I suppose that, unofficially, our family is working on experiencing all the rails-to-trails we can. There are worst hobbies to have as a family, so I am on board with this. And our time biking High Bridge Trail State Park was beautiful! Proving, once again, that our rails-to-trails love affair is a mutual one. We may just stick with each other til the end.
The bridge itself, High Bridge, is the main attraction. It was originally built in 1854 but was partially destroyed by Confederate troops in a Civil War battle in 1865. While the troops, commanded by Robert E. Lee, set the bridge on fire, Union soldiers arrived soon enough after to save most of it, cutting the burning 4th span off to save the rest of the 21 spans. This kept the bridge passable, which historians believe was key in the Union troops’ ultimate victory. The bridge was almost immediately rebuilt.
Norfolk Southern last used the bridge in 2004, donated it to the state, and the trail in its current iteration opened to the public for use in 2012.
The Bridge itself is 2,400 feet long, sails 125 feet over the Appomattox River at its highest point, is the longest recreational bridge in Virginia and one of the longest in the United States. It is a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
We started our journey at the trail head in Farmville. This main lot put us 4.5 miles from the bridge, and we biked out and back, crossing the bridge, resting, and heading back. We estimated that our trip to the bridge and back was about 10 miles total. We also biked around other areas to explore (including the mountain bike trails, more on that below) so had 12 miles for the day.
This trail map shows parking, including a lot that is closer to the actual bridge itself. Getting to the trailhead in Farmville was about a 90 minute drive for us from Charlottesville. We went early in the day on a weekend and didn’t have issues finding parking, but it was a pretty spring day and by the time we left later that afternoon, it had become much more crowded.
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The trail is a small gravel and is used by hikers, bikers and horse-riders. You don’t need a full mountain bike, but perhaps not road bike tires. It is a really flat trail, so very friendly for kids. Off-road strollers would work, as well, and kid bike trailers are certainly good on this terrain.
(Sidenote: when our kids were littler we invested in one of these and it was GREAT! Highly recommend something similar if you are interested in biking as a family, getting the kids comfortable with longer bike rides, but know that solo-biking isn’t available yet for all of your crew.)
We found lots of little spots to stop and take a rest as well as catch the views. While the trail started to fill up as the day wore on, we really enjoyed this ride. We went a little past Farmville on the way home and found that section of the trail nearly empty.
Some of our group (the more adventurous ones, who apparently think nearly colliding with trees at high speeds is fun) explored some of the mountain biking trails immediately off the High Bridge Trail in the Rochelle area. None of these are long or, as my husband put it, too difficult. I was content with happily waiting for them to be done their death-defying adventure sport. (Clearly, I don’t mountain bike.)
But give me a comfortable gel seat, a fairly flat trail, some beautiful nature, my family AND some history?!?! I am in all day…
Other tips for success:
- have good snacks, water bottles, a backpack, good seat covers, bike helmets, and dress in layers
- take your camera, you’ll want to snap photos of those cute kids of yours on the bridge, I promise
*Note that the bridge is scheduled to be closed for renovation in January 2021 for approximately 3 months. Please check the website below before you go.
More on High Bridge State Park:
Raising Charlottesville is a website dedicated to highlighting fun & local activities for families living in the Charlottesville, VA area.