On Wednesday, April 13, 2022, I had the pleasure of finally riding the Blue Ridge Railway Trail in Piney River, VA. Years ago, when I rode my (then annual) Blue Ridge Parkway motorcycle Fall ride up Route 56, I would pass the trailhead outside of Amherst and think of riding it. It was on my Rail Trail bucket list.

At one time, the railroad was the “longest continuously running profitable shortline railroad in the United States”. Initially built to haul Chestnut timber, it fell on hard times with the Chestnut blight and Great Depression but later hauled titanium dioxide, aplite, and other products until 1981.

The trail is 7 miles out to a no-access turnaround point and features many nice stops with benches and picnic tables along the Piney and Tye Rivers. The temperature was 80 with a strong wind and sun. The surface was nice, crushed stone and all but one bridge was smooth riding.