Riding the High Bridge Trail - Part 1

Warm Weather!

Beautiful spring has arrived! On April 8th we rode out and back on the western half of the High Bridge Trail between Pamplin and Farmville in Virginia. Plenty of sunshine, temperatures in the mid-seventies, and a nice breeze made the day almost perfect. Below, our bikes are ready to begin the journey at the western end of the trail near Pamplin. The first of several very nice mile markers gave the distance ahead to the outskirts of Farmville.

Soon after starting we encountered the first of several rest rooms conveniently spaced along the trail. These were first class facilities, far superior to smelly port-a-potties. They all deserve a five-star rating for cleanliness and amazing pleasant smell.

The first four miles were arrow-straight and parallel to Route 460. The trail surface was smooth, fine, white gravel. We had a tailwind, and the first miles felt very easy.

The next three pictures show scenes about 6 miles from the start approaching Prospect, VA.

At about the 6.5-mile point we rode into Prospect, an interesting, old-fashioned, little town. Streets were lined with homes and buildings that looked like they were erected in 1900. There is a large parking lot here, but a small fee is required to use it.

C pedals out of Prospect.

We rode on a Monday and had the trail almost entirely to ourselves.The next two pictures show scenes heading out of Prospect.

Eventually, we crossed under Route 460 as Farmville got closer.

Coming into Farmville we crossed this bridge.

The trail intersects Main Street in Farmville. A bike rental shop is located at the intersection, as well as beautiful, modern rest rooms. There are places to eat nearby.

C stands in front of the black metal bench where we ate lunch in Farmville.

We parked our bikes in the shade and ate a leisurely lunch on a nice shaded bench.

Here's the mile marker at the beginning of our return trip to Pamplin. The round trip was 32 miles.

The old Farmville Train Station has been nicely maintained.

It was a sunny day, and we forgot sunscreen. Our faces, arms, and legs got a bit pink, but the sunburn wasn't too bad. Unfortunately, much of the return trip was into a headwind. I was pleasantly tired and ready to quit by the time we returned to our car.

So, we've seen one half of the High Bridge Trail. To complete the trail we'll start in Farmville, ride over the High Bridge, pedal to trail's end near Burkeville, and then return to Farmville. I'd love to do this next trip soon, but it won't happen for at least another week or two.