Chessie Nature Trail

7.0 MILES

DIFFICULTY: MODERATE (DUE TO DISTANCE)

HIKE TIME: 3.5 HOURS

DISTANCE: 7 MILES (ONE WAY)

ELEVATION CHANGE: 125 FEET

VIEWS: FOREST, RIVER, GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS, LOCK AND DAM RUINS, AND FARMS

DRIVE TIME*: 5-15 MINS

* from Lexington Visitor Center, 106 E. Washington St.

TRAILHEAD + PARKING

Jordans Point Parking: From the Lexington Visitor Center, drive west on Washington Street to a right onto Main Street (US-11 Business). Proceed 0.8 miles on North Main Street and bear to the left BEFORE crossing Veterans Memorial Bridge. Proceed. 0.1 mile and bear to the left onto Moses Mill Rd. Park at the pavilion on the right.

Note: There will be oncoming traffic when bearing left. There is a rest room at the pavilion.

Coordinates: 37.79205996401522, -79.4292204564924

Driving Distance/Time: 1.1 miles/5 minutes

Old Buena Vista Road Parking: From the Lexington Visitor Center, drive west on Washington Street to a right onto Main Street (US-11 Business). Continue driving north on US-11 and cross Veterans Memorial Bridge. Turn right onto VA-631 / Old Buena Vista Road. In one-half mile, just before the intersection with Lincoln Road, is a parking area on the right.

Note: This is the most used parking area for the Chessie Nature Trail.

Coordinates: 37.79165300188173, -79.42256857815002

Driving Distance/Time: 1.7 miles/6 minutes

Stuartsburg Road Parking: From the Lexington Visitor Center, drive west on Washington Street to a right onto Main Street (US-11 Business). Continue driving north on US-11 and cross Veterans Memorial Bridge. Turn right onto VA-631 / Old Buena Vista Road. Proceed 2.2 miles to Stuartsburg Road (CR 703) and turn right. Continue 1.3 miles. T

Note: This parking area is located at the South River.

Coordinates: 37.77091953000978, -79.38164659429611

Driving Distance/Time: 4.8 miles/12 minutes

Buena Vista Parking: From the Lexington Visitors Center, turn left onto East Washington Street and proceed 0.25 miles to the stop light on US 60 (East Nelson Street). Turn left and travel 5.3 miles. Just after crossing the Maury River, turn left on Stuartsburg Road (CR 703). Travel 0.1 miles to a parking area on left.

Coordinates: 37.745997463522734, -79.3704469701969

Driving Distance/Time: 5.5 miles/10 minutes

DESCRIPTION

This description begins at Jordans Point parking lot. Begin by walking toward US 11. At the sidewalk turn left and cross the Maury River on the East Lexington Bridge. At the stop light turn left on Furrs Mill Road. Walk about 100 feet and turn left onto a gravel path. The path drops down to the river and goes under the East Lexington Bridge. Continue an easy walk along the river to a parking lot. The distance to this parking lot is 0.7 miles. There is a port-a-john at this parking area.

Just past the parking lot, the Chessie Nature Trail becomes a gravel path. It is straight and easy to follow. At 0.8 miles it crosses over a small creek. Just past the bridge is a trail crossing. A left leads to another parking area. A right leads to an overlook at the Maury River. The trail crosses over Mill Creek and begins a wide right turn. There is a kiosk with the dos and don’ts of trail etiquette. There are maps available as well and Mile Marker 1. This is the distance from Jordans Point. It is 0.3 miles from the parking area on Old Buena Vista Road.

The trail begins a long right bend followed by a long-left bend. The left side of the trail is bordered by a towering cliff. At the transition from the right bend to the left bend, there is a small wooden bench to sit and rest weary legs. The distance is 1.5 miles. At approximately 2.0 miles is the old Reid’s Lock and the dam originally associated with the lock. Just past the lock is a small trail that leads down to the river. There is a flat rocky area to sit and enjoy the river.

Approximately 0.2 miles beyond the lock is a small bench on the left. At 2.5 miles there is a stand of bamboo on the right. The trail enters a long straight stretch before crossing over Warm Run and passes under the I-81 Bridge.

Near the interstate bridge, the trail passes out of the woods and into a pasture. Mile Marker 3 is on the left. Past the mile marker the trail re-enters the woods and begins a long right bend. It crosses Dry Creek via a large culvert. This is followed by a long-left bend. On the right is another set of towering cliffs. Near Mile Marker 3.5 there is a concrete post. On the post is BF 16. This is an old railroad marker providing the distance to Balcony Falls. There is also a tall cliff on the left. Across the Maury River a small set of shelf waterfalls tumble their way down to the river. This is Gordons Run.

Near the end of this bend, the cliff gives way to a rolling hill. Tall Red, White and Scarlet oak dominate the canopy. The trail passes through a gate and enters a pasture. This area is surrounded by private property. Please stay on the trail. The trail now has a more farm use look. There can be cows on the path and lots of cow dung. It is important to watch your step. At the next fence, there is a spring on the right. The passes through another gate and comes to Mile Marker 4. The South River Lock is on the right.

Just past the lock, The Chessie Nature Trail reaches the South River. There is a parking area, trash cans, and a sign for the Chessie Nature Trail. A new bridge has been built to replace the old train trestle that was washed away by the periodic flooding on South River. There is a concrete post with BF 15 just before the bridge. After the bridge, there is a long right bend. At the end of this bend is Old Sheppard Road. It is a dead end.

After passing through the gate, the trail enters a large pasture. On the right across the river is a large, old brick home. There is another railroad marker on the left. It has a “W” on it. After crossing a small creek, the trail re-enters the woods near Mile Marker 5. Not far beyond this post there is a cable car on the right that is used to cross the river. Additionally, there is a railroad maker in this stretch of woods with BF 14 on it. As the trail bends to the left, there is a tall cliff on the right.

Here it passes through another gate. Near the end of this bend, the locks of the Ben Salem Wayside can be seen across the river. The trail passes through another gate and enters another large pasture. This is near Mile Marker 6. This pasture usually has livestock and cow manure is a potential hazard. In places the trail can be muddy when the weather is wet. The trail continues its long bend to the left. It crosses a short bridge and just beyond the bridge there is a small spring on the right.

The trail passes another set of locks before passing through the last gate. On the other side of the fence, the river is very close to the trail. There is a cliff face on the left. After the pasture, the wooded over story is a welcome relief. The Nature Trail reaches Stuartsburg Road. Cross the gate on the right. Turn right and walk between the guardrail and the river. There is a path along the Maury River. This path is narrow at first but begins to widen as it approaches the parking lot. The parking lot is also a river access point that is operated jointly by VMI and the Virginia Department of Wildlife. The distance from the Stuartsburg Road of the Chessie Trail to this parking area is 0.3 miles.

DETAILS: Click Website Link below for trail details, photos, and maps.