Find the top rated horseback riding trails in Virginia, whether you're looking for an easy short horseback riding trail or a long horseback riding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a horseback riding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Great signageWell maintained trails Stay at the Inn at Foster Falls for the full experience
We rode 20 miles (10 miles each direction), starting at the Bennington St parking lot. Note that there are no facilities right at that lovely parking area, but there is restroom at Golden Park, just to the east. It was an enjoyable ride! I’d do it again! All along the Roanoke River. Multiple river crossings, usually with a 90 degree turn at each end of the bridge. We went by several City parks, and stopped at an ice cream and burger place on the east end of Wasena Park for ice cream on the way back. There is a well marked detour around Wasena Park for construction. There are several places along the trail where other trails intersect. The signage was great to keep us on track. The only place we got confused was just past Black Dog Salvage (we were heading west) and after crossing the river on Memorial Ave, it took us a minute, and a slight detour, to realize that the trail goes left at Wasena Ave, and loops around to go under Memorial Ave. The signs are there, but not quite big enough to get our attention at the right moment. We turned around at Tidy Services. TrailLink shows the trail ending at Bridge Street. We rode over 3 more miles on paved and marked trail.
It's a 4 mainly because of the creosote / diesel odors as we went around the rail yard. The trail itself is super. all paved. very little root bumps. well maintained.
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.
Did the northeast section, Suburban to Nansemond. Have walked it before, but this was the first time biking. A nice, easy, flat, paved trail with plenty of shade. The only problem is the parking. Only a few slots and all but one very skinny one was available.
Just have to give all the park rangers and volunteers a shout out for making this trail a beautiful trail again after Hurricane Helene. We parked at Ivanhoe and rode to Cliffview. Flush toilets and a gift shop at Cliffview. The trail is better than I remember it being before. You could clearly see the devastation and how hard they must have worked to bring this trail back! Thank you!
Good for walks, runs, and bike rides. Pretty sunny, with a few shaded sections. Usually not crowded!
Not too strenuous but still a fun place to get outside and connect with nature!
We love the Jackson River Trail and ride it several times a year - yesterday was the first for this year. The trail extension was delayed by a terrible mudslide, but has now been beautifully completed two+ miles north into Bath County. I wish Bath County would complete the trail all the way into Hot Springs! It would rival the Creeper Trail for sure. This trail is the best maintained trail we've ridden. There had been inches of rain the day before but there were no puddles, no debris - the trail was completely clear. The Parks and Recreation guys of Covington keep it nicely mowed and the restrooms are amazingly clean. We highly recommend this rail trail. And if you want a great place to eat afterward, try Trani's Grille! Great food!
My wife and I rode this trail 4/15/2025. Great surface, very scenic and NOT busy during the week. Signage was great as we're trailheads
This experience is based on parking at Mount Vernon and riding the trail for approximately 4 miles in one direction, then returning. The trail is primarily paved, with a scattering of wide wooden bridges to cross. You will ride an asphalt two-laned path through lightly forested areas as well as open areas, so you can enjoy the sun and the breeze coming off the Potomac River. The scenery is spectacular, and gives you the opportunity to forget that you are in Northern Virginia.
However, there are a lot of inclines and descents that some may find challenging. If all else fails, just get off the bike and walk, and pick up riding when the trail flattens out. Part of the route -- not the trail itself -- goes through a short tunnel, so the trail ends at the tunnel entrance, and picks up again once you go through and exit the tunnel. This means while in the tunnel, you are on the road, and not on a bike path. For children bike riders and hikers, extra precaution should be taken at this point. Other than that, absolutely stunning views of Northern Virginia and the Potomac River. Bald Eagles can be seen flying over the water as well. This trail is definitely a do-over!
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