TRAIL TIPS
• The Trail is open from dawn to dusk.
• Trail users are asked to be considerate of neighboring property. The Trail passes through private lands on a fairly modest right of way.
• Best river access is at both ends of the Trail.
• Pets should be kept on leashes for their safety and that of other Trail users’ pets and neighbors’ livestock. Owners are asked to clean up after their pets.
• Plants should be left undisturbed. Volunteer crews regularly tackle “invasive” plants on the Trail – if\interested, please contact and join us!
• Trail users are requested to “leave no trace behind.” There are trash, recycling, and pet litter stations at access points along the Trail.
• Jordans Point is one of the better places for canoes and kayaks to access the Maury River. Downstream, there is a Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources boat ramp at the Buena Vista end of the Trail just upriver from the Route 60 bridge across the Maury.
• When biking on the Trail, adopt the "Spirit of Howdy." This means passing by other people (on the left) at a slow enough speed to say hello and exchange greetings. For more biking etiquette, see the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) rules page: https://www.imba.com/ride/imba-rules-of-the-trail
• About a mile east of Mill Creek Gate are the ruins of Reids Dam and Lock and an excellent picnic spot below the lock. This is one of the significant historic structures from the canal era. Others include ruins of South River Lock and Ben Salem and Zimmermans locks further down river; Tankersley’s Tavern or “Old Bridge,” directly across and upriver from Jordans Point; Clifton, an imposing brick home just above and before the Mill Creek area; and some remains of a lockkeeper’s house and old railroad ties just before the South River junction of the Trail.
• The area is also rich in geology and wildlife. For descriptions of what may be found on the Trail, the Field Guide to the Chessie Nature Trail may be obtained in local bookstores or from the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council.
• The Trail is open from dawn to dusk.
• Trail users are asked to be considerate of neighboring property. The Trail passes through private lands on a fairly modest right of way.
• Best river access is at both ends of the Trail.
• Pets should be kept on leashes for their safety and that of other Trail users’ pets and neighbors’ livestock. Owners are asked to clean up after their pets.
• Plants should be left undisturbed. Volunteer crews regularly tackle “invasive” plants on the Trail – if\interested, please contact and join us!
• Trail users are requested to “leave no trace behind.” There are trash, recycling, and pet litter stations at access points along the Trail.
• Jordans Point is one of the better places for canoes and kayaks to access the Maury River. Downstream, there is a Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources boat ramp at the Buena Vista end of the Trail just upriver from the Route 60 bridge across the Maury.
• When biking on the Trail, adopt the "Spirit of Howdy." This means passing by other people (on the left) at a slow enough speed to say hello and exchange greetings. For more biking etiquette, see the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) rules page: https://www.imba.com/ride/imba-rules-of-the-trail
• About a mile east of Mill Creek Gate are the ruins of Reids Dam and Lock and an excellent picnic spot below the lock. This is one of the significant historic structures from the canal era. Others include ruins of South River Lock and Ben Salem and Zimmermans locks further down river; Tankersley’s Tavern or “Old Bridge,” directly across and upriver from Jordans Point; Clifton, an imposing brick home just above and before the Mill Creek area; and some remains of a lockkeeper’s house and old railroad ties just before the South River junction of the Trail.
• The area is also rich in geology and wildlife. For descriptions of what may be found on the Trail, the Field Guide to the Chessie Nature Trail may be obtained in local bookstores or from the Rockbridge Area Conservation Council.