Rockfish Gap is an old junction in Virginia’s majestic Blue Ridge Mountains where the Skyline Drive meets the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors can enjoy stunning views at Afton Overlook, the first stop south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or turn north onto Skyline Drive for a trip through the scenic Shenandoah National Park off of Route 250 over Afton Mountain. The parkway is free and the drive has a fee.
After sightseeing or hiking the Appalachian Trail in the Rockfish Gap area, visitors can stop at the Afton Mountain Vineyards Afton which is open daily from 10-6 (closed Tuesdays). This is one of the state’s first farm wineries with some vines dating back decades. The farm produces the usual Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon but also wines unusual for Virginia producers -- Gewürztraminer and Sangiovese.
People wishing to spend the night may find accommodations in the Afton Mountain Bed & Breakfast Inn, an 1848 Victorian farmhouse at 10273 Rockfish Valley Highway in Afton. The inn has lots of antiques and original heart pine floors, an original staircase and stained glass entranceway with wireless internet access and private baths.
A gap with a history
Rockfish Gap is the site of an old Indian trail that became Three Chopt Road, also known as Three Notched Road, in the 1700s. This is the trail that opened the Shenandoah Valley to westward expansion. It was at Rockfish Gap where sitting president James Monroe, former presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and Chief Justice John Marshall met in a tavern in 1818 with others and selected Charlottesville as the site for the University of Virginia.
A railroad tunnel was built under Rockfish Gap in the 1850s and used by Stonewall Jackson to move troops in 1862 during the Civil War. The old tunnel – a nearby town Crozet is named after its engineer – is still in good shape.
Located between Charlottesville and Waynesboro off of Interstate 64, Rockfish Gap is 78 miles from Richmond .
Drivers should turn on their headlights and pay attention to the fog warning signs as they ascend Afton Mountain as dense fog can roll in suddenly. There have been multi-car pileups – two involving over 60 vehicles. Rock slides have also been reported, adding to the excitement of crossing Afton Mountain. Rockfish Gap is also known as a wind gap.
