Excerpted from Mountain Bike! The Mid-Atlantic States by Joe Surkiewicz

The trail presently consists of a single loop with an intersection at the 2.5-mile point where the expert riders and lesser mortals temporarily part company. However, the Walnut Creek Trail is still in its early stages of development. Wilkins hopes to eventually have 15 miles of trail on this 525-acre site.

Designed by mountain bikers for mountain bikers, the Walnut Creek is nevertheless a multiuse trail system, although, with its tight, twisty turns, log jumps, and quick descents, it's hard to believe that this trail wouldn't lose something in the translation from two wheels to two feet. With the exception of the lakeside sections of riding, this is a challenging ride overall that intermediate to advanced riders will really enjoy.

Finding the trail: Take US 29 South from Charlottesville for 7 miles. Turn left onto VA 708 at the sign for Walnut Creek Park. Drive for 3 miles and then turn right onto VA 631. The park is a short distance on the left. The trailhead is on the right adjacent to a gated road. There is ample parking a little farther down the road at the boat landing.

Notes on the trail: Although the trail was designed to be ridden counterclockwise starting at the trailhead going uphill into the woods, there's no right or wrong way to ride at Walnut Creek. In fact, less experienced riders would do well to start out in a clockwise direction by heading downhill on the adjacent dirt road that leads past an abandoned farmhouse and then along the edge of the lake for a mile or so. This is technically and aerobically much less demanding, and the place where the trail begins to ascend steeply away from the lake is a good spot to turn around for a relatively easy 4-mile out-and-back ride.

Walnut Creek Park Trail Map Length/configuration: 5-mile single-track loop. Aerobic difficulty: Considerable; the trail goes up, down, and around the natural contours of hills and ravines. Technical difficulty: Advanced  roots, rocks, and logs on narrow, off-camber single-track. Scenery: Dense woods on hillsides surrounding a 25-acre lake. Special comments: Challenging single-track for intermediate to expert riders; less-experienced riders may want to stick to the trail along the water's edge. General Location: 10 miles southwest of Charlottesville in Albemarle County. Elevation Change: No huge climbs, but lots of short, steep ups and downs. Season: Year-round. Services: Drinking water is available at the park when it's open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. An entrance fee is charged. All other services are available in Charlottesville. Hazards: Short, steep ups and downs with numerous log crossings on largely off-camber, tight, twisty single-track. Rescue Index: Park personnel can be summoned for assistance from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Land Status: Albemarle County park. Maps: Not currently available, but the trail is well marked. Trail Map

Move on to Mills Creek and Kennedy Ridge Loop Return to Top

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