Crozet Guide

Crozet is a town in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States, sitting in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Charlottesville is a short drive east and Staunton a little farther west, yet Crozet does not feel like a suburb of either. It has its own downtown, its own brewery and a long list of vineyards within a few minutes of the centre.

The best-known reason to come is the Crozet Tunnel Greenway. A crushed-stone trail leads through the restored Blue Ridge Tunnel under Rockfish Gap, and the out-and-back walk is mostly flat. Inside it is cool and dark, and historical markers on both sides tell you what you are walking through. Children manage it fine, which makes it an easy first stop.

Wine is the other draw. King Family Vineyards, Grace Estate Winery and Stinson Vineyards all sit among the foothills, and Stinson, out in White Hall, works from a repurposed garage with some of the best views in the area. On Sundays King Family hosts polo matches beside its patios, which visitors describe as free and relaxed. Near the tunnel you will also find Afton Mountain Vineyards, Veritas Vineyard & Winery and Hazy Mountain Vineyard & Brewery.

Not everything revolves around a glass. Chiles Peach Orchard lets you pick your own fruit in season with the mountains behind you, and Wildrock, a nonprofit nature playscape, gives children aged 12 and under a giant nest with oak eggs, a log salamander, a wading stream and a walking labyrinth. A barn play area covers the rainy hours.

Hikers have a few names to work with: Mint Springs Valley Park, the Sugar Hollow Trail to Blue Hole and Patricia Ann Byrom Forest Preserve Park. In town, Claudius Crozet Park spreads over 22 acres with playgrounds, a dog park and a pool, while Piedmont Place downtown gathers restaurants and shops beneath apartments.

Crozet has a few small claims to fame as well. Author Rita Mae Brown set her Mrs. Murphy mystery series here, and the 2007 comedy Evan Almighty built its ark and Evan's neighborhood in town. If your dates allow, the Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival brings vendors from across the East Coast, and the Friday and weekend music at the vineyards and the brewery fills the evenings.