The Chessie Nature Trail › uploads › 3 › 2 › 2 › 6 › ... · 2020-05-27 · continued...
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AN THE CHESSIE NATURE TRAIL is a seven-mile public access rail trail between Lexington and Buena Vista in the Great Valley of Virginia. It was developed along the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad branch. The Trail has a flat gravel and packed dirt surface, good for walking and running. Cycling is also permitted. River access for kayaking and canoeing is at both ends of the Trail. TRAIL HISTORY The Trail follows what was once a canal tow- path bringing boats up the Maury from as far away as Richmond to Lexington’s industrial and commercial hub at Jordan’s Point. In 1861, the C&O Railroad Co. purchased the canal property and laid tracks for the James River Line and Lexington branch. Rail service continued until 1969, when Hurricane Camille took out the trestle across the Maury. The Trail officially begins at Jordan’s Point, where the Miller’s House Museum tells the story of these earlier eras. Other reminders of the Trail’s history as a vital transportation link are found all along its 7.2 mile path to Buena Vista. The Trail today is owned and maintained for public use by Virginia Military Institute (VMI). PLANTS AND WILDLIFE Native plants along the Trail include mayflower, wild ginger, and bladdernut. Wildflowers are abundant in springtime, especially along the stretch of trail from Mill Creek to Reid’s Dam. The Maury River is an important breeding area for some migrant birds and a "rest stop" for others. Widely varied habitats along the river —pasture, riparian buffer, mature trees — allow a diversity of bird species to flourish. GEOLOGY Sedimentary rocks along the Trail date back to mountain-building events that formed the Appalachians. Toward the Buena Vista trailhead, caves formed from dissolved limestone are visible in the rock face. The Maury River has been cutting its channel downward over many millions of years. That process, along with blasting for the railroad and canals, has exposed large sections of cliff face. Trail users will also notice river erosion along the banks at the edges of the Trail. TRAIL TIPS • There are no bathroom facilities on the trail. Public rest- rooms are open at Jordan’s Point Park during daylight hours. • Picnic facilities are open year-round at Jordan’s Point Park. • Trail users will have to detour onto Stuartsburg Road to cross South River (see map). • Short stretches are accessible for some wheelchair users. • Beware of falling rocks along exposed sections of cliff and erosion at the edges of the Trail. SHARING THE TRAIL • The Trail passes through unfenced cattle pasture. Be respectful, stay on the path, and use caution, especially when livestock are present. • The Trail is open to cyclists, families with strollers, and pets on leashes, so please make room for fellow users. • VMI cadets routinely use the Trail for their field training exercises. • Pets should be kept on leashes at all times for their safety and that of other Trail users’ pets and neighbors’ livestock. • Plants should be left undisturbed. • Please “leave no trace behind.” Trash, recycling, and pet- litter stations are installed at access points along the Trail. Please report Trail maintenance and safety issues to: VMI Physical Plant Help Desk (540-464-7357) or [email protected] FOR ALL TRAIL EMERGENCIES, dial 911. TRAIL MAP AND GUIDE FOR The Chessie Nature Trail Open dawn to dusk Free public access For more information about the history, natural history, and stewardship of the Chessie Nature Trail, please visit: friendsofthechessietrail.org www.millershousemuseum.org www.vmi.edu Virginia Bluebells Belted Kingfisher This guide was published by FRIENDS OF THE CHESSIE TRAIL (FOCT). The FOCT fosters communication among Chessie Trail stake-holders, advocates for the community’s vision for the Trail, and organizes citizen support for a well-maintained and safe Trail. Please join or contribute: friendsofthechessietrail.org Visit us on Facebook! Questions? Email [email protected]
Transcript of 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)
[email protected],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 [email protected]
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
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