A 25-mile biking and hiking trail on the Appomattox River is in the works and a brand new $ 1 million grant will help pay for it.
The Friends of the Lower Appomattox River (FOLAR) and The Cameron Foundation jointly announced funding for the development of the western entrance to the Lower Appomattox River Trail. FOLAR is a regional organization that works with the community and six local jurisdictions (the cities of Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and Petersburg)
and Counties of Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, and Prince George) to develop, maintain, and protect a 20-plus-mile regional Blueway-Greenway corridor along Virginia’s scenic, historic Lower Appomattox River.
As part of her job, FOLAR is leading the development of the 25-mile Appomattox River Trail for bicycle and pedestrian. As planned, the Appomattox River Trail will extend from Lake Chesdin, a long dam on the river, to its confluence with the James River at City Point in Hopewell. It follows part of the 65-mile-long trade canal that connected the ports of Petersburg and Hopewell with upstream communities in the 19th century. To learn more about Hopewell, City Point and how it has evolved over time, check out the September issue of Chesapeake Bay Magazine, out next week.
Approximately 10 miles of this trail has been completed to date, including part of Hopewell’s beautiful Riverwalk, a project by the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks. FOLAR estimates the total cost of the trail will be $ 10 million, sourced from multiple sources.
“The Appomattox River Trail is an extremely ambitious project,” said Aaron Reidmiller, Director of Recreation & Parks. “A lot of people thought it could never come to fruition. However, with the development of our Riverwalk and the recent announcement of this Cameron Foundation scholarship, the path is quickly becoming a reality. The proposed improvements to the west end will dramatically improve this corridor of the trail, highlighting some of the river’s unique natural features and rich history. Investing in recreational infrastructure has tremendous positive effects, ranging from improving physical and mental health to economic development and tourism. “
This Cameron Foundation grant supports the development of hiking trails in the Dinwiddie and Chesterfield districts, as well as in the city of Petersburg. The foundation says the award “supports the design development, pre-construction and construction of the Appomattox River Trail along the western corridor; Planning and design of a brand new bicycle pedestrian bridge; and the redesign and renovation of the historic Ferndale Appomattox Riverside Park. The full
The area to be developed, from the John J. Radcliffe Conservation Area in Chesterfield County across the river to Dinwiddie, along the historic 1.4 mile Canal Trail and a mile along the river bank east towards Petersburg, will create a regional west entrance at target level, and connection to the evolving 25-mile Appomattox River Trail system. “
The Lower Appomattox River Trail will be part of a network that will include the spectacular 55-mile Virginia Capital Trail, which crosses the Chickahominy River and runs parallel to the James between Richmond and Williamsburg, and the planned, but not yet started, 40-mile North South Fall Line Trail from Ashland, north of Richmond, to Petersburg. The latter follows the border between the eastern edge of the Piedmont Plateau and the coastal plain, crosses the headwaters of the York River and the James near Richmond, before being connected to the Lower Appomattox Trail.
Click here for a breakdown of current trail and river access points and a map.
– John Page Williams