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Print Friendly MapClosure Notice: The trail is temporarily closed for maintenance. Please check with Lake Anna State Park for more information.
The Railroad Ford Trail is located in beautiful Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania County near Richmond, Virginia. The park boasts 2,463 acres with swimming, boating, fishing, horseback riding and camping. The park has 11 trails totaling 15 miles, 12 of which are multi-use.
This loop trail is a section of the original 17.5-mile rail corridor that was established in 1917 to support the war effort in Europe. The railroad was used to transport ore from Holladay Mine, 5 miles north, to Allah Cooper Mine, 7 miles down the track. Lead and zinc were extracted from the ore and transported 10 miles to Mineral, Virginia, where they were then shipped on the C&O Railroad to northern factories to make bullets and shell cartridges. Today, visitors will find a beautiful walking trail, sun-dappled by a tree canopy.
To find the trailhead, follow the sidewalk past the visitor center and boat-rental area. The trail begins at the marker where the sidewalk ends. From the trail marker, bear right to begin your walk along this loop. The 0.75 mile takes you along a packed dirt path that runs parallel to the lake. Take in the rich lake views and try out the many short paths to reach the water's edge, where you can access one of the many benches along this stretch. When the trail bears left after less than a mile, it becomes wider, elevated and flat.
It's easy to imagine the route of the original railroad corridor here and, indeed, a historical railroad sign is also posted along this section. As you conclude your walk, the trail intersects with the Glenora Trail, a wide equestrian trail. Turn left at this intersection for a short stretch that completes the loop.
The park's opening hours vary seasonally and there is user fee.
Trail users can park near the trail at the Lake Anna Swim Beach, 6496 State Park Ln. The Railroad Ford Trail is nearby.
See TrailLink Map for detailed directions.
Closed for Maintenance
No bikes or horses allowed, roots would make wheelchair mostly impossible
Approx 3/4 of the trail has views of the lake, beautiful sunset views! Way too many roots for a wheelchair.
Tree covered trail extremely easy to manipulate.l
Easy walk with great views!
This is a nice walking trail with some scenic views of the lake. It should be easy for anyone with reasonable mobility. There are significant roots growing across the path as well as some grade changes that would make this horrible for a person in a wheel chair but in several areas there are trees across the trail which would make it impossible!
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