bicycling/ bike packing the virginia capital trail

                        Bicycle Packing the Virginia Capital Trail


The Virginia Capital Trail is a bicycling and pedestrian route linking Jamestown's first settlement capital of Williamsburg to the current Virginia Capital of Richmond.  It is a 52 mile shared-use trail featuring interpretive sites, with informational sign posts and mile markers along the entire length.  The southern trail head begins at the Governor's Mansion and follows the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown Island, the site of the original English settlement.  It turns west over the Chickahominy River, crossing through Charles City County and past the James River Plantations, as well as by the homes of Presidents John Tyler and William Henry Harrison.  The trail crosses many Civil War Battlefields and through Henrico County to the now capital city of Richmond.  The trail parallels the James River and State Route 5.  
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          Interpretive signs depicting Grant's crossing of the James River

Westover Church first built in 1730 near the James River.

Charles City Courthouse monument

Charles City Courthouse 

Westover Parish established in 1613 and is still having Sunday services.

The trail was built in 1975 and is maintained by the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation, whose mission is to enhance, promote, and advocate for the continued development of the trail.  The Foundation hosts an annual fund raiser bike ride called the Cap2Cap. The Trail is part of the 4,228 mile TransAmerican Trail, as well as the Historic Coastal Route of the East Coast Greenway.  It cost $75 million to construct and received 550,000 uses the first year and now an average of 300 uses daily.  Milage is signed in single mile markers along the trail, color coded for different sections.  The busiest month is February.
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Jamestown Settlement - the beginning of the Capital Trail at mile post 0.0

The trail is eight to ten feet wide, completely paved asphalt, and separated from all vehicle traffic.  The zero mile marker is located at Jamestown across from the Jamestown Settlement, and at the end in Richmond at the downtown flood gates of the Great Shiplock Park.  In many locations the trail is surrounded by deep woods, with an occasional wetland nestled in between crossing 30 wooden bridges and varying from mostly flat to rolling toward Richmond. 
     Points of interest include parks and wildlife habitats as well as numerous prominent historic monuments, buildings, and the Shirley and Berkeley Plantations.  There are 44 historic markers describing 400 years of political, social, military, and economic history.  One such marker championed Polish craftsmen who were recruited to establish the Jamestown Colony, and who became voting citizens in 1619.  Many native American tribes of the Wowinchapuncke and Paspahegh had villages along the trail. Another famous stop along the way is President Tyler’s Plantation, where he fathered 15 children by two wives with the last at age 70.  His 87 year old grandson still owns the plantation.

The trail is asphalt and eight to ten feet wide with a buffer strip separating cars and trail users.

I bicycled the approximately 105 mile round trip from Richmond to Jamestown to Richmond with my bicycling friends Tim and Terry in two nights and three days,  We were fully loaded carrying our food, water, and shelter on the bicycle.  Terry planned the trip, including our number of miles traveled per day and our campground accommodations.

Day 1
Day 1 started at the end of the trail at Rockets Landing in Richmond ,Virginia  Mile Marker 51.  We rode to Mile Marker 6.8 and camped at Chickahominy Riverfront Park Campground - a total of 44 miles.

Rockets landing

There were many farm fields actively being tended all along the trail.

We carried all our supplies for the three day two night trip.  The average extra weight was around thirty pounds.  

The first night's stay was at Chickahominy Riverfront Park

One of the nesting birds along the bridge crossing of the Chickahominy River

James River confluence with the Chickahominy River

Video of bicycling from Jamestown to Chickahominy Riverfront Park

Day 2
On day 2 we started at Chickahominy Riverfront Park Campground, bicycled south 6.7 miles to Jamestown, and turned around at mile post 0.0. Then we bicycled 22.7 miles to Lawrence Lewis Jr. Park Campground, a total of 29.4 miles.

Taking a break along the trail

Second night stay at Lawrence Lewis, Jr. Park primitive campsite

All set up for the night's stay

Day 3
Our day's ride started at Lawrence Lewis, Jr. Park Campground, and we bicycle back to Rockets Landing in Richmond, Virginia,  a total of 31 miles.

Downtown Richmond, Virginia