CHARLOTTESVILLE & ALBEMARLE COUNTY:A GREAT DESTINATION TO ENJOY THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Nature enthusiasts can choose from an array of activities, from hiking in the Shenandoah National Park to tubing or kayaking down the James River
Charlottesville and Albemarle County celebrates the arrival of Spring with an invitation to all to come and enjoy our great outdoors. As trees are in full bloom and nature is quickly putting on its most vivid green hue, this is a wonderful time of the year to come out of hibernation and explore all this area has to offer for outdoors activities. Here are some of the many attractions that are not to be missed:
The Shenandoah National Park celebrates National Park Week in a big way with “Fee-Free Days”, now through April 26. With over 500 miles of trails, the Shenandoah National Park features over 30% of the trails that are in designated wilderness. 101 miles are part of the Appalachian Trail. http://www.nps.gov/shen/index.htm.
Speaking of hiking, one does not need to venture far from downtown Charlottesville to gain access to amazing trails. The Saunders-Monticello Trail (http://www.monticello.org/site/visit/saunders-monticello-trail), is located near and maintained by Monticello, the famous home of equally famous President Thomas Jefferson. The entire trail never exceeds a five percent incline, making it one of the few wheelchair accessible mountain climbs on the planet.
Albemarle County features approximately 62 miles of trails which can be used for walking, running, hiking or mountain biking. Horseback riding is even permitted at a few of those trails. The County offers a brand new tool for trail lovers: Terrain360 provides a 360 degree panoramic tour of the its many trails - http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=parks&relpage=4648 . As for Charlottesville, Parks and Recreation maintains a variety of trails in the City; a complete list can be found here: http://www.charlottesville.org/Index.aspx?page=1725.
If you are a lover of all things water, do we have something special for you! Take a short car ride to the charming town of Scottsville, where you can experience water sports on the James River. Tubing, kayaking, canoeing and fly fishing are all within reach with the help of outfitters such as James River Runners (www.jamesriver.com) and James River Reeling & Rafting (www.reelingandrafting.com). Also while in Scottsville, don’t miss the Hatton Ferry (www.thehattonferry.org), the last poled ferry in the United States, established in 1870.
There are tons of additional ways to enjoy the great outdoors in Central Virginia, including golf, cycling, horseback riding and hot-air ballooning. The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau’s web site provides an exhaustive listing of all outdoor activities in the area and is accessible by clicking http://www.visitcharlottesville.org/visitors/things-to-do/outdoors/
Brigitte Bélanger-Warner
Director of Sales & Marketing
Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau
434.970.3632 – warnerb@charlottesville.org
About the CACVB
In addition to providing a wealth of information on the area to individual visitors, the CACVB assists tour operators, meeting planners, reunions and other groups to find attractions, restaurants, hotels, and other visitor related businesses. Its mission is “to enhance the economic prosperity of City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the City of Charlottesville and County of Albemarle, as a destination, in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.”
