For bicyclists and pedestrians

Virginia Capital Trail: The Virginia Capital Trail is a 52-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail in Central Virginia and Hampton Roads that connects the commonwealth's present capital of Richmond with the colonial capitals of Jamestown and Williamsburg. The trail is an 8- to 10-feet-wide shared use path that parallels scenic Route 5 and the James River. The Capital Trail overlaps with U.S. Bicycle Routes 76, from the City of Richmond to Willis Church Rd in Henrico County, where it connects with U.S. Bicycle Route 76. See VDOT's U.S. Bicycle Routes page for more information on the 838 miles of the U.S. Bicycle Route system in Virginia. The project was overseen by VDOT with project funding coming through a combination of federal transportation enhancement grants, state and local government funds, and private donations. The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the trail's continued development.

High Bridge Trail State Park: High Bridge Trail State Park is a 31-mile rail-trail in between the towns of Pamplin and Burkeville and running through the communities of Prospect and Farmville in Cumberland, Nottoway and Prince Edward Counties. The High Bridge Trail actually terminates just east and west of Pamplin and Burkeville and does not directly connect either community. There are plans to extend the High Bridge Trail to both Pamplin and Burkeville. The highlight of this Southern Virginia trail is a bridge positioned 160 feet above the Appomattox River, from which visitors will experience an expansive view of land where Union and Confederate soldiers fought during the Civil War.

Washington & Old Dominion Trail: The Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) is a 45-mile, 9-foot-wide paved bike trail in Northern Virginia that stretches from the City of Alexandria to the Town of Purcellville. There is also a parallel gravel equestrian trail, which may be used by pedestrians and cyclists. The W&OD provides connections to numerous local and regional shared use paths and bike trails, such as the Fairfax County Parkway Trail, Four Mile Run Trail, Custis Trail, the Mount Vernon Trail, and many more. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) maintains many miles of biking, hiking, horseback, jogging, and nature trails of varying lengths of varying lengths in their 24 regional parks in addition to the W&OD. A trail map of detailing the 45-mile linear park is available from NVRPA. 

New River Trail: The New River Trail is a 57-mile rail-trail situated within the 765-acre New River Trail State Park. The trail passes through Grayson, Carroll, Wythe, and Pulaski Counties in the Blue Ridge highlands section of Virginia. Numerous access points along the trail provide entry to the park where there are campgrounds and amenities for a variety of visitors, including hikers, cyclists, equestrians, boaters, and paddlers. The trail surface is crushed stone and includes three major bridges and nearly 30 smaller bridges and trestles. They parallel the geographically unique New River for approximately 39 miles.

Virginia Creeper Trail: The Virginia Creeper Trail is a 34-mile rail-trail within the towns of Abingdon and Damascus and Washington County. The trail, which is popular for its scenery, is situated within the Blue Ridge Highlands and Valley regions in Virginia. The Creeper Trail connects to the Appalachian Trail in Damascus and to the New River Trail via the Virginia Highlands Horse Trail, the Iron Mountain Trail, and the Beech Grove Trail. This route traverses Virginia's highest mountain, Mount Rogers, and intersects the Creeper Trail about 20 miles east of Abingdon.

Elizabeth River Trail: Explore Norfolk's iconic waterfront along the 10.5 mile urban trail.

Roanoke River Greenway

Danville Riverwalk Trail

Dick & Willie Passage Rail Trail

Tobacco Heritage Trail

Blackwater Creek Trail

66 Parallel Trail

Dismal Swamp Canal Trail

Virginia has 34 state parks across the state. Some parks, including Chippokes Plantation, Pocahontas, and First Landing State Parks, offer special biking trails. The New River Trail State Park, running through 57 miles of southwestern Virginia, is a along a converted rail bed. In some location, rough riding surfaces are more suited to mountain bikes. Camping and travel information on these parks is available from the Department of Conservation and Recreation's website at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/.

Some bicyclists enjoy riding on unpaved or gravel roads. The best source for finding unpaved roads VDOT maintains is to consult the interactive Virginia Unpaved Roads map. The VDOT County Map Series is another resource and is available online as PDFs. Please note this map series was last updated in 2004 so some of the roads have since been paved. One way to confirm whether a road has been paved is to view it in satellite imagery using an online mapping service. Dry unpaved roads often show up much lighter in satellite imagery than pavement.

Established in 1978 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the United States Bicycle Route System (USBRS) is a network of long-distance cycling routes in the United States that include shared roadways, on-road accommodations, and off-road shared use paths. On-road segments were selected for lower traffic volumes, posted speed limits, and generally safer riding conditions. As traffic volumes and speeds increase, conditions for biking becomes less safe. VDOT works with regional governments, localities, governments, and advocates to identify safer alternates.
View an interactive map of the United States Bicycle Route System in Virginia.

U.S. Bicycle Route 1: Bicycle Route 1 was established in 1982 as an original U.S. Bicycle Route. When completed, U.S. Bike Route 1 (USBR 1) will run approximately 1,525 miles from Florida to Maine. Along North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Maine, the portion of the route in Virginia is recognized by AASHTO. The current alignment of as US Bike Route 1 in Virginia follows a similar path as the East Coast Greenway. It is approximately 274 miles long and traverses 21 Virginia localities, including 14 counties, three independent cities, and four incorporated towns.
View a history of U.S. Bicycle Route 1.

U.S. Bicycle Route 76: Bicycle Route 76, a part of the TransAmerica Trail, runs from Missouri to Yorktown. Bikecentennial, a predecessor to U.S. Bike Route 76 (USBR 76), was a series of cross-country bicycle tours in commemoration of the bicentennial of America’s Declaration of Independence. Along with USBR 1, it is one of the two original U.S. Bicycle Routes established by AASHTO. The current alignment of as US Bike Route 76 is approximately 533 miles long and crosses 38 Virginia localities, including 23 counties, four independent cities, and elven incorporated towns.

U.S. Bicycle Route 176: U.S. Bicycle Route 176 (USBR 176) is a recently designated spur connecting USBR 1 and USBR 76. It starts in the City of Richmond where it connects to USBR 1. USBR 176 ends in southwest Henrico County where it connects to USBR 76. USBR 176 is 17 miles long and runs mostly along the Virginia Capital Trail.

Non-Interstate Facilities Designated Limited Access and Not Prohibited to Bicycles

Non-Interstate Facilities Designated Limited Access and Prohibited to Bicycles