Explore the best rated trails in Staunton, VA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Lumberjack Trail and Hawksbill Greenway. With more than 16 trails covering 177 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.
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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...
While the Saunders-Monticello trail leads to the home of one the United States most prominent presidents, it is quickly becoming a destination in itself. It’s less than ten minutes’ drive from...
Spanning more than 20 miles, the Rivanna Trail surrounds Charlottesville, connecting several parks along the way and providing a recreational outdoor amenity for city dwellers. The trail has a mix of...
Waterfalls, river views, rugged rock formations, vibrant fall foliage and delicate flowers in the spring: These are the sights that put the “scenic” in Jackson River Scenic Trail. The serene...
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...
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 enhanced bike-ped trail snakes alongside the John W. Warner Parkway for 1.6 miles, from East Rio Road down to McIntire Park. It mostly lies on the route of the old Southern Railway. Points of...
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 Hawksbill Greenway is a 2-mile non-motorized pathway in the town of Luray, Virginia, two hours from Washington D.C. It extends from Linden Street in the west to the Flowering Forest in the east....
West Virginia's beautiful Greenbrier River Trail is one of America's premier rail-trails and popular with bicyclists, hikers, walkers and cross-country skiers. Most of the trail runs along the...
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...
Located in the Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest—a hotspot for mountain biking and rock climbing—the Seneca Creek Trail is a scenic feast of streams, meadows,...
Widney Park Rail-Trail is located in the quiet West Virginia community of Durbin. The old railroad town has a charming Main Street with welcoming shops and restaurants and the rail-trail is located...
Located in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest—a hotspot for mountain biking and rock climbing—the Lumberjack Trail offers a scenic hike on an old...
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 West Fork Trail is a pleasant 22-mile trail that snakes its way through a remote mountain setting and follows the West Fork River for most of its route. The soothing rumble of the river...
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,...
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The scenic East Fork Trail follows the East Fork of the Greenbrier River through hemlock stands and pine plantations and past many small waterfalls, extending 8 miles from the Island Campground in...
Waterfalls, river views, rugged rock formations, vibrant fall foliage and delicate flowers in the spring: These are the sights that put the “scenic” in Jackson River Scenic Trail. The serene...
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...
While the Saunders-Monticello trail leads to the home of one the United States most prominent presidents, it is quickly becoming a destination in itself. It’s less than ten minutes’ drive from...
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 Hawksbill Greenway is a 2-mile non-motorized pathway in the town of Luray, Virginia, two hours from Washington D.C. It extends from Linden Street in the west to the Flowering Forest in the east....
Spanning more than 20 miles, the Rivanna Trail surrounds Charlottesville, connecting several parks along the way and providing a recreational outdoor amenity for city dwellers. The trail has a mix of...
West Virginia's beautiful Greenbrier River Trail is one of America's premier rail-trails and popular with bicyclists, hikers, walkers and cross-country skiers. Most of the trail runs along the...
The enhanced bike-ped trail snakes alongside the John W. Warner Parkway for 1.6 miles, from East Rio Road down to McIntire Park. It mostly lies on the route of the old Southern Railway. Points of...
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 enhanced bike-ped trail snakes alongside the John W. Warner Parkway for 1.6 miles, from East Rio Road down to McIntire Park. It mostly lies on the route of the old Southern Railway. Points of...
Located in the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest—a hotspot for mountain biking and rock climbing—the Lumberjack Trail offers a scenic hike on an old...
Waterfalls, river views, rugged rock formations, vibrant fall foliage and delicate flowers in the spring: These are the sights that put the “scenic” in Jackson River Scenic Trail. The serene...
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,...
Spanning more than 20 miles, the Rivanna Trail surrounds Charlottesville, connecting several parks along the way and providing a recreational outdoor amenity for city dwellers. The trail has a mix of...
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...
West Virginia's beautiful Greenbrier River Trail is one of America's premier rail-trails and popular with bicyclists, hikers, walkers and cross-country skiers. Most of the trail runs along the...
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 Hawksbill Greenway is a 2-mile non-motorized pathway in the town of Luray, Virginia, two hours from Washington D.C. It extends from Linden Street in the west to the Flowering Forest in the east....
The West Fork Trail is a pleasant 22-mile trail that snakes its way through a remote mountain setting and follows the West Fork River for most of its route. The soothing rumble of the river...
The scenic East Fork Trail follows the East Fork of the Greenbrier River through hemlock stands and pine plantations and past many small waterfalls, extending 8 miles from the Island Campground in...
Located in the Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area of the Monongahela National Forest—a hotspot for mountain biking and rock climbing—the Seneca Creek Trail is a scenic feast of streams, meadows,...
While the Saunders-Monticello trail leads to the home of one the United States most prominent presidents, it is quickly becoming a destination in itself. It’s less than ten minutes’ drive from...
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...
Widney Park Rail-Trail is located in the quiet West Virginia community of Durbin. The old railroad town has a charming Main Street with welcoming shops and restaurants and the rail-trail is located...
We started our 3 day 2 night (Fri-Sun) bike packing trip in North Caldwell. We went to Cass and did a return trip. First day we rose about 47 miles to the campsite before the Marlton area. We had dinner in Seebert at "Jack Horner Corner" before camping. It is a multi purpose store. There is a grille, they had pizza, ice cream, package goods, snacks, some bike supplies and some sporting goods/rentals. The next day we had breakfast in Marlton and on the return trip we had dinner . Marlton was a small town. It had several food options and services. In Cass we visited the "Cass Company store. They have food, ice cream and touristy items. We did not look for any other services in Cass. That is pretty much it for services.
The trail itself was mostly two hard tracks with grass in the middle. There was a short section around Marlton that was paved. The trail was ok. I rode a hardtail with front suspension. Greg rode a hybrid without suspension. His hands tingled by the end of the days. Hybrid size tire were fine. Could get muddy in sections if the trail was wet. There were campgrounds about every 5 miles. They all had a table and area for a tent. Some had a water pump, shelter, comfort station or trash can. They all varied.
I suggest that you get the" Greenbrier River Trail" brochure or download it at https://wvstateparks.com/park/greenbrier-river-trail/ . It is rather helpful with trail info. Cell service was extremely limited. The businesses had wi-fi so we could face-time, IM or use Wi-fi enabled calling. The river was almost always next to the trail. It was scenic but the trail got monotonous. By the third day, I was ready to get off the trail partly because we did 70 miles the second day. The tunnels were short but you need lights. You may consider bringing a water filter. They were a couple tool stations but too far apart to be helpful. Horses could use the trail. We did not see any. There were some dried droppings. We did not see many people on the trail. We mostly saw day users around N. Caldwell on Sunday. The trail was nice but could use some upgrades to get into the elite category.
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
If biking, Afton is a better starting point than the West start. It's neat to be able to basically coast the entire tunnel, as the grade helps considerably.
My wife and I rode the trail recently on our fat tire ebikes. Beautiful late winter day, almost 70 degrees. The trail was well maintained, almost entirely flat. The first 1/2 mile is not that great, another reviewer noted it passed by an old mine site. After that, once the trail follows the river, it was very nice. The trail was not crowded on the day we went (not a weekend). We passed several bikers and some families walking with strollers. The trail is plenty wide for passing, or being passed, in either direction. There was some "evidence" of horses, but we saw no one horseback riding on the day we went. Nice, comfortable ride, we'll go back.
This is a relatively easy trail for all ages and abilities. West side from parking to entrance is more difficult but east side has very little grade to entrance. As others mentioned, parking is limited, but hikers are coming out regularly so it’s not much to wait for a space. We were there on Sunday afternoon and waited just 10 minutes for a parking space. Great family activity.
The tunnel requires a light of some sort because while you can see the end, you are walking for about .84 miles in darkness. The flashlight is a nice addition to the hike, though, as you are able to see the differences in the tunnel as you progress from one end to the other. The parking lots on both the east and west end of the trail are small, but the west end does offer more room. It is also a steeper trail so keep that in mind; you will need to all back up unless someone meets you on the other side.
From Start point (Allegheny outfitters) to Smith Bridge (16 miles round trip???). This trail is well maintained, and though the portion we did, does not really ride along the river the entire time, the river is indeed very pretty. There was not a ton of wildlife or distinct features, but we did find a very cool old abandoned bridge to explore. Look promising for kayaking etc.
First... let me say I was nervous about the tunnel! But know that you can see “the light at the end of the tunnel” so I wasn’t claustrophobic,as I had feared. Know that they mean it when they say lights are required. Otherwise, you are not visible to other hikers even when you’re within arms length! We began at the Afton end and although we arrived before 10am all parking was taken. We ended up parking at the post office. As you exit the tunnel on the Waynesboro end there is a good uphill hike...a very distinct path/trail. The entire path is 2.5 one way. We saw plenty of dogs on the trail which was another question I had... we’re dogs allowed? As an added bonus it snowed! We saw
While this trail is good, you better get there early. Parking is incredibly limited and if you park out of the marked area, your car will get towed. Rude people abound.... Once in the tunnel, it is FULL of people with all manner of lights and kids shining flashlights in peoples eyes. There are better trails without the parking and crowd hassles.
Nicely maintained trail. The west side is a little steep. The actual tunnel is flat. Make sure to have a flashlight as it is pitch black in the tunnel. It’s a beautiful area and neat experience. Lots of history!
On my bucket list. 50 degree year round. Bring a light. Dark inside
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