Fun fact: The name Appomattox comes from the Appamatuck tribe who lived in the area.

We spent a long weekend exploring Appomattox County. We rated our impressions below. Ratings are based on diversity and quality of each category. We rated the Restaurants and Dog Friendly categories with 3 stars because we did not see a big selection of restaurants in Appomattox County and we didn’t see ANY dog friendly restaurants.

• Accommodations ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• History ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Recreation ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Sightseeing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Restaurants⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Dog Friendly ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Going Off Grid

We couldn’t resist this delightful log cabin on the James River. The cabin—completely off-grid on a 500-acre farm—featured solar lighting, an outhouse, and a water pump. The farm’s shower house also provided guests with hot showers.

On our first night, we heard commotion on the front porch. Mack jumped up to investigate and found that our bag of dog food had disappeared.

We were robbed by a raccoon!

The next morning the cabin owner checked on us and we told him about the dog food. He very generously brought us a supply of dog food and some free eggs.

We did not leave any food items on the front porch during the remainder of our trip.

We were so happy and content in this cabin that we spent most of the weekend on the front porch watching the river. However, we finally ventured off the front porch for some fishing and kayaking. We eventually re-entered society to see the historical sites in Appomattox as well as pursue some outdoor adventures.

---

Appomattox Historical Sites

1st stop: Appomattox Court House National Historical Park

This is a dog friendly venue. Dogs are allowed on the grounds of the park, but not inside the buildings.

Artist Alonzo Chappel captured the moment in his painting shown below. According to Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery Blog:

“Alonzo Chappel’s homely little painting depicts the scene as it was, avoiding the pomp of later depictions, in which the room has grown in size and is crowded with staff officers. Lee had dressed in his best uniform for the saddest moment in his life, while Grant was more casually turned out because his dress uniform was miles away in the Union baggage train.”

---

2nd stop: Joel Sweeney’s Cabin

American slaves created the first banjos from gourds. Sweeney learned to play the banjo and then took his instrument on tour, performing both locally and abroad.

Next to the park sits Joel Sweeney’s cabin. According to Atlas Obscura, Sweeney’s grave is near his cabin. I found a nearby family cemetery but did not see Joel Sweeney’s tombstone.

In fact, even after much exploration, I never did find the gravestone. This photo is from Atlas Obscura. However, during the search, I logged in 10,000 steps and also picked up a load of ticks. If you have visited his grave, please leave a comment below and let me know its precise location in relation to his cabin.

---

3rd stop: The American Civil War Museum at Appomattox

This museum—also located next to the park—displays hundreds of artifacts, such as the uniform and sword worn by Lee when he surrendered to Grant. The photos below illustrate some of the items on display: a sheet of confederate ten dollar bills, soldiers’ uniforms, and a replica of chains used on the enslaved.

The only downside to this museum is that Fido cannot join you for the tour.

---

4th stop: the Pamplin Pipe Factory Preserve

The Archaeological Conservancy preserves this site due to its historical importance in American industry. At one time, this factory manufactured more clay pipes than any other factory in the world. The public cannot enter the factory.

---

Appomattox Outdoor Highlights

1st adventure: Fishing on the James River

Mack (pictured below) and his brother Ron (pictured above) took the opportunity to fish the James River with local fly fishing guide Jeremy Cunningham. They caught and released approximately 25 smallmouth bass. The high point of the day occurred when Ron caught (and subsequently released) the fish shown above, which measured over 20 inches. Photos of their first fishing trip with Jeremy appear in our Amherst County blogpost.

In addition to Jeremy’s skills as a fishing guide, Mack was impressed with Jeremy’s actions to reduce his imprint upon the James. For example, Jeremy provides reusable water bottles for his guests to avoid creating plastic waste on every fishing trip.

---

2nd Adventure: Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest

At nearly 20,000 acres, the forest provides ample opportunities to explore. Visitors can fish in the creeks and hike, bike, or ride horses on the Carter Taylor Trail (marked in red blaze). Best of all, you can bring Fido because the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest is dog-friendly.

If you visit Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest during hunting season, be sure to wear blaze orange, as hunting is allowed there.

---

3rd adventure: Holliday Lake State Park

This State Park lies within the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. Unfortunately, our visit lasted about long as it took for me to snap this photo of gorgeous Holliday Lake and wish that I was in my kayak.

---

Appomattox Dining

We stopped at Granny Bees which serves breakfast (all day), lunch, and dinner.

---

LOVE works

The Appomattox LOVEwork reminds us that here, our nation reunited. It includes muskets and cannon balls, a Joel Sweeney banjo, oars and a railroad silhouette.

---

Know before You Go

• Time your visit to coincide with the annual Historic Appomattox Railroad Festival in October.
• Off-grid not your thing? Need a dog-friendly home with a fence? This spot in nearby Lynchburg is an absolute gem.
• Before you leave home, download Appomattox County onto your Google maps because areas of the county, especially the Appomattox-Buckingham State Park, are offline.
• Upon your arrival, visit the Appomattox Visitor Information Center at 214 Main Street.
• Be sure to visit the Appomattox Farmers Market. It’s every Saturday from April to October.
• Use BringFido.com to find a large pack of dog friendly restaurants in nearby Lynchburg.

---

Appomattox Animal Shelter

The Appomattox Animal Shelter is available by appointment only. The shelter is continually in need of cleaning supplies, pet food, medicine, and many other items and would greatly appreciate any donations made through its Amazon Wish List.

---

Road Trip Reads

These fascinating reads provide information about different aspects of Appomattox County. Better yet, download them all from Audible for easy road trip listening.

---