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The 53-mile Virginia Capital Trail parallels the James-
town River and State Route 5, creating a seamless
off-road connection from historic Jamestown (shown
here) and Williamsburg to the capital, Richmond, and
providing numerous opportunities to explore some of
the earliest history of the U.S.
The southern endpoint begins near the Jamestown
settlement, which tells the story of the country’s first
permanent English colony, established in 1607, as well
as the Powhatan Indians and Africans who converged
or were brought there in the 17th century. Nearby is Co-
lonial Williamsburg, a 301-acre historical area that pro-
vides a living record of 18th-century life in the country’s
most influential colony during the American Revolution.
You’ll also pass by Revolutionary War battlegrounds,
the homes of several U.S. presidents, the oldest planta-
tion in Virginia and the plantation established by early
English settler John Rolfe, who married Pocahontas.
The Richmond Riverfront segment, at the trail’s north-
ern end, parallels Dock Street through Shockoe Bottom,
one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
•
Length: 53 miles
Surfaces: Asphalt, boardwalk
Uses: Biking, walking, inline skating; wheelchair accessible
History abounds along this rail-trail, which follows part
of Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride of April 18, 1775
(you know—the one that alerted the colonies to the ap-
proach of the British military at the start of the Revolu-
tionary War). But its revolutionary qualities don’t stop
there. The trail creates a seamless route to Cambridge,
Arlington, Lexington and Bedford (with further trail/
transit connectors to Concord and Boston), connect-
ing many historical locales—such as the sites of the
Battle(s) of Lexington and Concord (documented in
depth at Minute Man National Historical Park in Con-
cord), which kicked off the war, and the home of the
Bedford Flag, ostensibly the oldest-known complete flag
in the U.S.
Head south to savor the beautiful historical backdrop
of Cambridge—which was incorporated in the 1630s—
and get an Ivy League view of Harvard University.
The trail’s connections make it incredibly conve-
nient for active transportation and recreation, and
today it welcomes several hundred thousand trail
users annually.
•
Length: 9.7 miles
Surface: Asphalt
Uses: Biking, walking, inline skating; wheelchair accessible
10 Great Pathways to History
BY AMY KAPP
With corridors that originate from some of the most poignant moments in America’s past—from the
days of the Revolution to the creation of the Old West, and beyond—trails are the perfect time ma-
chines to transport us back into history. These 10 pathways offer us a peek into some of the most
interesting people and events that created the country.
Massachusetts
MINUTEMAN BIKEWAY
Virginia
VIRGINIA CAPITAL TRAIL
To learn more
about these and
other trails,
check out
TrailLink.com,
a searchable
database of more
than 30,000
miles of trails
nationwide. The
website and
TrailLink apps
include detailed
descriptions,
interactive maps,
photographs and
firsthand ratings
and reviews.
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RAILS TO TRAILS FALL 2016
B E S T O F