Virginia Parks

Created in 1963 by the Smith Mountain Dam, Smith Mountain Lake has been a resort area over the past couple of decades. Many private vacation homes, bed and breakfast businesses, and marinas lie surround the lake, which has over 500 miles of shoreline.

The Third Battle of Winchester is a self-guided tour along a wide paved/gravel trail that explains the story of the Civil War battle that occurred here in September 1864. There are several places along this path where you can access the network of hiking trails.  We were advised by the land manager that bicycles are not allowed within the park.

The mountain bike trail at Upper County Park is short but sweet. The Eastern Virginia Mountain Bike Association always does a superb job of creating new trails, and Upper County is no exception. Look for plenty of short, steep climbs and banked turns. Upper County Park also has a pool, playground, ballfields and picnic shelters.

A paved pedestrian and bike path, the Virginia Capital Trail, once completed, will span from Downtown Richmond to Jamestown and Williamsburg, terminating at the Governor's Mansion in Colonial Williamsburg. The trail name signifies that it will connect the two prior Virginia Capitals to the current seat of government in Richmond.

The Virginia Creeper is an extremely popular rail-trail located in picturesque southwestern Virginia.  Proof of its popularity can be seen in Damascus, where there are no less than seven bike shops that offer rentals, repair, and shuttle services up to Whitetop Mountain.  Most who come to bike the trail take one of these shuttles and ride the easy 17 miles back down to Damascus (a 1600 foot elevation drop).  From Damascus, the Creeper continues an additional 16 miles to Abingdon (no substantial elevation changes on this section).  The trail has over 40 bridges that cross scenic creeks along the way.

Wahrani Nature Trails are a network of bi-directional single track loops forming a trail system that is about 5 miles long.  For being on the peninsula, there is quite a bit of elevation change within the park.

Wakefield Park, located in the heart of the Capital region, is host to numerous mountain biking events throughout the year. It is a convenient and scenic spot for the MTB crowd in the DC area. The singletrack trails are geared towards mostly beginner to intermediate level riders.  

Just a 15 minute drive from Charlottesville, Walnut Creek is a popular destination for family outings.  The park features a 45 acre lake, swimming beach, canoe rental, numerous shelters, disc golf and 13 miles of hand cut singletrack for mountain biking, making this quite the destination in central Virginia. 

Opened in December 2008, this county park has about 2 1/2 miles of smooth, wide multi-use trails through open forest. This is a good location for beginners to start cutting their teeth on dirt trails. There is also a small mountain bike skills area located on the eastern side of the park. Since the trails are multi-use and show the obvious signs of horse traffic, please remember to yield the trail to our equestrian friends, it’s just safer for everyone that way!!! The park also contains a Phase II section which is primarily for equestrian use.

A wonderful state park located in the Virginia Highlands close to the border of Kentucky, it's well worth a visit to see the excellent living history museum located on the premises. Martin's Station is a reconstructed fort that depicts frontier life during 1775. Several knowledgeable interpreters are on hand, including a blacksmith and gunsmith.