Belle Isle spreads 54 acres across the James River in the city of Richmond, part of the James River Park System. A suspension footbridge runs under the Robert E. Lee Memorial Bridge to the northern shore, and a wooden bridge links the southern shore; when the James is low you can reach the island by easy boulder-hopping. From here you can see Hollywood Cemetery, the old Tredegar Iron Works, and Richmond City's skyline.
There are many bike trails around the island and a small cliff used for rock climbing instruction. The ground beneath your feet has deep roots: in the 1600s this land lay within Tsenacommacah, a homeland of the Powhatan people. English maps first called it Broad Rock Island; it was first mapped by European John Smith of Jamestown in 1607.
In the 18th century the island hosted a fishery, and in 1814 the Old Dominion Iron and Nail Company completed a nail factory. By the 1860s a village stood here, complete with a school, church, and general store. Feel the river air as your eye travels across the water to the landmarks nearby.