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Rehabilitate the Farm Road Trail at Rural Plains
Richmond National Battlefied Park » Rehabilitate the Farm Road Trail at Rural Plains » Document List
TRAIL RELOCATION AT TOTOPTOMOY CREEK
Soon after Totopotomoy Creek Battlefield was acquired by the National Park Service, the pre-existing half mile farm/service road began to be used as part of the park's walking trail. However, the quarter mile section traveling downhill to the Creek was poorly designed for the long term and has resulted in large scale and repeated soil erosion. This has been difficult to repair and damaging to park resources.
As a result, the park worked with a professional trail designer this past year to explore alternatives for fixing the problem. These included re-grading the existing route, covering the trail surface with erosion prevention pavers and backfilling with gravel; or relocating that portion of the trail to a more sustainable route. The park was advised by the trail consultant that the relocation option would require very limited future maintenance and should not result in erosion. Whereas re-working the existing trail, although better than the current situation, will require extensive future maintenance and would likely always have some associated erosion. The park has chosen to reroute the problem trail section to make it more sustainable and fix the erosion problem.
THE NEW TRAIL
The new trail section (shown in pink at left) will be a 4-foot-wide dirt path. It will meander through the woods, starting behind the trailside bench, and arrive at the creek bridge approximately one half mile downslope. The existing quarter mile trail section will be decommissioned and allowed to naturalize.
BICYCLE USE
Bicycles cannot be allowed on the new relocated portion of trail due to the additional wear and tear they are likely to cause on dirt trails, combined with the sensitive nature of these erodible battlefield soils. Therefore, bikes will no longer be allowed at the site. This will avoid confusion for well-meaning visitors and make it easier for park staff to enforce regulations.
804-640-7919
Soon after Totopotomoy Creek Battlefield was acquired by the National Park Service, the pre-existing half mile farm/service road began to be used as part of the park's walking trail. However, the quarter mile section traveling downhill to the Creek was poorly designed for the long term and has resulted in large scale and repeated soil erosion. This has been difficult to repair and damaging to park resources.
As a result, the park worked with a professional trail designer this past year to explore alternatives for fixing the problem. These included re-grading the existing route, covering the trail surface with erosion prevention pavers and backfilling with gravel; or relocating that portion of the trail to a more sustainable route. The park was advised by the trail consultant that the relocation option would require very limited future maintenance and should not result in erosion. Whereas re-working the existing trail, although better than the current situation, will require extensive future maintenance and would likely always have some associated erosion. The park has chosen to reroute the problem trail section to make it more sustainable and fix the erosion problem.
THE NEW TRAIL
The new trail section (shown in pink at left) will be a 4-foot-wide dirt path. It will meander through the woods, starting behind the trailside bench, and arrive at the creek bridge approximately one half mile downslope. The existing quarter mile trail section will be decommissioned and allowed to naturalize.
BICYCLE USE
Bicycles cannot be allowed on the new relocated portion of trail due to the additional wear and tear they are likely to cause on dirt trails, combined with the sensitive nature of these erodible battlefield soils. Therefore, bikes will no longer be allowed at the site. This will avoid confusion for well-meaning visitors and make it easier for park staff to enforce regulations.
Contact Information
Kristen Allen804-640-7919