Over the weekend, we visited a place called Belle Isle at Richmond , VA. This is a small island about 53-54 acres located on the James River within the city. This place also doubles up as a city park open to all.
The entire Richmond skyline is visible from the footbridge including some huge buildings in Downtown Richmond. The view is indeed breathtaking in the evenings. (Find some pics we clicked on this post).They should definitely give you a reason to visit this place once :-), its beautiful!
There are lot of activities you can do here. Many people can be seen doing activities like jogging,kayaking, rock climbing, picnicking on rocks amongst speedy rapids, walk trails, swimming etc.
This place is also home to some wildlife like ducks, squirrels, herons. When you take a walk through the island, you can see most of nature's best along the way. Birds, trees, water, the rocks....all in their natural glory!
The History Board at Belle Isle said that it was a Civil War Prisoners Camp. One can see the prisons, some other old ruined buildings, each having a history of its own. You can also see the Hollywood Cemetery , Tredegar Iron Works from the banks of Belle Isle!
This place is unique considering its serenity amid the city's surroundings. Would definitely love to visit this place to do some more hiking next time around :-)