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The Blue Ridge Railway Trail is a rail trail in Virginia.
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway track into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding and snowmobiling. The characteristics of abandoned railways—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various developments. The term sometimes also covers trails running alongside working railways; these are called "rails with trails". Some shared trails are segregated, with the segregation achieved with or without separation. Many rail trails are long-distance trails.
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States located between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" due to its status as the first English colonial possession established in mainland North America and "Mother of Presidents" because eight U.S. presidents were born there, more than any other state. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2017 is over 8.4 million.
It is a 6.5-mile (10.5 km) gravel surface recreational trail used for biking, hiking and horseback riding and occupies an abandoned Virginia Blue Ridge Railway corridor. The trail was completed in sections between 2003 and 2010.
The Virginia Blue Ridge Railway (VBR) is a historic intrastate short line railroad that operated in central Virginia in the 20th century.
The trail starts at a trailhead along Route 151 in Piney River, Virginia, where there is parking for cars and horse trailers as well as a portajohn. The trail follows the course of the Piney River, and after 2 miles (3.2 km), it crosses Route 674 in Roses Mill, Virginia, where there is limited parking for cars. The trail continues along the Piney River for another 2.5 miles (4.0 km) and then crosses the Tye River just downstream of its confluence with the Piney River. The trail then follows the Tye, passing under US Route 29 and ending at Tye River Depot, where a railroad car scale is preserved. There is no highway access at the Tye River Depot trailhead. The trail is open from sunrise to sunset.
Piney River is an unincorporated community in Nelson County, Virginia, United States. It lies along the path of the now-defunct Virginia Blue Ridge Railway.
Roses Mill is an unincorporated community in Nelson County, Virginia, United States. It lies along the path of the now-defunct Virginia Blue Ridge Railway.
The Tye River is a 35.4-mile-long (57.0 km) tributary of the James River in central Virginia in the United States. Originating on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Nelson County, and fed by the Piney and Buffalo rivers, by way of the James River it is part of the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay.
The trail runs on a former railway spur that ran to a quarry in Piney River from 1915 to 1981. [1]
