Explore the best rated trails in Lynchburg, VA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail and Murray Run Greenway. With more than 17 trails covering 90 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Roanoke River Greenway will one day span 25 miles between Roanoke and Salem along its namesake waterway. Currently, much of the paved pathway is already in place and runs through a wide variety of...
The Mason Creek Greenway Trail follows its namesake creek closely, stretching for over a mile. The trail starts on Roanoke Boulevard and heads north, sliding between an office complex and a mobile...
Closure notice: Starting in August 2020 and continuing as of January 2021, the Piney River Trailhead will be subject to ongoing closures due to nearby environmental cleanup work. Please use the Rose...
The James River Heritage Trail in the Blackwater Creek Natural Area is one of the premier urban trails in the state, passing through lush forest as well as the heart of historic, industrial downtown...
The central feature for which the High Bridge Trail State Park is named is an unforgettable experience, towering 125 feet above the mighty Appomattox River and nearly a half-mile (2,440 feet) across...
Lick Run Greenway begins in downtown Roanoke and heads north just over 4 miles to end between Huff Lane Park and Valley View Mall. Along the way, the paved pathway traverses two parks: Washington Park...
The Mill Mountain Greenway provides residents and visitors to Roanoke with a nice connection from the city's downtown to Mill Mountain Park. Within the park, you can explore numerous hiking trails,...
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, lies the Blue Ridge Tunnel, designed by French engineer Claudius Crozet. It was built to allow the passage of the Blue Ridge Railroad through...
The Chessie Nature Trail travels through breathtaking rural Virginia countryside, following mile markers left behind by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad that ran this route. Dont be surprised if you...
The South River Greenway is a 1.2 mile multi-use trail running along the South River through Waynesboro's Downtown corridor. Views along the way include those of the river, Blue Ridge Mountains,...
The trail is known as the Mud Lick Creek Greenway trail since it follows the route of the nearby waterway. Alternatively, some folks refer to it as the Garst Mill Park Greenway, after the park whose...
The Tinker Creek Greenway winds through Roanoke's east end from Fallon Park to just over a mile southeast. Along your journey, you'll be closely paralleling the pleasantly wooded Tinker...
The Wolf Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway for two miles through Vinton on the outskirts of Roanoke in western Virginia. Its surface is mostly cinder and gravel with a few short asphalt...
The Staunton River Battlefield Rail-Trail crosses through the state park battlefield of the same name in rural south-central Virginia. The gravel trail follows an abandoned corridor of the old...
The trail is known as the Mud Lick Creek Greenway trail since it follows the route of the nearby waterway. Alternatively, some folks refer to it as the Garst Mill Park Greenway, after the park whose...
The South River Greenway is a 1.2 mile multi-use trail running along the South River through Waynesboro's Downtown corridor. Views along the way include those of the river, Blue Ridge Mountains,...
Closure notice: Starting in August 2020 and continuing as of January 2021, the Piney River Trailhead will be subject to ongoing closures due to nearby environmental cleanup work. Please use the Rose...
The Staunton River Battlefield Rail-Trail crosses through the state park battlefield of the same name in rural south-central Virginia. The gravel trail follows an abandoned corridor of the old...
The Wolf Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway for two miles through Vinton on the outskirts of Roanoke in western Virginia. Its surface is mostly cinder and gravel with a few short asphalt...
The Murray Run Greenway winds through a section of the City of Roanoke. The greenway trail is multipurpose, with a varying surface of cinder, woodchips and concrete sidewalk. The width of the trail...
The James River Heritage Trail in the Blackwater Creek Natural Area is one of the premier urban trails in the state, passing through lush forest as well as the heart of historic, industrial downtown...
The Mill Mountain Greenway provides residents and visitors to Roanoke with a nice connection from the city's downtown to Mill Mountain Park. Within the park, you can explore numerous hiking trails,...
The James River Foot Bridge carries the Appalachian Trail over the James River in Snowden, Virginia, approximately 20 miles northwest of Lynchburg. The bridge was built on the piers of a demolished...
The central feature for which the High Bridge Trail State Park is named is an unforgettable experience, towering 125 feet above the mighty Appomattox River and nearly a half-mile (2,440 feet) across...
The Roanoke River Greenway will one day span 25 miles between Roanoke and Salem along its namesake waterway. Currently, much of the paved pathway is already in place and runs through a wide variety of...
Lick Run Greenway begins in downtown Roanoke and heads north just over 4 miles to end between Huff Lane Park and Valley View Mall. Along the way, the paved pathway traverses two parks: Washington Park...
Opened in 1999, the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail in Salem (just outside of Roanoke) is associated with Southern Virginia's impressive Civil War history. The northern trailhead at Hanging Rock was...
The Chessie Nature Trail travels through breathtaking rural Virginia countryside, following mile markers left behind by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad that ran this route. Dont be surprised if you...
The Tinker Creek Greenway winds through Roanoke's east end from Fallon Park to just over a mile southeast. Along your journey, you'll be closely paralleling the pleasantly wooded Tinker...
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, lies the Blue Ridge Tunnel, designed by French engineer Claudius Crozet. It was built to allow the passage of the Blue Ridge Railroad through...
The Mason Creek Greenway Trail follows its namesake creek closely, stretching for over a mile. The trail starts on Roanoke Boulevard and heads north, sliding between an office complex and a mobile...
The Chessie Nature Trail travels through breathtaking rural Virginia countryside, following mile markers left behind by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad that ran this route. Dont be surprised if you...
The Staunton River Battlefield Rail-Trail crosses through the state park battlefield of the same name in rural south-central Virginia. The gravel trail follows an abandoned corridor of the old...
The Tinker Creek Greenway winds through Roanoke's east end from Fallon Park to just over a mile southeast. Along your journey, you'll be closely paralleling the pleasantly wooded Tinker...
The South River Greenway is a 1.2 mile multi-use trail running along the South River through Waynesboro's Downtown corridor. Views along the way include those of the river, Blue Ridge Mountains,...
The Mill Mountain Greenway provides residents and visitors to Roanoke with a nice connection from the city's downtown to Mill Mountain Park. Within the park, you can explore numerous hiking trails,...
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, lies the Blue Ridge Tunnel, designed by French engineer Claudius Crozet. It was built to allow the passage of the Blue Ridge Railroad through...
Opened in 1999, the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail in Salem (just outside of Roanoke) is associated with Southern Virginia's impressive Civil War history. The northern trailhead at Hanging Rock was...
The James River Foot Bridge carries the Appalachian Trail over the James River in Snowden, Virginia, approximately 20 miles northwest of Lynchburg. The bridge was built on the piers of a demolished...
The Murray Run Greenway winds through a section of the City of Roanoke. The greenway trail is multipurpose, with a varying surface of cinder, woodchips and concrete sidewalk. The width of the trail...
Lick Run Greenway begins in downtown Roanoke and heads north just over 4 miles to end between Huff Lane Park and Valley View Mall. Along the way, the paved pathway traverses two parks: Washington Park...
The James River Heritage Trail in the Blackwater Creek Natural Area is one of the premier urban trails in the state, passing through lush forest as well as the heart of historic, industrial downtown...
The central feature for which the High Bridge Trail State Park is named is an unforgettable experience, towering 125 feet above the mighty Appomattox River and nearly a half-mile (2,440 feet) across...
The trail is known as the Mud Lick Creek Greenway trail since it follows the route of the nearby waterway. Alternatively, some folks refer to it as the Garst Mill Park Greenway, after the park whose...
The Wolf Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway for two miles through Vinton on the outskirts of Roanoke in western Virginia. Its surface is mostly cinder and gravel with a few short asphalt...
The Mason Creek Greenway Trail follows its namesake creek closely, stretching for over a mile. The trail starts on Roanoke Boulevard and heads north, sliding between an office complex and a mobile...
The Roanoke River Greenway will one day span 25 miles between Roanoke and Salem along its namesake waterway. Currently, much of the paved pathway is already in place and runs through a wide variety of...
Closure notice: Starting in August 2020 and continuing as of January 2021, the Piney River Trailhead will be subject to ongoing closures due to nearby environmental cleanup work. Please use the Rose...
Checked out trail while in the area with our single speed fatties and throughly enjoyed the Ride. Access to the trail is limited to the Piney River and Rose Mill trailheads and not the far western end point. Getting to the end point from Piney River was a smooth roll that goes along and across the River. Very nice bridges and shaded hard-packed surfaces. Trail was frequented by more runners than cyclists during the Saturday morning I was there. Nice place for a long run. Everyone knew to move the right and we pedaled single file. Didn't see any horses, but that could have been entirely possible.
Discovered many interesting historical events about the area and why this was built. This place is a gem. Short, sweet and easy 75 minute ride for the wife and I. Slightly off the beaten path. I'd stop there again.
Checked out trail while in the area with our single speed fatties and throughly enjoyed the Ride. Access to the trail is limited to the Piney River and Rose Mill trailheads and not the far western end point. Getting to the end point from Piney River was a smooth roll that goes along and across the River. Very nice bridges and shaded hard-packed surfaces. Trail was frequented by more runners than cyclists during the Saturday morning I was there. Nice place for a long run. Everyone knew to move the right and we pedaled single file. Didn't see any horses, but that could have been entirely possible.
Discovered many interesting historical events about the area and why this was built. This place is a gem. Short, sweet and easy 75 minute ride for the wife and I. Slightly off the beaten path. I'd stop there again.
My family and I took our Husky with us and all had an enjoyable day. The entire trail is very well maintained. The inside of the tunnel is extremely nice but the sides do tend to get washed out from the water. Be sure to stay close to the center to avoid slipping and falling. We took headlamps and it made the trek easy.
Rode part of this trail with the grands on Sunday. There have been great improvements! Especially the restroom at the Rose Mill parking area - running water and flush toilet! There had been areas in the first few miles that would wash out after a rain and these have all been fixed!!
What at amazing tunnel. High ceilings very clean. Bring flashlight with you
We took our e-bikes last week (Aug ‘21) and it wasn’t crowded at all. Rode from Farmville over the bridge and to one end. It ends quite abruptly. I would have given 5 stars if the amenities on the trail spurs would have been identified on signs. We will definitely return to bike the other half and back (30 miles). Great free parking, too!
Very nice trail. Only the first few hundred feet are paved and then it turns to crushed stone. Very level, for the most part, with small inclines and declines. There is one bridge where the boards are laid sideways at an angle that is very bumpy, but otherwise the trail is very smooth. The only complaint I have is that, while there are numerous benches and places to take a rest, there are only a couple that provide good river access, especially from mile 3 to the end.
Great trail for families as it is very flat, has pretty scenery plus a covered bridge and an old railcar at the start. Decent parking at the beginning of trail. Trail seemed well maintained.
We biked the trail yesterday from Buena Vista to Lexington and back. From prior reviews we knew about the gates, cows, etc. I recall maybe (8) gates but they all self-close and easy to stop and open. Gates are not common on most trails we ride but these really aren’t a big deal so don’t let this stop you. And riding by the cows is pretty cool. Obviously a bad storm happened the day or two before as lots of debris on the trail. That should be cleared in a few days so again, no big deal. The bridge is still out and from the looks of things, will be for some time. There is a detour but proper signage is non-existent. This is the real reason I only gave three stars. Neither side of the bridge properly directs bikers on and off the trail. We eventually figured it out but the detour requires pushing bikes up short hills, riding slowly/walking your bike down a steep graveled hill and roughly a half-mile ride on the main road that has a pretty steep incline on both sides of the bridge. I would have given a 2-Star rating due to the poor detour signage and debris but I know many people work hard on these trails and this one deserves a second or third chance. Beautiful area and a trail that has tons of potential.
We took our tandem 29er out and back both ways from Farmville. As others have said, the main attraction is the High Bridge, and its great. The trail is very well maintained and has plenty of bathrooms along the way...but as others have said, not a lot of places to get water. Make sure you have plenty, especially on these 90° days. Much of the trail is shaded so that’s a plus. Except for the bridge, it’s probably not a destination trail yet as there’s not much in the way of places to stop along the trail. Still, it’s a great place to get some miles. Some have mentioned the crowds but we saw none of that on a Sunday.
That’s a great ride when it’s dry! You do encounter some gates but they are all self closing and not that much trouble even on a bike. It’s very scenic and has great views of the river. I would recommend it. We rode it from Lexington to the end and back. for on 14 miles
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