Length: 31 miles (or 62 round trip)
Start: Mile marker 51.2 (Great Shiplock Park)
Finish: Mile marker 20.5 (Cul’s Courthouse Grille)
Parking: Overnight and day parking available at Great Shiplock Park; Riverfront Parking lot on Wharf Street
Attractions along the trip:
Great Shiplock Park (Mile Marker 51.2)
Libby Hill Park (.5 miles from the Great Shiplock Park trailhead)
Virginia Holocaust Museum (.8 miles past the Great Shiplock Park trailhead)
Rocketts Landing (1.2 miles east of Great Shiplock Park trailhead
Clarke-Palmore House Museum (Slightly west of mile marker 49, .2 miles north of trail)
Dorey Park and Recreation Center (Slightly east of mile marker 42)
New Market Heights (Slightly east of mile marker 40)
Deep Bottom Park & Four Mile Creek (Slightly east of mile marker 38.5, 2 miles south of trail)
Richmond National Battlefield Park Visitor Center (Mile marker 35.5, about 3.0 miles north of trail)
Shirley Plantation (Slightly west of mile marker 30, about 2.5 miles south of trail)
Edgewood Plantation (Slightly west of mile marker 27, .5 miles north of trail)
Berkeley Plantation (1 mile south of mile marker 27)
Westover Plantation (2.5 miles south of mile marker 27)
Westover Church (Slightly west of mile marker 25, .3 miles south of trail)
Itinerary
Fuel up for your trip with a bite to eat from Poe’s Pub, Millie’s Diner, or a coffee from Starbucks. If you have time to visit some Richmond attractions before setting off, within less than a mile of the trailhead is Libby Hill Park as well as the Virginia Holocaust Museum. For the first leg of the of the journey, enjoy stunning views of the James River and Rockett’s Landing as you bike along the Richmond Riverfront Phase of the trail. As you enter the Varina Park phase one of the first attractions you will come to is the Clarke-Palmore house museum located just west of mile marker 49. If you want a tour, make sure you call and make reservations! You can also stop just past mile marker 48 for snacks and refreshments at 7-11 if need be. Continuing along the trail, you will see Ronnie’s BBQ, a must-try lunch spot, just west of mile marker 45. Slightly east of mile marker 42 you will arrive at Dorey Park and Recreation Center. At the park enjoy an 18-hole disc golf course, playground for the kids, walking trail, pond, restroom, and wide-open space! Continue along the trail past Four Mile Creek Park until you arrive at New Market Heights slightly east of mile marker 40. Explore this historic attraction, enjoy some ice cream from Dairy Queen, or continue your journey along the trail. Just a mile and a half ahead, at mile marker 38.5, is the entrance for Deep Bottom Park and Four Mile Creek. Pier fish, picnic, or just relax at this location just 2 miles south of the trail. Just another few miles up the trail, 3 miles north of mile marker 35.5, get a dose of Richmond history at the Richmond National Battlefield Park visitor center. Continue down the trail and at mile marker 28 if you want a break head north to Harrison Park. Harrison Park is a 19-acre park with a bike/jogging trail, picnic areas, shelters, tennis courts, soccer fields, and more. When you’re ready, head back to the trail and continue down the Charles City Courthouse phase. At mile marker 27, Edgewood Plantation is located just half a mile north of the trail, with Berkeley Plantation and Westover Plantation a few miles south. When you are ready to resume your trip along the trail, your next attraction will be the historic Westover church located slightly west of mile marker 25. Finally, finish up the last few miles of your trip and end up at Cul’s Courthouse Grille where you can relax and enjoy a delicious meal. Then call a friend or family member to pick you up or if you’re up for more of a challenge, fill up your water bottles and head back to Great Shiplock Park.
