Virginia Capital Trail
Virginia Capital Trail Richmond Trailhead, Richmond, VA 23223
6AM - 9PM
$
outdoor-adventures, bike-trails, run
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Ride bikes to your heart's content on the Virginia Capital Trail.
Richmond has a long way to go when it comes to finding safe places to walk and ride a bike without running out of sidewalk. It can be maddening in most Richmond area neighborhoods, but there’s hope. In 2015, the UCI Road Racing Championships seemed to have planted the seed and if you are willing to put the bikes or stroller in the car, you will be happily rewarded with a growing oasis for those that seek a safe place to ride or stroll outdoors.
You can do it so many ways. There are services that you can call, meeting you at Rocketts Landing, about ¾ of a mile downstream from Richmond, and can taxi you and your bikes down the Capital Bike Trail, all the way to Williamsburg, Jamestown or Yorktown, if you choose to tie in the Colonial Trail and create an incredible challenge. The 50+ mile bike ride can be broken up by detours to wineries (the taxi service can also bring you back), cute little restaurants, craft shops, and sightseeing galore
If you choose to not go too far away, Shockoe Bottom, there are bike rentals, service stands to tweak your bike squeaks and annoying flat tires. The Rocketts Landing area has fun, Richmond-based restaurants, breweries, and shops galore.
The trails are all brand new, less than 5 years old in most places, and while there are locations where you will cross a country highway, Route 5, you have to get a few miles away from town before you have to worry about that trouble. The 2 mile ride away from Richmond is the largest challenge vertically, a lot of up and down and can be somewhat crowded on weekends, but as you get beyond this amazing oasis, about 4 miles out, the riders dwindle out significantly.
A 20-mile loop out to Dorey Park and back is a perfect ride, especially if you have your little one in an attached trailer or seat. Dorey Park has great playgrounds, a dog park, and a wonderful little lake that would be perfect for a mid-ride picnic. The ride back into town is almost all downhill, so the heavy lunch at Dorey Park won’t punish you.