Pocahontas State Park Bike Trails

Hiking At Pocahontas State Park

Pocahontas State Park has over 90 miles of trails through forest, grassy sections of wildflowers, across rocky streams and alongside the lakes.About 10 miles of those are for hikers only, including a paved trail ideal for those with disabilities.

Here are a couple of the more popular hiking trails inside Pocahontas State Park:

• Beaver Lake Trail A 2.3 mile moderate loop with a continuous view of the lake. This trail winds through the woods and crosses a creek.
• Forest Exploration Trail An easy 2.2 mile flat trail along the lake.
• Co-op Trail A well-marked easy 4 mile loop through the woods and near the lake.

Pocahontas State Park To Develop Regional Biking Center

Ethan Seltzer at Pocahontas State Park

Mountain bikers celebrate the announcement of the Richmond Region Ride Center at Pocahontas State Park with a trail ride, July 9, 2013.

Mountain bikers in Pocahontas State Park, July 9, 2013.

Many bike advocates and local politicians gathered Tuesday at Pocahontas State Park to celebrate the development of the Richmond Region Ride Center, which will become the 12th site worldwide and second in Virginia recognized by the International Mountain Biking Association.

The center will focus on mountain biking trails in Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County and Richmond’s James River Park System and will serve as the first legacy project of the Richmond 2015 UCI Road World Championships.

Leaders from the City of Richmond, Chesterfield County and even Governor Bob McDonnell were on hand announce that Dominion Resources has donated $50,000 toward development of the Richmond Region Ride Center, matching the Commonwealth’s investment in the project. A fund drive to raise the remaining $700,000 will be needed for trail improvements to Pocahontas State Park — the largest of Virginia’s 36 State Parks with more than 80 miles of trails throughout the park’s 7,925 acres.

Visitor Center Gift Shop Camp Store

The main office at the park entrance sells gifts, mementos and snacks. The campground store, which is open seasonally, also has souvenirs, toiletry items and camping supplies. The Nature Center and Discovery Center are in the visitor center, about 2.5 miles from the main park entrance, and has live animal exhibits, park information and interactive displays. Visitor center hours vary throughout the year so call the park ahead of time.

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“This is a regional partnership,” McDonnell said, adding that it was good to see Chesterfield and Richmond working together to earn this ride center, which he said will become a tourist attraction and improve the quality of life for residents.

According to a study done by Mangum Economic Consulting, Inc. the trail improvements at Pocahontas State Park alone will increase annual economic activity in Chesterfield County by $2.7 million and by $4.5 million in Virginia. It would also generate 31 new jobs in Chesterfield and 51 in the state.

“Great communities build great trails and great trails build great communities,” said Frank Maguire of IMBA, which is recognized as the international leader in the mountain biking community and its ride centers feature extensive trail networks that are the organization’s strongest endorsement of a trail experience.

The IMBA ride centers become travel destinations for mountain bikers from around the world. With the combination of trails in the James River Park System and those existing and to be created at Pocahontas, the Richmond Region facility is expected to be among the most highly rated IMBA Ride Centers, according to a release.

As of December, 2012, these Riders Centers have undergone IMBA’s evaluation process:

Phil Riggan loves Discovering Richmond. Follow him on twitter @RigganRVA. He is currently graduate student working on his Masters degree in Urban Planning at VCU.

Pocahontas State Park Trail Map

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Sports Backers 3peat Trail Challenge

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Note: Please respect all of the rules of the park including no nighttime riding or running. Please visit, , for official park rules and regulations.

Please park in the main part of the park either by the pool or during less crowded times near the boat ramp. Please keep in mind that Pocahontas State Park charges an admission fee and you will need to pay upon entering. Pocahontas does not allow night riding or running except for a few hours in the evening in the summer. Pocahontas also has separate trails for mountain biking and running/hiking. Please obey these rules. Please note that both the running and biking courses start by the parking lot by the boat ramp and you cross over the footbridge across the lake at the start. The bike course is entirely on the other side of the lake and the trails are custom built one directional mountain bike trails. This is one sweet ride! The run course is a little bit confusing and does two counter clockwise loops. One across the lake from the parking lot and the second on the parking lot side. Both loops include great views of two different lakes and take you on the best running trails in the park.

Facilities At Pocahontas State Park

• Bright Hope Equestrian Center Perfect for shows and special events. The center has a gated and fenced 216 x 117 show ring, a gated and fenced 161 x 83 warm-up ring, horse trailer parking, picnic tables, grills and restrooms.

  Pocahontas State Park also has more than 13 miles of bridle trails within its multi-use trail system. If bringing a horse into the park you are required to also bring a negative Coggins Report.

• Heritage Amphitheater Originally built by the CCC in 1938, this outdoor venue was rebuilt in 1997 and seats up to 2,000. Ideal for concerts, performances and large gatherings. The Pocahontas Premieres series of concerts and family entertainment is held here.
• Civilian Conservation Corps Museum Museum dedicated to honoring the young men responsible for building the first state parks throughout the country during the 1930s. This park was built on farmland and forest by the CCC. It was the largest Virginia state park when it opened to the public in 1946.
• The Nature Center & Discovery Center Live animals, park information and interactive displays located inside the visitor center. Visitors can learn about wildlife native to the area such as reptiles, turtles and a beehive.

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Mountain Biking At Pocahontas State Park

Mountain Bike Users: Please check the daily status of single-track trails at before visiting. Trails close due to weather and other adverse conditions detrimental to the trail and the trail experience. Other users are encouraged to follow the status of single-track trails and consider the environment before using wet trails.

All users are encouraged to visit the parks main webpage to check for any special alerts of activities that may affect your visit. Additionally you can view programs and events that may interest you at the park.

When you want to push the limits on knobby tires, Pocahontas State Park is a perfect place to find your adventure.

Pocahontas State Park is home to approximately 44 miles of single-track directional mountain bike trails and approximately 64 miles of gravel fire roads. Regardless of your skill level in mountain biking, this trail system has a trail for you.

There are three major mountain bike single track trail systems:

What Is Poca Go

Poca Go! presented by Dominion Energy is an enduro-style XC MTB race held on the Swift Creek single-track flow trails at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, VA.

This is a fundraiser event staffed fully by volunteers from the local trail community- all proceeds from the race will support the mountain bike trails at Pocahontas State Park. Poca Go! is a part of the Virginia State Parks Adventure Series.

Our generous race supporter include: Dominion Energy, Patient First, rvaMORE, Friends of Pocahontas State Park , Pedal Power, Virginia State Parks, Carytown Bicycle Co., Mollys Bicycle Shop/Blind Dog Brewery, Terrapin Beer Co., Ballad Brewing, Running Fire Design, LILO Collections, REI, SWOOD, pello bikes, ALL IN MTB, and RVA Racing.

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Wildlife Viewing At Pocahontas State Park

During the Spring and Summer the park is full of wildlife dragonflies, butterflies, turtles, snakes, frogs, deer, squirrels and many species of birds. You may see a wild turkey, Canadian goose, hawk, woodpecker, osprey or owl while visiting. And youll certainly see many species of waterfowl close to the lakes and streams.

Mountain Bike The Lakeview Trails In Pocahontas State Park

Chesterfield, Virginia

Added by Barry Holloway

Pocahontas State Parks Lakeview mountain bike trails are part of nearly 30 miles of single track in the park and are included in the Richmond Regional Ride Center which was designated as a bronze level IMBA Ride Center in 2015. Only 20 miles from downtown Richmond, its a great place to hone your mountain bike skills or simply enjoy being outdoors.

Lakeview I, II, and III are rated intermediate single track mountain bike trails with continuous descents and climbs, great flow, tight turns, rooty sections, a few logs, and some rocky areas. Because the trails are stacked loops, you can ride only one or all three. Riding all and the connector trail totals 12.5 miles with an elevation gain of 850 feet. Elevations along the entire route range from a low of 130 feet up to 240 feet.

This mostly fast, flowy connector trail offers a good warm-up for the Lakeview trails. It is rooty in a few places, but generally a smooth ride with easy descents and climbs. There are two small rock gardens which can be bypassed to the right. After half a mile is a wooden fence where campground fireword is stored a bike maintenance station with basic tools and an air pump is to the right. Continue downhill through a couple of tight turns. At the bottom is a creek crossing its not difficult, but some riders may want to walk it. A short climb from here is the start of Lakeview I and the beginning of riding one-way in a clockwise direction.

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Biking At Pocahontas State Park

Pocahontas State Park has 33.1 miles of designated mountain bike trails that are single-track, machine-built flow and hand-cycle friendly.

Here are the three major mountain bike track systems:

• Morgan Mountain Bike Trails Also known as the Rake & Ride Trail, this trail system is 11.6 miles and ideal for technical riders because of its tight twists and turns and rocky, root-filled tread.
• Lakeview Mountain Bike Trails Another 9.9 miles of trails, these with spectacular views of the lake.
• Swift Creek Trails Over 22 miles of machine-built flow trails that are perfect for both beginners and accomplished riders.