REGISTER for the CONFERENCE
WHERE DOES THE PIEDMONT END?
C.M. Bailey & N.T. Johnson, William & Mary
The Piedmont is Virginia’s largest geological province with its low-relief terrain underlain by a complex array of rocks that record the multi-act drama of the Appalachian Orogen. The 2026 Virginia Geological Field Conference will explore the western Piedmont of central Virginia in Appomattox, Buckingham, and Nelson counties. The field conference will focus on the relationship of rocks and structures across the enigmatic boundary between the Piedmont and Blue Ridge.
In this region the James River cuts a meandering northeasterly course, and it is the James’ fluvial landforms that provide evidence of the Piedmont’s Neogene landscape history. Additionally, the conference will also discuss the human history of central Virginia and its connections to the region’s geology as well as historic floods along the James River.
The field conference will be based at James River State Park in Buckingham County. This state park is far from the madding crowd and in 2019 the park received an International Dark Sky Park designation. There are both camping and cabin options available for conference participants.