Find the top rated running trails in Drakes Branch, whether you're looking for an easy short running trail or a long running trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a running trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.







Love this trail! Nice grades, quiet, not too busy, lots of bathrooms and benches/ picnic tables to stop. High Bridge is lovely with great views. Nice restaurants in Farmville, Charlies is our favorite! Enjoy the serenity and wildlife.
I found it a bit squishy and bumpy for a hybrid. But just fine for a mountain bike.
I love that you are along a river a lot of the time and cross a river multiple times. The trail is mostly shaded. Tons of interesting birds sing in the spring. The bathroom at Rose’s Mill is a plus. They tell you not to drink the water but after I did by mistake I suffered no ill effects. I encounter people on any day of the week, but definitely on the weekends. I highly recommend this trail.
Quiet, flat, maintained, mostly shaded, along the Piney river with benches and the occasional picnic table. Port-a-potty at the Piney River trailhead, running water bathroom at the Roses Mill trailhead .
It would be a good trail for hybrid, gravel or trail bike, the parts assessable are maintained, but the majority of the trail is closed for repair. The sign says from hurricane Michael, which occurred in October 2018. So despite the claim of working diligently, I hold little hope of it being opened any time soon.
I hiked this trail today and enjoyed it quite a lot. The trail itself is nice and wide, and fairly flat. There’s good tree canopy over most of the route and beautiful views of the rivers and fields. There are benches and picnic tables scattered along the trail as well. Plenty of parking at the Piney River trailhead. Will definitely hike this one again.
I hiked this trail today and enjoyed it quite a lot. The trail itself is nice and wide, and fairly flat. There’s good tree canopy over most of the route and beautiful views of the rivers and fields. There are benches and picnic tables scattered along the trail as well. Plenty of parking at the Piney River trailhead. Will definitely hike this one again.
The trail is in great shape going East from FarmVille. Going West from FarmVille needs some attention. It appears that the area had a storm and a lot of trees fell. Heavy equipment used to remove the trees has left ruts in the trail. We rode for about five miles and decided that it wasn’t going to get better, turned around and went back to FarmVille.
Maybe it was the time of year but kinda boring. Well used by horses as there was ample "evidence" lying on the trail. The Nelson County website mentions "restroom facilities" at the trailheads. The Piney River trailheads "restroom facilities" is a single porta potty. The Roses Mill trailhead does have a small bathroom.
We rode two different sections, nice trail. Took the side gravel trail near the bridge to see the underside. At Pamplin, the west end, there’s a small restaurant with excellent burgers, MiPa’s Table. Just past the trails end along the small Main Street.
This is a very lovely trail with some elevation gain and loss, but very quiet and remote. The key is do not ride this trail if there has been any substantial moisture! We rode this trail when there was snow and ice on the trail as well as melt water and the trail was like riding through quicksand. Very difficult! Maybe during the summertime when it’s dry it would be lovely but not today. Riding on the snow and ice was also treacherous as there were packed down frozen tracks from a truck that uses the path for maintenance and access to surrounding areas.
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