I finally biked the entire Virginia Capital Trail — here’s what it’s like

Almost eight years ago, I rode parts of the Virginia Capital Trail over two days.

I’ve finally come back to ride the entire trail, also over two days (out and back in sections) but this time with friends. Yes, I’ve found another 5-star trail.

This is a 51.7-mile paved trail that connects Richmond (the state capital) with Jamestown (the first English settlement). I love being separated from traffic so I can chat with my riding buddies — or even teach one to ride no-handed!

And I love all the history signs along the way. Several have to do with native son John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States. Yup, he was a planation owner and defender of slavery. I highlighted several on my first ride along the trail.

This time I learned that in February 1861 he led this peace conference that tried to broker a deal to prevent the Civil War and, yes, keep slavery. Wasn’t going to happen. Several states had already left the Union, and the Confederacy fired on Fort Sumter less than two months later.

Here’s how that ended:

Who thinks women weren’t serving in the military long before it was allowed? One sign at Charles City Courthouse explained how among the 90 members of the 24th Virginia Cavalry captured on Dec. 13, 1863, was a woman disguised as a man. Union soldiers described her as fighting as well as the men.

Not too far away was this sobering marker:

Some fun art along the way:

Next is one is my new favorite low-budget sign/photo stop. It’s in Richmond, and we were ready to turn back and return to the Herring Creek Trailhead on day 1. So almost a quarter of our two-day ride.

How many modes of transportation can you see at this spot? Also in Richmond.

Adventure Cycling‘s TransAmerica bike route starts/ends in Yorktown, less than 20 miles from the Jamestown end of the Virginia Capital Trail. The route uses part of the VCT, so we crossed paths with a few long-distance riders. One excitedly proclaimed he was off to San Francisco as he pedaled by us. We had a long chat at a cafe with Ian, an 18-year-old who was more faithfully sticking to the TransAm route on his first big bike adventure. We hope he (and all his electronics) stayed dry that night.

Here’s how he packed:

Our bikes, if not us, were ready to follow!

The back story: U.S. Bicycle Route 76 (also an Adventure Cycling creation) follows most of the TransAm. Its name is a nod to 1976 and the cross-country Bikecentennial rides for the U.S. bicentennial. Adventure Cycling was known as Bikecentennial then.

The section we rode on the first day, to Richmond, was hillier than I remembered (maybe because I’d only ridden part of it?). The BBQ place I noted almost eight years ago is still there and even gets a mention on the VCT map. But is it still open? No cars, no bikes, no people.

But a local knows more — check out the comments section for an update.

Day 2, from Jamestown to the Herring Creek Trailhead (signed from the road as the turnoff to Berkeley Plantation, the birthplace of William Henry Harrison, the 9th president of the U.S.) was pretty flat and had a good amount of shade.

Best bathroom stop: the library in Charles City, but the one by the visitors center in the same complex is nice too. Good place to park and bike too.

We stopped for food as we neared the end of our 54-mile day at the bike-friendly Spokes & Art outside Jamestown, which says it has a 24-hour bathroom for trail users — nice! There are a few restaurants further along the trail plus a convenience store. And from Ian we learned that there’s camping at the Lawrence Lewis Jr. Park just off the trail. Camping also is possible at Chickahominy Riverfront Park.

You do cross Route 5 a few times. We found drivers courteous, even at rush hour, and we appreciated the ability to trigger yellow flashing lights.

There’s one last thing that cyclists will appreciate: how smooth the trail is. We only had bumps from tree roots in a couple of spots, and then only briefly.

Coming next: The Fall Line Trail from Ashland to Petersburg that will cross the Virginia Capital Trail in Richmond. By the end of 2025, the 13-mile section from Richmond to Ashland (also part of the East Coast Greenway) could be open!