Belle Isle

Richmond


A long pedestrian bridge leads from Tredegar St (just past the national park site) out to this car-free island. Once a quarry, power plant and POW camp during the Civil War (though never all at once), today this is a somewhat scruffy city park. Big flat rocks are suitable for sunbathing, and hiking and biking trails abound – but don't swim in the James River, as the currents are treacherous.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Richmond attractions

1. Hollywood Cemetery

0.57 MILES

Perched above the James River rapids, this tranquil cemetery contains the gravesites of two US presidents (James Monroe and John Tyler), the only…

2. Richmond National Battlefield Park

0.57 MILES

The dozen Civil War sites and four visitor centers that comprise this park can be visited on an 80-mile driving tour around Richmond. The best place to…

3. Historic Tredegar

0.59 MILES

Part of the multisite American Civil War Museum, this fascinating exhibit – housed inside an 1861 iron works that at its height employed 800 free and…

4. Virginia War Memorial

0.59 MILES

The Virginia War Memorial, dedicated to all branches of service who served in all theaters of American combat since World War II, is an impressive…

5. Canal Walk

0.69 MILES

The 1.25-mile waterfront Canal Walk between the James River and the Kanawha (ka-naw-wha) and Haxall Canals is a lovely way of seeing a dozen highlights of…

6. Virginia State Capitol

1.22 MILES

Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the capitol building was completed in 1788 and houses the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere – the Virginia…

7. Poe Museum

1.47 MILES

Contains the world's largest collection of manuscripts and memorabilia of poet and horror-writer Edgar Allan Poe, who lived and worked in Richmond…

8. White House of the Confederacy

1.5 MILES

This 1818 building was the executive mansion of the Confederacy between 1861 and 1865, and the wartime home of its president, Jefferson Davis. Guided 45…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/virginia/richmond/attractions/belle-isle/a/poi-sig/1408747/362235",
      "destination": "Richmond",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "USA",
      "region": "Virginia",
      "city": "Richmond",
      "position": "superzone"
    }