Top Things to do in Locust Grove
- 1. Lake Anna State Park
- 2. Ellwood Manor
- 3. Old House Vineyards
- 4. Rogers Ford Farm Winery
- 5. Belmont Farms Distillery
- 6. Wilderness National Military Park
- 7. Wilderness Run Vineyards
- 8. Meadows Farms Golf Courses
- 9. National Military Park Civil War General Stonewall Jackson' Flank Attack
- 10. Wilderness Presidential Resorts
The 10 Best Things to Do in Locust Grove, United States
Discover the best top things to do in Locust Grove, United States including Lake Anna State Park, Ellwood Manor, Old House Vineyards, Rogers Ford Farm Winery, Belmont Farms Distillery, Wilderness National Military Park, Wilderness Run Vineyards, Meadows Farms Golf Courses, National Military Park Civil War General Stonewall Jackson' Flank Attack, Wilderness Presidential Resorts.
Restaurants in Locust Grove
1. Lake Anna State Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 112 reviews
Lake Anna offers boating, fishing, hiking, and just all-around fun.
Reviewed By suzielocust - virginia
We are regulars there, we don't live far and we camp in our rv there regularly.The campgrounds are fine, big and spacious, large spaces, clean camp bathrooms but......
The beach area,OMG!!!! It's chaos.Hammocks everywhere,loud music everywhere,kids swimming everywhere,and I mean everywhere.The Fourth of July we actually had to walk off the sidewalk as people had their grills set up ON THE WALKWAYS.We launched our kayaks from the kayak area,3 guys with
fishing lines had to reel them in so we could we launch the kayaks.Enother camper said he had trouble getting his small inflatable boat in to shore due to the amt of kids swimming from the shores.The parking lots do fill up.When we came back from kayaking, we came to the larger paved boat ramp, looked funny but wasn't gonna fight my way through fishing lines again.Thety have a 3rd boat dock, wooden where theoretically you could come in,tie up your boat. There are kids swimming there too. I applauded the lady who screamed " clear the dock we are coming in" to a bunch of kids as she brought in her pontoon boat.The kids to their credit did scatter.Im sure sooner or later there's gonna be a horrible accident where a boat injures a kid not swimming in the designated swimming area. Anyway back to facts. I love the lake, it's a very busy lake, lots of power boats on weekends, lots of places to eat.The trails are nice.grounds nice, there are ranger programs ,very nice. We love the staff but......its just chaos on summer weekends.
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2. Ellwood Manor
Overall Ratings
5 based on 23 reviews
Reviewed By Mfclingan - Hagerstown, Maryland
The tour guide was EXCELLENT! (Nicholas). The tour is free and covers all aspects of the history of the house...the civil war....the families that built, owned and lived there and the architecture of the building. I wish they left the gates open...we would have been able to hike the trails...but they made it VERY clear that if you are out on the trail past 5...your car WILL be locked in until the next morning. That left a sour taste in my mouth.
3. Old House Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 83 reviews
Reviewed By Tuckergoose - Virginia
This was a real disappointment. Some friends took us here to celebrate my birthday. The wine tasting was too expensive for those little half-shot samples. And while we are far from wine enthusiasts what we tasted was weak, mediocre and rather uninspiring. And expensive. The same for the liquor tasting. Wait. I've got to interject something here: the liquor tasting ($10 for 4 little samples!) is in a beautiful out building totally decorated with World War II memorabilia. Seriously, war videos, rifles, flags, murals. Having a passion for something is great but how about keeping it to yourselves instead of forcing it on your customers. I mean who wants to sample rum being reminded of thousands of people dying at war? As we walked in we were told that my 3 1/2 year old daughter is not allowed. Seriously? You think she's going to sample your vodka? So my wife and her friend had to wait outside and then they came in and we went out with my daughter. The there was no food available. Last month was pizza's. Next month is soup. But October - nothing. Great. Now I have to admit that the ladies behind the counters were wonderful, polite, patient and helpful. You have to be to expect to pay those prices for their wine and/or liquors. I did end up buying a bottle of rum, highly overpriced but we wanted to make something out of this disaster. We do not recommend this place nor will we be going back.
4. Rogers Ford Farm Winery
Overall Ratings
4 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By mike b - Chesterfield, Virginia
Well off the beaten path, this winery is more of a house than what you might expect. The wines were okay, particularly the reds.
5. Belmont Farms Distillery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 50 reviews
Reviewed By rspencer71 - Orange, Virginia
Unlike many visitors to the Belmont Farms Distillery, my girlfriend and I had never seen the show "Moonshiners" before we went there. In fact, we still haven't. With family roots in Appalachia, and some family history related to moonshining, we were interested based on the history...and the liquor, of course.
The farm is lovely. Long expanses of fields, with the Blue Ridge looming in the background. It was surprising and quite impressive that such an operation exists with such a small footprint. The distillery itself is relatively small.
All of the staff was very friendly and informative. They truly made one feel like a welcome guest. The tour was informative and fun, without taking a long time. Someone wanting more information has the opportunity to talk to the staff afterward, but if you just want the tour to learn a little about the operation, you can be done in about half an hour. On top of all of that, the tour is free.
But 30 minutes won't leave time for tasting and the gift shop. The Distillery offers 3 different tasting tickets, with different numbers of samples. With each sample, you can choose to drink it straight or with a mixer. We chose to just do the straight shots.
The staff member tending the sampling bar was very helpful, describing each liquor and happily answering any questions. She really knows the products.
And good products they are. After our sampling session, we purchased 3 bottles of our favorites (Butterscotch, Apple Pie, and Kopper Kettle Virginia Whiskey). We may pick up some of the others on our next visit, and the distillery will be bottling bourbon this year also.
On our way out, we ran into owner/founder Chuck Miller on the covered porch. He was friendly and engaging, and we thanked him with a handshake as we left. On the way to the car, we stopped and spent some time just enjoying the peaceful atmosphere at one of the available picnic tables. There is also a covered pavilion and a stage that sometimes hosts live music.
It's a little off the beaten path, but if you enjoy good whiskey, have an interest in moonshining's history, or just want to check out an intriguing local business, it's worth the trip.
For those of you interested in that history, Belmont Farms Distillery was the very first craft distillery in the United States. Miller actually had to work with legislators to come up with the rules and laws that would govern his operation. For us, as history buffs, this made it a must-see destination.
6. Wilderness National Military Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
Reviewed By Jack L - East Syracuse, New York
The Battle of the Wilderness lasted from May 5-7, 1864, at the beginning of the Overland Campaign between Conf. Gen. Robert E. Lee & Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The north suffered 18, 000 casualties-killed , wounded & captured/missing, while the south 11,000. The battle was tactically a draw with Grant marching south.
Today the land has changed very little, with not much to view. There is no visitor center, that is handled by the Chancellorsville visit center. In place is an exhibit shelter , which is a covered, three walled structure. The walls are very detailed with words, photographs, paintings & sketches. Some of the subject matters are: Battle of the Wilderness, Collision Of Giants-generals Lee & Grant-Saunders Field, Confederate Flank Attack, Struggle on the Orange Plank Road, Battle in the Balance, A Drawn Battle To Spotsylvania Court House & The Horrific Cost.
Outside the shelter is a cannon & limber, an open field, no cannons, unless out of sight.
After the shelter a black soft mulch pathway leads to a forest which has the Gordon Flank Attack Trail. This is a winding two mile walk. Along the trail are black info stands & confederate trenches or what is left of trenches. The trail has posted arrows & painted trees-every 50-100 feet- to keep a visitor on the path.
If looking for Ellwood Manor-to the west half a mile, on the right-a visit may not happen. During my visit place was chained off, Sept. 13, 2017.
A visitor can easily spend two hour if taking the time to read most of shelter & walking the Gordon Trail. Parking is probably ten vehicle, not many people at 9:00 AM. Photos & reviews have mentioned two other site on the battlefield that I missed, ask first at the Chancellorsville visitor center.
If near noon & need a place to eat, drive east to find 3-4 restaurants in Locust Groove. The battlefield is located on R20, one mile east of R3 on the right. Of the four battlefields, Wilderness has the less to see, while having much to read in the shelter. Only one memorial- The 140th New York State Volunteer Infantry. A stop is still recommended.
7. Wilderness Run Vineyards
Overall Ratings
4 based on 41 reviews
Wilderness Run Vineyards is a farm based vineyard and winery in that offers live music, events, wine tastings, and a beautiful scenery to enjoy, with it's sister company, 1781 Brewing Company, located on the same property.
Reviewed By Rick P - Fredericksburg, Virginia
I was fortunate enough to get invited to a Dinner in the Vines, hosted by Wilderness Run Vineyard and a local restaurant, they introduced a wine from South Africa that night as a tasting, the food was excellent and it was great to sit and eat amongst the vines and sip wine and chat with other like minded people. Hats off to these guys for doing these types of events. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE
8. Meadows Farms Golf Courses
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By kbmoose1 - Oreana, Il
There are 27 holes of challenging, sometimes slightly unconventional golf. One hole includes a waterfall, another is a baseball diamond surrounded by a sand trap (the warning track). A couple involve islands. And there's am 841 yard par 6. Within the course is a Civil War farmhouse / hospital, a 450 year old tree, and lots of scenery.
I rented the Cottage on the course and played all three course 2 times. Very enjoyable.
The only caution I have is getting there. My GPS routed me, but I saw a sign which took me away from the GPS route. The sign was right. Another time the GPS said it couldn't calculate a route. GPSes don't work well in the area - look for signs and have a map handy.
9. National Military Park Civil War General Stonewall Jackson' Flank Attack
Overall Ratings
5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Kevin K - Spotsylvania, Virginia
Another crucial part of the American Civil War. General "Stonewall" Jackson's Flank Attack. This is maintained and operated by the National Park Service located off of Highway 3 while traveling west. There are maps and information located underneath the trees and you can look across and see what the Soldiers on the battlefield would have seen that day.
10. Wilderness Presidential Resorts
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 11 reviews
Ready for a fun challenge? Join us on our Adventure Course, it's fun for all ages! The course features a Rickety Bridge, Spider's Web, Postman's Walk, Canyon Jump, Silver Surfer, Swings, Teeter Totter, and a Zip Line.
Reviewed By Travelavel - Washington DC, District of Columbia
Check the reviews under "hotels".
The previous reviewer has obviously not stayed at the property nor used their facilities including stocked fishing lakes, three Olympic Sized pools (one is indoor and heated year round), paddle and canoe rentals, free use of tennis rackets, balls, and courts, full sized gym, weight room, fitness center, sand beach, clubhouse, adventure course including zip line, etc.
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