Continuing east, the trail crosses the Chickahominy River on the Judith Stewart Dresser Memorial Bridge, taking trail users more than 50 feet above the water for some photo-worthy views of the river below. Just beyond the bridge, Chickahominy Riverfront Park offers drinking water, restrooms, kayak rentals and campsites. The Virginia Capital Trail’s eastern terminus is at the historic Jamestown Settlement, the first permanent English colonial settlement in the Americas. Parking and restrooms are at hand here, along with a museum and exhibits, including the Powhatan Indian Village. Bonus: there’s also a brewery nearby.
www.traillink.com/trail/virginia-capital-trail/
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, Florida There may be no more exotic, exciting, and mesmerizing trail ride / hike in all of America than the Overseas Heritage Trail through the Florida Keys. Sources vary as to the precise distance of the trail that links Key Largo and Key West—one says 98 miles while another goes with 109. Confounding as it may be, we’ll side with Wikipedia at 113. There’s no question, however, that the Overseas Highway (U.S. Highway 1) upon which the trail (officially opened in 2018) is laid, represents a remarkable engineering feat. It’s the brainchild of magnate Henry Flagler, founder of Standard Oil and developer of Florida resort hotels and the Florida East Coast Railway. With the completion of the Panama Canal in 1912, the ever-ambitious Flagler decided to extend his railway from Miami to Key West with the prospect of developing an American port as close as possible to the canal and its burgeoning trade opportunities. It was a costly, problematic, and dangerous undertaking (some called Flagler’s Folly) requiring the construction of 42 bridges. It took the lives of hundreds of workers in a deadly 1906 storm and was finally destroyed by a hurricane in 1935. The remains were later restored and replaced by an automobile highway, the aforementioned Overseas Highway. With the Atlantic Ocean on one side of the highway and Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, drivers, riders, hikers, and skaters are rewarded with breathtaking views of open sea and sky.
Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, Credit Rails to Trails Conservancy
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, locus of the largest network of coral reefs in the U.S. Named for a late Miami newspaper reporter who championed local environmental preservation, the underwater reserve was the first of its kind in the country. It protects more than 50 varieties of delicate corals and some 600 species of fish for the viewing pleasure of snorkelers and divers. Glass-bottom boat tours serve visitors who wish to remain dry. The land-based portion of the park also features excellent hiking and both RV and tent camping. Next up is Islamorada, a group of islets heralded as the “Sportfishing Capital of the World.” So, if you’re into angling, this is the place—featuring the Key’s largest fleet of offshore charter boats and shallow water boats. Take it from us: the backcountry tarpon, permit and bonefishing here is the best anywhere in the U.S. Not interested in netting your own catch? Go directly to the Hungry Tarpon Restaurant at Robbie’s Marina for the fish dish of your choice—best finished off with some genuine key lime pie.
An overwhelming variety of attractions—both natural and man-made—await trail users. The first of them is
RAILS TO TRAILS
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2025 | 14
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