Length: 22.4 miles round trip
Start: Mile marker 51.2 (Great Shiplock Park western trailhead)
Turnaround point: Mile marker 40 (Four Mile Creek)
Parking: Free parking in Great Shiplock Park lot; $10 overnight parking/ $5 12-hour parking in Scott Lot (1504 East Cary 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)
Itinerary
Fuel up for your trip with a bite to eat from Poe’s Pub, Millie’s Diner, or a coffee from Starbucks. For the first leg of the journey, enjoy scenic 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. If you want a tour, make sure you call and make reservations! You can 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! To finish the first half of your trip, ride along the trail until you arrive at Four Mile Creek Park. Before turning around to bike a round-trip, visit the battleground of New Market Heights or enjoy some celebratory ice cream from Dairy Queen.
