Take a hike

As summer’s sweltering heat gives way to the long-expected color and coolness of fall, it’s the perfect time to head outdoors and explore some of Central Virginia’s best offerings: its hiking trails, decorated with the breathtaking reds and yellows of the season that you won’t find anywhere else.

Not an experienced hiker? Not a problem. These beginner-friendly trails are close to home, easy to navigate and provide the stress relief you’ve been needing.

Liberty Mountain Trail System

Maintained by Outdoor Recreation staff, the Liberty Mountain Trail System boasts over 50 miles of scenic trails sprawling from Snowflex to Hydaway. 

If you’re not sure where to start, Outdoor Rec’s Manager of Trips and Programming Danielle Ledgerwood suggests stopping by the outfitter at Hydaway. When it comes to the trail system’s intersecting routes, the staff of experts can provide suggestions and directions. There are trail maps on-site as well as on the Outdoor Rec website. 

Don’t let fears of getting lost in the woods stop you from trying out the trail system — each of the routes is clearly marked with directional signs
and blazes.

“It’s pretty hard to get lost out there, especially on the wider paths like Falwell Road,” Ledgerwood said.

Alpine Trail 

The mile-long Alpine Trail inside Riverside Park twists and turns through a steep, wooded hillside and ends with rewarding views of the James River.

According to Lynchburg Parks and Recreation, Alpine Trail was the first walking trail to be developed within a Lynchburg park. 

Loved by all who explore it, the trail’s serene scenery and frequent sightings of woodland birds and migrating hawks make it the ideal spot for your next study break.

Ruskin Freer Loop

If you have an infatuation with natural science and vegetation, this is the trail for you.

Accessible along different points of the paved Blackwater Creek Trail, the Ruskin Freer Loop Trail is part of a 115-acre preserve named in honor of Ruskin Freer, a noted biology professor at the University of Lynchburg. 

According to Lynchburg Parks and Recreation, generations of individuals were inspired by Freer to love and protect wildlife during the 40 years that he taught. Aligning with his legacy, the Ruskin Freer Loop Trail is designed to showcase the preserve’s abundance of plant and wildlife. 

As you trek along the dirt footpath, you’ll encounter interpretive signs identifying 36 native plants and their stages of growth. 

According to Ledgerwood, local hikes like these are good for your mind, your body and your wallet.

“It’s a way to get out and do something that’s free, fun and good exercise,” Ledgerwood said. “You’re working toward something, not aimlessly wandering. There’s a goal in mind. It’s cardio without the gym.”

Hiking is also a great way to exchange the pace of the ordinary for sights and sounds you don’t get to experience
every day.

“Studies have shown that trail use is very beneficial … for a person’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health,” Lynchburg Parks and Recreation’s Trail Maintenance Supervisor Jason Burger said. “Exercise and getting out in nature could help reset students’ minds, relieve stress, improve focus in the classroom and connect with God and the beauty of his creation.” 

“I remember (my own) college days as being quite stressful and a period of time when I was defining who I was as an individual,” Burger said. “Connecting with nature and creation and exercise helped with the journey.”

So, take a hike. Seize the opportunity to try something new, and remember, even the grandest of journeys begins with a few simple steps.

“The most important thing you’re going to do is start, so don’t be intimidated,” Ledgerwood said. “You can start small, with a couple of miles at a time. Once you get comfortable with that, you can research a more difficult hike.”

For more information about local hiking trails, visit http://www.lynchburgparksandrec.com/trails  or Outdoor Rec’s “DIY Trips” webpage.