(540) 854-5503
6800 Lawyers RoadSpotsylvania, VA 22551
Latitude: 38.118281
Longitude: -77.819955
The park has 11 trails totaling more than 15 miles. All are for hiking with 12 miles designated as shared, multiple-use trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. All trails also allow travel in both directions. They pass over moderate terrain through mixed hardwood and pine forest. All trails except Big Woods, Pigeon Run and Gold Hill trails are rated “easy,”those three are rated more difficult.
Big Woods Trail
The Big Woods Trail is named for the area known as ‘Big Woods’ during the 1900s. This trail passes through dense hardwood forest where the area’s prime timber was frequently logged. The last logging operations were done here in the 1950s, so much of what you see today is ‘new’ growth timber. This moderate difficulty, 1.2 mile multi-use trail, is a connector between the Glenora and Turkey Run trails. There are some changes in elevation that may present a challenge for bikers and hikers. This trail passes by a small cove where observant users may spot signs of beaver activity.
Blaze Color: Silver
- Length: 1.2
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Surface: Earth, Boardwalks
Cedar Run Trail
The Cedar Run Trail is an easy .8 mile multi-use trail that is a short loop off of the Turkey Run Trail. The trail is also accessible from the Big Woods Trail. While cedars may be seen along this trail, pawpaw, holly, tulip poplar, sweetgum and wild blueberry plants are all represented. The trail runs mainly through wooded areas, however the greatest reward is the view of Lake Anna near the midpoint of the trail.
Blaze Color: White
- Length: 0.9
- Difficulty: Easy
- Surface: Earth, Boardwalks
Glenora Trail
The Glenora Trail is a 1.1 mile, easy trail, that is the southern extension of the Sawtooth Trail. The trail is also accessible from the Big Woods Trail. This multi-use trail passes through majestic hardwood forest of oak and maple alongside green meadows with views of Lake Anna. The Glenora Trail leads to a site once known as Pigeon Plantation, a 3,000 acre enterprise named for Pigeon Run, a small stream that bordered the property. The estate was named Glenora following the Civil War and was a popular place for wealthy Southern aristocrats to gather and socialize. The original smokehouse built in 1832 remains on the site. The trail continues south until it reaches the lake.
Blaze Color: Green
- Length: 1.1
- Difficulty: Easy
- Surface: Earth
Gold Hill Trail
The Gold Hill Trail is a 3.1 mile, moderate difficulty, multi-use loop that is accessible from the Pigeon Run trail. The trail passes through wooded areas and follows a cleared power company right-of-way over a series of rolling hills. This trail is located in the north of the park and is a wonderful destination for those seeking peace, quiet, and solitude. Observant visitors will spot evidence of placer and shaft mining along the trail. Mining activity here earned this part of the park the name ‘Gold Hill’ during the late 1800s. This trail accesses a marked side path that branches off of the northern leg to an abandoned gold mine. Due to safety concerns and potential mine shaft collapse access to this leg is prohibited.
Blaze Color: Black
- Length: 3.1
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Surface: Grass, Earth
Mill Pond Trail
The Mill Pond Trail is a .9 mile, easy multi-use trail that is accessible from the trail head parking and the Pigeon Run Trail. The trail passes through wooded areas and then arrives at a brief clearing. From the clearing, the trail is open only to hikers, others must continue on the Pigeon Run Trail or return to the parking area. The Mill Pond Trail continues on to the site of Hailey’s Mill, a gristmill that stood alongside Pigeon Run from 1857 until June 1889, when it was destroyed by a the same storm that caused the infamous Johnstown Flood. Today one can see remnants of the mill dam that once extended from the bank near the trail to the opposite side of Pigeon Run.
Blaze Color: Blue
- Length: 0.8
- Difficulty: Easy
- Surface: Earth
Pigeon Run Trail
The Pigeon Run Trail is a 1.5 mile, moderate difficulty multi-use trail, that is accessible from the park office, the Sawtooth Trail, and the Mill Pond Trail. The trail follows the main park road, then through the woods, until emerging along the northern part of Pigeon Run. Some parts of this trail are steep and may be challenging for horses and bikes, earning this trail a moderate difficulty rating. The stream known as Pigeon Run was named for the many passenger pigeons that once inhabited the area but are now extinct.
Blaze Color: Purple
- Length: 1.5
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Surface: Grass, Earth
Sawtooth Trail
The Sawtooth Trail is a 2.5 mile, easy trail for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. It is accessible from the trail head parking lot, the park office, and from the camping area. The trail connects to the Pigeon Run Trail and the Glenora Trail. Running north-south though the central portion of the park, the trail passes through forested areas where users may see deer, squirrels, and a variety of flora and fauna. Along the trail you may spot the remains of a well built to supply water to a steam powered sawmill erected nearby. The sawmill was one of many that moved here to harvest the abundant timber of the area once known as ‘The Big Woods.’
Blaze Color: Tan