Blue Ridge Railway Trail (12.3 miles, moderate)

New trail alert!! This is the first time CVT has done this one. Come be a CVT guinea pig I mean Pioneer! Piney River is one of the most recent towns in Virginia to convert their disused rail bed into a nature trail.The mainly crushed stone trail follows a scenic route along the Piney and Tye Rivers. It begins at the refurbished train depot in Piney River and heads east through a varied landscape of evergreen and deciduous forest mixed with brush land and open areas. The woods along the trail are alive with birds throughout the year.
How it will work: This will be a modified shuttle hike. We can't do a full shuttle hike as there is no parking and no car access at the end of the trail. We will caravan to the main trailhead on Patrick Henry Hwy and drop off passengers. From there the drivers will take the cars to the ending location at the Roses Mill Trailhead on Rt 624. From there the drivers will pile into one car and meet the group back at the main trailhead. We'll hike 7 miles to the end of the trail, and then we'll hike 5.3 miles back to the Roses Mill trailhead where the cars will be waiting for us.
Distance: 12.3 miles
Hike level: moderate due to length
Elevation gain: 638'
Hike pace: moderate to brisk
Trail makeup: crushed gravel, gravel
More information: Blue Ridge Railroad Trail
Trailhead address: 3124 Patrick Henry Hwy, Piney River, VA 22964
Dogs allowed: yes
Carpool cost: $11.00 p.p. assuming a full vehicle