Trail Facts Parking Location: Parking lot near the Visitor Center and the Citie of Henricus Parking Availability : About 100 slots Fee: None Hours: 8 AM to Dusk Verizon INTERNET Coverage: 3 bars Month Recorded: March This is one of the longer hikes available in the Richmond area (>5 miles), but it occurs mostly on flat land. There are numerous picnic shelters and other resting places along the way, so you can take your time. Dutch Gap is a conservation area that abuts a Virginia Power generation plant. It is a well-known birding hot spot, and can be particularly rewarding during spring migration. There are also a number of fishing docks available. Just across the parking lot from the Visitor Center is the Citie of Henricus. This is a reconstruction of the first city in Virginia, and it offers reenactments of daily life in the early 1600's (fee required). While the land lies near the power plant and Interstate 95, both of which create some noise on parts of the trip, the abundance of wildlife and scenic views more than compensates for this inconvenience. In the center of the conservation area is a lagoon. This area originally was mined for sand and gravel. The mining companies cut a channel to the James River so that barges could be used to transport the sand and gravel. The river eventually flooded the area, creating a lagoon. The remains of the barges can still be seen in the lagoon. Just on the other side of the lagoon is an old channel of the river. During the Civil War, Union forces created a canel that cut off an oxbow loop of the river, so that they could avoid Confederate batteries on that part of the river. This canal was later enlarged, and is now the main channel of the river, leaving the oxbow as a seldom used part of the James. On your way into the conservation area, you will pass by two overlooks for a marshy area (see waypoints). This marshy area is a favorite place for water birds, particularly in fall and winter. To find the trailhead, walk along the right edge of the building next to the Visitors Center. WEB LINKS - INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED and DATA RATES APPLY Press Highlighted Link - If link not active in your app, copy link to Web browser ************************************** This hike is described in the 60 Hikes book - here is an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Hikes-Within-Miles-Williamsburg-Fredericksburg/dp/089732708X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428101620&sr=8-1&keywords=60+hikes+richmond To learn more about the park, click the link below: https://www.chesterfield.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Dutch-Gap-Conservation-Area-and-Boat-Lan-90

Hiking/Backpacking

Bring insect repellant and water in summer. You can shorten the trip by foregoing the spur trails, reducing the total length by about .5 mile. It is also possible to bike the main trail, given it is a wide gravel path in most places.

Virginia, United States

time : Mar 10, 2016

duration : 0h 0m

distance : 5.7 mi

total_ascent : 59 ft

highest_point : 30 ft

avg_speed : N/A

user_id : Riverinemn

user_firstname : Riverine

user_lastname : MasterNaturalists

Trail Facts Parking Location: Parking lot near the Visitor Center and the Citie of Henricus Parking Availability : About 100 slots Fee: None Hours: 8 AM to Dusk Verizon INTERNET Coverage: 3 bars Month Recorded: March This is one of the longer hikes available in the Richmond area (>5 miles), but it occurs mostly on flat land. There are numerous picnic shelters and other resting places along the way, so you can take your time. Dutch Gap is a conservation area that abuts a Virginia Power generation plant. It is a well-known birding hot spot, and can be particularly rewarding during spring migration. There are also a number of fishing docks available. Just across the parking lot from the Visitor Center is the Citie of Henricus. This is a reconstruction of the first city in Virginia, and it offers reenactments of daily life in the early 1600's (fee required). While the land lies near the power plant and Interstate 95, both of which create some noise on parts of the trip, the abundance of wildlife and scenic views more than compensates for this inconvenience. In the center of the conservation area is a lagoon. This area originally was mined for sand and gravel. The mining companies cut a channel to the James River so that barges could be used to transport the sand and gravel. The river eventually flooded the area, creating a lagoon. The remains of the barges can still be seen in the lagoon. Just on the other side of the lagoon is an old channel of the river. During the Civil War, Union forces created a canel that cut off an oxbow loop of the river, so that they could avoid Confederate batteries on that part of the river. This canal was later enlarged, and is now the main channel of the river, leaving the oxbow as a seldom used part of the James. On your way into the conservation area, you will pass by two overlooks for a marshy area (see waypoints). This marshy area is a favorite place for water birds, particularly in fall and winter. To find the trailhead, walk along the right edge of the building next to the Visitors Center. WEB LINKS - INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED and DATA RATES APPLY Press Highlighted Link - If link not active in your app, copy link to Web browser ************************************** This hike is described in the 60 Hikes book - here is an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Hikes-Within-Miles-Williamsburg-Fredericksburg/dp/089732708X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428101620&sr=8-1&keywords=60+hikes+richmond To learn more about the park, click the link below: https://www.chesterfield.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Dutch-Gap-Conservation-Area-and-Boat-Lan-90