High Bridge State Park-Father's Day Ride
Up for something new and different for a Father's Day ride and that would be one of Virginia's newest parks. All the important information on High Bridge State Park can be found here.
I suckered fellow rider "G" to tag along with me on this ride. I have been riding with "G" for 17 years and he is always up for a ride matter what type of riding it is. I can't say the same for myself since he has been trying to get me to go downhill for almost all those years.
High Bridge State Park is a rails-to-trail that follows the line of the South Side Railroad for 31 miles. There are several major access points, but if you are coming from the Richmond area. The trailhead at Rice is going to be your starting point. There are still 6.8 miles of trail to the east of that parking area that will take you to Burkeville. The map does not show it and we did not check to see if there is parking in Burkeville to start your trip there.
We brought our mountain bikes which are overkill. You will see all types of bikes on the trail and I think we saw the Hybrid comfort type of bike the most. Cross bike would be the weapon of choice but I think you could have a great ride on a road bike with 28mm tires.
The centerpiece of the trail is the High Bridge.
which is more than 2,400 feet long and 125 feet above the Appomattox River. I just love how they did the overhead cover. It just keeps with the railroad theme.
For the most part, the trail is a 1 percent climb but you can feel it in places.
Click here for the elevation profile from my GPS
There is the $50,000 pit outhouses along the trail but no water. The only place we found for water is in the town of Farmville and a guy who had a stand at his house. Which is on the west side of the bridge.
BLUF: Bottom Line up Front, High Bridge State Park is a great rails-to-trails park. The area is rich in history (Got to love Virginia for that). On our way back it was great to see all types of riders and trail users. With that, there gets to be a lot of people on the bridge mid-day so remember that and slow down. I did see a guy riding a mint old-school Bridgestone.
Now the wheels are turning for having an underground time trial or even doing a tour from High Bridge and linking Holiday Lake State Park and Appomattox Court House.
Here are a few more pictures:
Old Train Station in Farmville
Just off Main Street. Just to the right are the restrooms and bike racks. Looks great!
I suckered fellow rider "G" to tag along with me on this ride. I have been riding with "G" for 17 years and he is always up for a ride matter what type of riding it is. I can't say the same for myself since he has been trying to get me to go downhill for almost all those years.
High Bridge State Park is a rails-to-trail that follows the line of the South Side Railroad for 31 miles. There are several major access points, but if you are coming from the Richmond area. The trailhead at Rice is going to be your starting point. There are still 6.8 miles of trail to the east of that parking area that will take you to Burkeville. The map does not show it and we did not check to see if there is parking in Burkeville to start your trip there.
We brought our mountain bikes which are overkill. You will see all types of bikes on the trail and I think we saw the Hybrid comfort type of bike the most. Cross bike would be the weapon of choice but I think you could have a great ride on a road bike with 28mm tires.
The centerpiece of the trail is the High Bridge.
which is more than 2,400 feet long and 125 feet above the Appomattox River. I just love how they did the overhead cover. It just keeps with the railroad theme.
For the most part, the trail is a 1 percent climb but you can feel it in places.
Click here for the elevation profile from my GPS
There is the $50,000 pit outhouses along the trail but no water. The only place we found for water is in the town of Farmville and a guy who had a stand at his house. Which is on the west side of the bridge.
BLUF: Bottom Line up Front, High Bridge State Park is a great rails-to-trails park. The area is rich in history (Got to love Virginia for that). On our way back it was great to see all types of riders and trail users. With that, there gets to be a lot of people on the bridge mid-day so remember that and slow down. I did see a guy riding a mint old-school Bridgestone.
Now the wheels are turning for having an underground time trial or even doing a tour from High Bridge and linking Holiday Lake State Park and Appomattox Court House.
Here are a few more pictures:
Old Train Station in Farmville
Just off Main Street. Just to the right are the restrooms and bike racks. Looks great!
Comments