bistro, Wintergreen
Back atop the mountain at Wintergreen, the Copper Mine Bistro is the resort's most reliable sit-down dinner — an American bistro menu of steaks, seafood, and local produce served in a warm room with valley views through the big windows. After a day of tasting rooms it's an easy, comfortable place to settle in without driving back down the mountain in the dark. Reservations are worth making on weekends and in peak leaf season.
2 options · tap to switch
🛏️
Overnight at Wintergreen Resort
Wintergreen Resort is the natural base for both mountain nights of this trip — a mountaintop village of hotel-style rooms in the Mountain Inn plus a large inventory of privately owned condos and cottages rented through the resort and local agencies. Book a unit near Devils Knob for the coolest air and the best sunset views, or a valley-side condo if you want quicker access down Route 151. The property has its own restaurants, spa, and trails, so there is no need to leave the mountain after dark. If Wintergreen is full, the small inns and bed-and-breakfasts scattered through Nelson County's Rockfish Valley are a quieter alternative closer to the wineries.
Day 2 — Crabtree Falls & the Rockfish Valley, VA
Day 2 — Crabtree Falls & the Rockfish Valley, VA
🚗 35 min driving📍 5 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Wintergreen, VA → Crabtree Falls Trailhead
35 min8:00 AM → 8:35 AM
Crabtree Falls
★ 4.9Tucked into the George Washington National Forest at the southern edge of Nelson County, Crabtree Falls is the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi — a series of five major cascades and dozens of smaller ones that drop roughly 1,200 feet down the mountainside toward the Tye River. A well-built trail with railed overlooks climbs alongside the falls: the first viewing platform is an easy quarter-mile from the parking area, and the full ascent to the upper falls is a moderate 1.7 miles one way with a steady climb. Go in the morning while the light filters through the gorge and the crowds are thin. The rocks near the water are notoriously slick — stay behind the railings, as the falls have a genuine history of serious accidents. Spring runoff and autumn color are the two peak times to visit.
8:35 AM📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
🍽️ Lunch9:35 AM
Bold Rock Hard Cider — Nellysford Cidery
The valley's cider giant, Bold Rock's flagship cidery in Nellysford is built around a soaring timber-and-glass Cider Barn overlooking the Rockfish River, with a long deck and lawn that fill up on fine afternoons. Bold Rock presses Virginia apples into a range of ciders from the crisp flagship Virginia Draft to seasonal and small-batch pours, and the on-site pub kitchen serves a full lunch of sandwiches, boards, and barbecue that makes this an easy midday stop after the morning hike. Order a flight and a plate, find a spot by the river, and settle in — the setting does most of the work. It sits right on Route 151, the spine of the corridor you'll follow all afternoon.
2 options · tap to switch
☀️
Afternoon
🍽️ Lunch12:00 PM
Veritas Vineyards & Winery
Just up in the Afton foothills, Veritas is one of the anchor estates of the Monticello wine region and among the most polished tasting experiences in the Rockfish Valley. The estate spreads across rolling vineyard slopes with the Blue Ridge as a backdrop, and its Farmhouse tasting room and broad lawn are built for exactly the kind of slow afternoon this trip is about. Veritas has earned a strong reputation for its Bordeaux-style reds and its Viognier — Virginia's signature white grape — and the seated tastings walk you through the estate's range at an unhurried pace. Bring a blanket for the lawn if the weather is good; on many weekends there is live music through the afternoon.
2 options · tap to switch
🌙
Evening
🍽️ Dinner5:00 PM
The Rockfish Grill
For the second night, a valley dinner at Nellysford's Rockfish Grill keeps things relaxed and local — a casual American tavern menu of burgers, steaks, and seafood in a friendly room near the base of the mountain. It's an easy, unpretentious place to unwind after a day of falls and tasting rooms before the short drive back up to Wintergreen. If you'd rather not leave the mountain, Wintergreen's own restaurants are an equally comfortable fallback.
2 options · tap to switch
🛏️
Overnight at Wintergreen Resort
A second night on the mountain at Wintergreen, returning to the same base after the day in the valley. Staying two nights in one place is the point of a relaxed trip like this — no packing and repacking, and the mountaintop air and quiet make for an easy evening. Take a nightcap out to a west-facing deck for the last of the sunset, or wander a short section of the resort's trail network before turning in. Those preferring to be closer to the wineries can substitute one of the Rockfish Valley's small inns for the second night without disrupting the route.
Day 3 — Nelson 151 Corridor & Schuyler, VA
Day 3 — Nelson 151 Corridor & Schuyler, VA
🚗 2 hr 25 min driving📍 4 stops
🌅
Morning
🚗
Drive
Wintergreen, VA → Silverback Distillery, Afton
25 min8:00 AM → 8:25 AM
Silverback Distillery
★ 4.5The final day works down the Nelson 151 corridor, and Silverback Distillery in Afton is the ideal first stop — a family-run craft distillery that rounds out the region's beer-cider-wine trail with spirits. Housed in a bright, modern tasting room just off 151, Silverback makes small-batch vodka, gin, and whiskey, and the guided tasting flights are an unhurried way to start the morning without hurrying anyone. Even for non-drinkers the operation is interesting to see, and the staff are happy to walk through how the spirits are made. It's a fitting last taste of the corridor that has defined the trip, and a farm market stand nearby makes an easy alternative for those who'd rather stock up on local produce and cider for the drive home.
8:25 AM📍 See location
🍽️
Lunch
🍽️ Lunch9:25 AM
Basic Necessities, Nellysford
Before the turn toward Schuyler, Basic Necessities in Nellysford is a beloved little market-cafe and wine shop that's ideal for an early lunch — a European-leaning menu of sandwiches, cheese and charcuterie boards, and hearty soups made from local ingredients. It doubles as a specialty grocer and wine seller, so it's also the place to pick up provisions for the road. The atmosphere is small, warm, and unfussy, exactly the tone of the valley. Order to eat in or pack it to go for the drive to Schuyler.
2 options · tap to switch
Walton's Mountain Museum, Schuyler
★ 4.6A short drive off the corridor brings you to the tiny hamlet of Schuyler, boyhood home of author Earl Hamner Jr. and the real-world inspiration for the beloved television series The Waltons. Set inside Schuyler's old schoolhouse, the Walton's Mountain Museum recreates the show's iconic sets — the Waltons' living room, kitchen, John-Boy's bedroom, and Ike Godsey's store — and tells the story of the Depression-era mountain family through Hamner's own Nelson County upbringing. Even for those who've never seen the show, it's a warm, unexpectedly moving small-town museum run largely by volunteers, and a window into the Blue Ridge community life that shaped the whole region. Plan an hour or so; the museum keeps limited seasonal hours, so check before you go.
10:25 AM📍 See location
☀️
Afternoon
Rockfish Valley Trail
★ 4.8For a last, gentle stretch of the legs before the drive home, the Rockfish Valley Trail is a network of flat, easy paths winding along the South Fork of the Rockfish River and Reids Run in the heart of the valley. Built and maintained by a local conservation nonprofit, the trails run through restored meadow and streamside habitat with the Blue Ridge rising on every side — a favorite spot for birdwatching, with interpretive signage and open views that make it an unhurried final walk. It's free, rarely crowded, and connects to a natural-history center near the trailhead. A roadside farm stand along 151 makes an equally relaxed alternative for a last armful of Nelson County apples and cider before pointing the car back east.
12:00 PM📍 See location
🌙
Evening
🚗
Drive
Nelson County, VA → Richmond, VA
2 hr5:00 PM → 7:00 PM
Plan your own escapeExplore more trips →