The views from High Bridge are totally amazing! You’re above the treetops and see farmland, a river, and a very distant road with ant cars. I heard someone say recently, “You’re closer to God up here.”

Amazing views from High Bridge!

But there’s another view that will make your mouth drop in awe. Embark on a mystical journey on a summer’s night into the spectacular sight of fireflies by the thousands in the tree tops below High Bridge.

Fireflies are familiar, but few of us realize that these insects are actually beetles. And everyone knows how fireflies got their name, but many people don't know how the insects produce their signature glow.

Fascinating Fireflies!

Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat.

Firefly light is usually intermittent, and flashes in patterns that are unique to each species. Each blinking pattern is an optical signal that helps fireflies find potential mates.

Join us for Nature's Firefly Festival at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 15^th as Waverly Garner, the Park's AmeriCorps volunteer will guide guests starting from High Bridge Trail State Park’s parking lot on River Road. 

Once at High Bridge (approximately a mile from the parking lot), Craig Guthrie, the Park's Chief Ranger, will give a brief talk about these remarkable insects with their abdomens aglow.

Bring your camera as you'll want to record this curious event of nature.

The event is free, but a parking fee applies at the River Road parking lot. Be sure to bring drinking water and be prepared to stay out after dark.  For more information contact the park office at 434-315-0457 or email highbridgetrail@dcr.virginia.com.

High Bridge Trail is open from dawn to dusk and offers 31 miles of trail for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. Once a rail bed, the trail is wide, level and generally flat. Its centerpiece, the majestic High Bridge, is more than 2,400 feet long and 125 feet above the Appomattox River. It is the longest recreational bridge in Virginia and among the longest in the United States.

Access points: Use municipal parking lots in Farmville. Others are at River Road in Cumberland County; Osborne Road in Farmville; Heights School Road in Prince Edward County; and at Rice, Tuggle and Prospect. Horse trailer parking is available at Prospect, Osborne Road and Heights School Road.

Trip suggestions:

The parking lot closest to the bridge is at River Road. Consider these tips:

• For pedestrians and hikers, the bridge is nearly a mile away.
• Trailers are not allowed at the River Rd. parking lot.
• Bikers might prefer parking at the Rice parking lot, which is 3.1 miles from the bridge and 8 miles from Farmville. Bikers might also wish to park at the Main Street plaza parking lot in Farmville; the bridge is 4.5 miles from that lot.
• For equestrians, the designated horse trailer parking lots are at Osborne Road, which is about 2.9 miles from High Bridge, and at Prospect, which is 12.4 miles to High Bridge.

HAPPY TRAILS!