This map shows an overview of the six parks containing hiking trails in Richmond. The public parking locations for the trails are also displayed.
The Chautauqua trail is a 0.5 mile loop through historic upland forest. The trail is named for the Chautauqua Festival that once passed through Glen Miller Park from 1903-1923. The trail is made up of two parts, the main loop, and the Railroad Loop which shows a quick view of the neighboring train track and passing trains if you time it right! The main loop still shows remnants of the past with an old camping platform from the historic festival. The parking area is at the trailhead and is home to the Iron Spring where you can fill up on water before and after your hike.
The Lucky Stars Trail is the first and only intermediate difficulty level trail in Richmond. Please keep an eye on the weather, and make sure you have secure footing every step of the way! 1.5 miles of varying slopes and grades, this trail will surprise, challenge, and astound you! The trail will take you through upland and floodplain forests, along the cliffs of the reservoir, and through a wonderful wildflower meadow. Middlefork is a great place for year-round birding and wildlife observation. You will thank your lucky stars that this newest addition to the parks is here to explore!
Springwood Park is one of our larger properties with the most diversity. While on the 2 miles worth of trail, you will travel through lowland floodplain forest, upland forests, riparian stretches, marshland, and open fields. Springwood is known for its explosion of beautiful; spring ephemeral flowers starting as early as March! Springwood is also home to a plethora of wildlife. There are enough deer, rabbits, and skunks to remake a Disney movie. Foxes can be seen scampering through the forest understory looking for chipmunks, squirrels, and other rodents. Owls, eagles, and many other birds will serenade you while keeping you company on your walks. Rounding out the park are the species that thrive in water. Spring peepers deliver a chorus of calls from March-May, minnows swim in the river, and the occasional beaver dams up the flow of the river as well.
Thistlethwaite Falls is south of Springwood Park, and the parking lot is located directly across the street from the park entrance. From the top of the stairs, you will be able to view the overlook of the falls. Once at the bottom, you will have a full view of the falls, and access to the 0.5 mile out-and-back-trail! Keep an eye out for the deer and foxes sharing the trail with you. Please be aware of seasonal flooding as this trail is next to part of the west fork of the Whitewater River.
Originally established in 2013 by Al Gentry, the Heritage Trail is a paved, completely flat trail that is ADA accessible. The trail is a half-mile out-and-back making it a 1-mile journey. As you walk along, you will see two distinct ecosystems; forest to the south, and a riparian cliff along the north. Be sure to keep an eye on the sky! The Heritage Trail is a wonderful spot to see blue jays, woodpeckers, king fishers, and it is a regular fly-over for juvenile bald eagles making their way over to Middlefork Reservoir in the winter. If you are lucky, you may even see some butterflies and hummingbirds enjoying the wildflowers during the spring and summer! Work is always on-going to remove invasive species and promote native plants so that wildlife may thrive and be more present during your visits.
The Whitewater Gorge is made up of multiple parks and entities. Starting at the Thistlethwaite trail, connected by the Cardinal Greenway, and spanning all of the way down to Test Road. Angling off of the Greenway, by North D Street, is Veterans Park, which showcases multiple retired military aircraft, artillery, and ground cavalry vehicles. Walk through and truly absorb the meaning of each memorial, spanning every war a Richmond citizen has served in, all the way to our first responders on 9/11. Come join us for our Memorial and Veterans Day ceremonies and a Veterans Day Parade every year. South of Veterans Park by a quarter mile is the historic Starr Gennett Piano Factory and Jazz Walk of Fame! Starr Gennett is home to Richmond’s famous Winter Farmers Market, and it is available for event rentals year-round. Going south of the Walk of Fame is the 2-mile, paved Gorge Trail. The trail is an out-and-back with smooth pavement, divided by a short, steep hill directly in the center. The southern portion is the most flat. Here you can walk through history and nature on the same day, in the same place!
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