Biking the Virginia Blue Ridge Rail Trail, Amhurst VA

• Date Biked:  June 12, 2021  
• Posted Mileage: 7
• Total miles Tracked: 13.8 miles
• Type of Trail:   Rail Trail
  
• Conveniences:   Real bathroom at the Rose Mill Trailhead. Picnic tables. 
• Best Features:   A beautiful trail with fairly gentle grades
• Worst Features: A bit of a long drive for a short ride
• Wildlife spotted:  Deer
• Vegetation:   Wild flowers, hardwoods, pines
• Associated Website:  https://www.nelsoncounty-va.gov/wp-content/uploads/Map-of-Trail-13.pdf
• Primary Author: James

About a half hour drive north of Lynchburg, Virginia, is the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail. This is a relatively short trail, only 7 miles, with no connecting trails. So, it can be kind of a long drive just to ride this trail by itself. You may want to combine it with the Lynchburg trail system if you'll looking for a full day of biking. But, if you happen to be passing through the area, and just want a quick ride you can knock out in under two hours, this is a pretty good trail. 

The surface is mostly gravel, a little rough in a few patches, but overall very rideable. You see a few houses along the way, but for the most part you're following a creek and passing through railway cuts, feeling nicely removed from civilization. The day we rode there were tons of blooming wildflowers and numerous butterflies. 

Thankfully, you aren't too removed from civilization. There's a trailhead at Rose Mill Road with a brand new bathroom. A nice gazebo too! 

Cheryl and Hope chatting along the ride

At just seven miles long, we mostly raced out to the end and took note of what we wanted to photograph on the way back. There's a short length of track at the end of the trail with some equipment and plaques telling you about the history of the railroad. 

There are several small bridges, but one fairly long one passing over the river offers nice views...

... and there's even a covered bridge. Very short, but still a nice touch. 

This trail was part of a weekend adventure with our friends Hope and Danny.  

The beginning/end of the line features a caboose and what looks like might have been an old train station. There's some informational signage, but if we read it I've completely forgotten what it said! It's fine. We don't go out on these trails to read the signs. We go out to smile and take photos of flowers and butterflies. What more can you ask from a trail?