the chessie nature trail › uploads › 3 › 2 › 2 › 6 › ... · 2020-05-27 · continued...

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THECHESSIENATURETRAIL isaseven-milepublicaccessrail trail between Lexington and Buena Vista in the Great Valley ofVirginia. It was developed along the former Chesapeake and OhioRailroadbranch.TheTrailhasaflatgravelandpackeddirtsurface,goodforwalkingand running. Cycling is also permitted. River access for kayaking andcanoeingisatbothendsoftheTrail.

TRAILHISTORYTheTrailfollowswhatwasonceacanaltow-pathbringingboatsuptheMauryfromasfaraway as Richmond to Lexington’s industrialandcommercialhubatJordan’sPoint.In1861,theC&ORailroadCo.purchasedthecanal propertyand laid tracks for the JamesRiverLineandLexingtonbranch.Rail servicecontinueduntil1969,whenHurricaneCamilletookoutthetrestleacrosstheMaury.TheTrailofficiallybeginsat Jordan’sPoint,where theMiller’sHouseMuseumtellsthestoryoftheseearliereras.OtherremindersoftheTrail’shistoryasavitaltransportationlinkarefoundallalongits7.2milepathtoBuenaVista.TheTrailtodayisownedandmaintainedforpublicusebyVirginiaMilitaryInstitute(VMI).

PLANTSANDWILDLIFENative plants along the Trail includemayflower, wildginger,andbladdernut.Wildflowersareabundantinspringtime,especiallyalongthestretchoftrailfromMillCreektoReid’sDam.

TheMauryRiverisanimportantbreedingareaforsomemigrantbirdsanda"reststop"forothers.Widelyvariedhabitatsalongtheriver—pasture,riparianbuffer,maturetrees—allowadiversityofbirdspeciestoflourish.

GEOLOGYSedimentaryrocksalongtheTraildatebacktomountain-buildingeventsthatformedtheAppalachians.TowardtheBuenaVistatrailhead,caves

formedfromdissolvedlimestonearevisibleinthe rockface.

TheMaury River has been cutting its channeldownward over many millions of years. Thatprocess, alongwith blasting for the railroadandcanals,hasexposedlargesectionsofcliffface.TrailuserswillalsonoticerivererosionalongthebanksattheedgesoftheTrail.

TRAILTIPS• There are no bathroom facilities on the trail. Public rest-roomsareopenatJordan’sPointParkduringdaylighthours.

• Picnicfacilitiesareopenyear-roundatJordan’sPointPark.• Trail users will have to detour onto Stuartsburg Road tocrossSouthRiver(seemap).

• Shortstretchesareaccessibleforsomewheelchairusers.• BewareoffallingrocksalongexposedsectionsofcliffanderosionattheedgesoftheTrail.

SHARINGTHETRAIL• TheTrailpassesthroughunfencedcattlepasture.Berespectful,stayonthepath,andusecaution,especiallywhenlivestockarepresent.

• TheTrailisopentocyclists,familieswithstrollers,andpetsonleashes,sopleasemakeroomforfellowusers.

• VMI cadets routinely use the Trail for their field trainingexercises.

• PetsshouldbekeptonleashesatalltimesfortheirsafetyandthatofotherTrailusers’petsandneighbors’livestock.

• Plantsshouldbeleftundisturbed.• Please“leaveno trace behind.”Trash, recycling,andpet-litterstationsareinstalledataccesspointsalongtheTrail.

PleasereportTrailmaintenanceandsafetyissuesto:

VMIPhysicalPlantHelpDesk(540-464-7357)

orPhysicalPlantHelp@vmi.eduFORALLTRAILEMERGENCIES,dial911.

TRAILMAPANDGUIDEFOR

The Chessie Nature Trail

Opendawntodusk

Freepublicaccess

Formoreinformationaboutthehistory,naturalhistory,andstewardshipoftheChessieNatureTrail,pleasevisit:

friendsofthechessietrail.org www.millershousemuseum.org

www.vmi.edu

VirginiaBluebells

BeltedKingfisher

ThisguidewaspublishedbyFRIENDSOFTHECHESSIETRAIL(FOCT).TheFOCTfosterscommunicationamongChessieTrailstake-holders,advocatesforthecommunity’svisionfortheTrail,andorganizescitizensupportforawell-maintainedandsafeTrail.

Pleasejoinorcontribute:

friendsofthechessietrail.org Visit us on Facebook! Questions? Email chessietrail@gmail.com

TRAILACCESSPEDESTRIANACCESSTheChessieNatureTrailisopentothepublicandmaybeaccessedfromseveralpoints,including:

❶AtthenorthendoftheEastLexingtonBridge(U.S.Route11)overtheMauryRiver

❷NearMillCreekonOldBuenaVistaRoad(Route631),about0.6mileseastofRoute11

❸AtStuartsburgRoad(Route608),whereSouthRiverflowsintotheMaury

❹Attheeasterntrailhead,neartheinter-sectionofStuartsburgRoad(Route608)andU.S.Route60NotethedetouratSouthRiver,whereTrailusersmustusepublicroadstocontinuetravelingthefulllengthoftheTrail.RIVERACCESSJordan’sPointParkPut-InJordan’sPointisoneofthebetterplacesforcanoesandkayakstoputin.Accessisdownstreamofthelow-headdam.BoaterscanalsopulloutatJordan’sPointifcomingfromupriver.BuenaVistaPut-InandPull-OutThereisaboatrampattheintersectionofStuartsburgRoadandU.S.Route60,justbelowtheeasterntrailhead.

ParkingArea

Gate

LimitedWheelchairAccess*

TrailAccess

RiverAccess

Restrooms

*