The Vista Blue - a place for nature, agriculture, horticulture, and people too.
With beginnings as a small agricultural watering hole, the lake was established in 1991 with a large dam along the front of the property that also provided access to the home site. The standpipe for the lake collapsed in 2017 leaving the streams to again create a small watering hole for animals. The dam and pipes were rebuilt in 2025 and Lake Vista Blue came back to life in 2026. It is stocked with largemouth bass, redear sunfish, blue gill, and other varieties.
After decades of use as grazing pasture lands, The Vista Blue is in the process of being re-planted with sustainable landscaping using native plants. Working with Eldon Farm’s Hill House Nursery, we plan to revive the meadows, establish orchards, cultivate the vineyard, replant the riparian stream areas, delineate gardens, reinforce the river-front, and fortify the lake shore lines. There are some wonderful native Virginia Piedmont plants and we look forward to enhancing the ecosystem with natural horticultural solutions.
With the property largely vacant for many years, the animals had taken residence in and around the homes. There are a variety of deer, groundhog, turkey, fox, rabbit, geese, ducks, turtle, snake, and a wide variety of birds still claim The Vista Blue as their home.
The three pastures are used by a local farmer for raising pure grass-fed angus beef. Working with the Soil and Water Conservation District experts, we have re-fenced the pastures to allow for adaptive grazing to enhance pasture health and create an adequate border with water systems. By having cycles of grazing, rest, and recovery the soils and biodiversity remain stronger for the future.
Along the Southwestern property border lies the Rush River, a 12.5 mile-long (20.1 km) that rises in the northern part of the Shenandoah National Park and flows southeast to the Thornton River. It is part of the Rappahannock River watershed. The river offers good fly fishing for rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and other varieties. The annual Rush River Fishing Day takes place near The Vista Blue each June.
