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I S U P P O R T
R A I L S - T O - T R A I L S C O N S E R V A N C Y
PHOTOS:
(Above) The
VCT is a “rail-with-
trail” that parallels
and then is routed
under elevated
tracks in Richmond.
(Right) A blacksmith
in the Jamestown
Settlement shapes
a hinge pin.
outside of Richmond, the path devi-
ates from Route 5 to accommodate
the interchange for Interstate 295
before rejoining the scenic byway 3.5
miles later. If the wind is right, you’ll
know you’re coming up on Ronnie’s
BBQ well before you see it. A modest
roadside stand, it’s “one of the best
holes-in-the-wall you’ll find,” says
Darrell Logan, son of the eponymous
Ronnie. The delicious food delivers
on the promise the meat smokers
made a mile back, making up for
the less than ritzy accommoda-
tions. “People might pass us [on the
upwind side],” says Logan, “but they
stop in on the way back.”
As you roll into the outskirts of
Richmond, the James River be-
comes your new companion as
you glide past high-end condos and
restaurants. At Great Shiplock Park,
where a man-made canal starts par-
alleling the river, you’ll cross at-grade
railroad tracks at your feet while rid-
ing under elevated tracks high above.
These elevated tracks are what give
the VCT its rail-trail designation—in
this case a rail-with-trail.
The trail ends abruptly at an
imposing concrete wall looming
some 25 feet overhead. This is
Richmond’s floodwall, designed to
keep the city dry in the face of a ris-
ing James River. Portals of varying
size set into the wall are reminiscent
of the watertight doors in a ship’s
bulkhead, and indeed, they serve
the same function, able to be closed
From the very start, navigating the
trail is a snap, and riding it is just as
easy; though nominally uphill toward
Richmond, you’ll be hard pressed to
register the climb of some 160 feet
over the course of 52 miles—an all
but nonexistent 0.05 percent grade
as you pedal westward. While there
are local ups and downs, the paved
pathway makes travel breezy, and
the steady change of scenery—from
forested canopies to wide-open
agricultural fields—makes the miles
melt away.
About 20 miles out from James-
town, a bit shy of the trail midpoint,
is Charles City. Cul’s Courthouse
Grille, located alongside the trail,
is a favorite of bikers coming from
either end and, with ample parking
nearby, is a popular starting point
too. Cullen Jenkins owns and oper-
ates the restaurant with his mother,
having started it about six years
before the VCT opened end to end.
“This trail is worth its weight in gold!”
Jenkins says. “We’ve employed five
extra folks to handle the increased
customer traffic.”
It’s here, resting on the welcoming
porch outside, that I meet Cornelius
Lacks, a former Marine who says
he hadn’t expected much in the way
of the VCT, accustomed as he was
to years spent in Long Beach. “I fell
in love with California trails—the
Pacific waves, cool ocean breeze
and beautiful sunsets. How could
this compare?” But Lacks says he
was pleasantly surprised by the VCT.
“It’s relaxing. You might not have the
[West Coast] sunsets, but you have
historical sights, a little bit of charac-
ter on the ride.”
Lacks isn’t kidding; there are 10
plantations open to the public along
the route, some mere steps from the
trail. One of them belonged to our
nation’s 10th president, the source of
Route 5’s other moniker, the John Ty-
ler Memorial Highway. About 7 miles
off against incoming water. Just
on the other side is the Canal Walk,
a funky urban path that takes you
downtown.
Depending on the season, you
may see canal boats with a cos-
tumed captain at the helm de-
scribing for tourists the history of
Virginia’s capital, including its short
life as the capital of the Confederate
States of America. The Canal Walk
ends just outside of Tredegar Iron
Works, the South’s largest foundry
that produced more than 1,000
cannons for the Confederacy as well
as armor plating for Confederate
ironclad warships. Today, Tredegar
is maintained by the National Park
Service as one of 13 battlefields
and sites that make up Richmond
National Battlefield Park. Adjacent to
Tredegar is the American Civil War
Museum, where visitors can dive
deep into the history of our country’s
deadliest conflict.
The Virginia Capital Trail cel-
ebrated its one-year anniversary in
October 2016, beating its inaugural
year projections with more than
550,000 uses. With 400-plus years
of history behind it, the trail’s future
looks equally bright.
•
10
Plantations open
to the public
along the route
ALL PHOTOS: SCOTT STARK
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RAILS TO TRAILS WINTER 2017