High Bridge Trail State Park
Farmville, VA
6-10-17
After testing paddling a bunch of kayaks during the Appomattox River Company's Big Demo Day in Farmville, we decided to check out the big bridge at High Bridge State Park.
The total park is 31 miles long. It was constructed on a converted CSX rail line. The trail supports walking, bicycling, and horseback riding. The centerpiece of the trail is High Bridge outside of Farmville. High Bridge was originally built in 1854 across the Appomattox River connecting Petersburg to Lynchburg. The bridge is 2,400 feet long and ranges from 60 to 125 feet high. The bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places. CSX donated the 31 miles of rail to the Virginia State Park system in 2006. The park first opened in 2008 and the last section was completed in 2012.
The start of the bridge itself is about a mile walk from the parking area but it's all flat and covered in packed limestone gravel. We walked all the way across the bridge and back. A total of 3 miles.
It's a pretty cool place.
