Saint Mary's Wilderness

Mount Joy Pond Natural Area Preserve is a 359-acre (1.45 km2) Natural Area Preserve located in Augusta County, Virginia in the United States. Located on the western side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it supports a large population of the rare Virginia sneezeweed (Helenium virginicum). This and other plants are associated with a large sinkhole pond, the centerpiece of the property; fewer than two dozen such ponds remain in Augusta and neighboring Rockingham County. Much of the surrounding landscape consists of hardwoods and pines.As of 2016, property managers are investigating why and how the sinkhole pond goes dry by early fall, despite historical photo evidence that the pond formerly retained water longer into the season. Management of the surrounding forestland, including thinning and prescribed burning, was planned with the goal of restoring the property's original hydrology.The preserve is owned and maintained by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. It does not include improvements for public access, and visitors must make arrangements with a state-employed land steward prior to visiting.

On June 4, 2023, a privately operated Cessna 560 Citation V carrying three passengers and a pilot crashed at approximately 3:23 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in the George Washington National Forest, Virginia, killing the occupants, after the crew had been found unresponsive. The plane had previously entered the no-fly zone over Washington, D.C., and was intercepted by F-16 fighter jets before it crashed. A preliminary report was released by the National Transportation Safety Board on June 21, 2023, and the investigation into the crash is ongoing as of August 2023.

Mine Bank Mountain is a 3,488-foot (1,063 m) peak in the U.S. state of Virginia, in the Saint Mary's Wilderness near the Blue Ridge Parkway. The mountain was the site of the 2023 Virginia plane crash, which struck 300 feet (100 m) below the peak, killing all four on board.The mountain is named for nearby manganese-iron ore mines.Hikes up the mountain can be accomplished on the Mine Bank Trail, a 10-mile (16 km) loop, with a trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway (37°54.682′N 79°05.202′W).

The Saint Marys River is an 8.4-mile-long (13.5 km) tributary of the South River in Augusta County in the U.S. state of Virginia. By the South and Maury rivers, it is part of the James River watershed. The river flows through the Blue Ridge Mountains, rising north of the Blue Ridge Parkway near the highlands known as Big Levels, and flows west to the South River near the village of Steeles Tavern.

Haines Chapel, together with the South Mountain Cemetery, is a historic property located near the Blue Ridge Parkway in Rockbridge and Nelson Counties in the U.S. state of Virginia. The site is located just west of the parkway and north of Virginia Route 56 (Tye River Turnpike). The cemetery apparently began as a family cemetery in the 18th century; its oldest dated grave marker is a modern one dated 1793, although the oldest legible stone gives a date of 1857. The chapel, a simple wood-frame building constructed in 1914, stands on the Nelson County side of the property. Its interior contains well-preserved period woodwork, and is largely in original condition, including a period piano and organ. It is still used occasionally for services and special occasions, and the cemetery is also open to new burials.The church and cemetery were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

Montebello is an unincorporated community in Nelson County, Virginia, United States. It was among the communities severely affected by flash flooding from Hurricane Camille in 1969.

Vesuvius is an unincorporated community in Rockbridge County, Virginia, United States. Vesuvius is located on Virginia State Route 56, 99 miles (159 km) northwest of Richmond. Vesuvius has a post office with ZIP code 24483.Macedonia Methodist Church in Amherst County was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

Steeles Tavern (formerly Midway) is an unincorporated community in Augusta County and Rockbridge County, Virginia. It lies at an elevation of 1683 feet (513 m). The Cyrus McCormick Farm was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

James Alexander House (also known as the Alexander-Long House) is a historic house located near Spottswood, Augusta County, Virginia.

Greenville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Augusta County, Virginia, United States. The population was 887 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Staunton–Waynesboro Micropolitan Statistical Area.

The Cyrus McCormick Farm and Workshop is on the family farm of inventor Cyrus Hall McCormick known as Walnut Grove. Cyrus Hall McCormick improved and patented the mechanical reaper, which eventually led to the creation of the combine harvester. The farm is near Steele's Tavern and Raphine, close to the northern border of Rockbridge and Augusta counties in the U.S. state of Virginia, and is currently a museum run by the Virginia Agricultural Experimental Station of Virginia Tech. The museum has free admission and covers 5 acres (2.0 ha) of the initial 532-acre (215.3 ha) farm.

Spottswood is an unincorporated community in Augusta County, Virginia, United States. Spottswood is located at the junction of State Routes 620 and 671 15.5 miles (24.9 km) south-southwest of Staunton. The James Alexander House and the Old Providence Stone Church, which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are both located near Spottswood.