If you build it they will come!

More and more folks in Martinsville and Henry County are learning about the trails of the Smith River Trail System and checking them out. Today I paid a visit to the Fieldale Trail on South River Road in Fieldale.

To give a little background information, this 2.3 mile long trail is operated by Henry County Parks & Recreation (HCPR). It was developed by the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) with major funding provided by the Dominion Foundation, and is currently supported by volunteers in DRBA's & HCPR's Adopt-A-Trail Program known as "Friends of the Fieldale Trail."

The first phase of the trail a 0.9 mile section of trail leading upstream of the parking lot was built in 2007, and the newest addition is a 1.3 mile stretch leading downstream.

When I pulled up into the parking lot at 5:30 this afternoon, it was packed! Over 30 people were enjoying the trail after work. I saw walkers, people with dogs, bicyclists, and fishermen. One biker was even practicing for the upcoming Smith River Mini-Triathlon to be held on June 13th.

It was an incredible sight just to see all of these people enjoying a simple path through the woods. Even though the sun was shining and it was warm out, a gentle breeze from the Smith River kept us cool. This is definately a testament that "if you build it--they will come!"

Martinsville and Henry County is on it's way to becoming a recreational destination for both residents and tourists to enjoy. If you would like more information on the Smith River Trail System, or the Adopt-A-Trail Program please contact me at 276-634-2545 or drba.va@danriver.org.

Happy Hiking!

Jennifer Doss- Rivers & Trails Project Manager

Adopt-A-Trail Volunteers Enhance Area Trails

Take a walk along one of our area trails and you just might see a group volunteers working to improve recreational opportunities along the Smith River- and having fun while at it! Tommy Wyatt and Tracy Kennett are shown above installing the new permanent sign for the Fieldale Trail. This is just one of the many tasks that their trail team "Friends of the Fieldale Trail" is doing to help support the trail system.

The Adopt-A-Trail program, which kicked off this month is quickly becoming a success. More than ten volunteers have signed up so far to care for three sections of the Smith River Trail System. The program is a partnership between the Dan River Basin Assocaiton, Henry County Parks & Recreation, and the City of Eden. To learn more about the Adopt-A-Trail Program see this previous post.

To adpot a section of trail, please contact the Adopt-A-Trail Coordinator, Jennifer Doss at 276-634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org.

Busy Saturday on the Smith River

Intermediate Class participants (L-R): Eric Juday of ACA, Gary Cody of Martinsville Leisure Services, Karen Giles, Linda Drage, Ruth Morgan, and Sam Morgan. Not pictured: Jennifer Doss of DRBA and Bonnie Martin.

There was a frenzy of activity today in Ridgeway, as two events converged on the Smith River.

First was an ACA Intermediate Kayak Class hosted by the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA), Henry County Parks & Recreation, and Martinsville Leisure Services. Under the direction of ACA instructor, Eric Juday, five paddlers learned various skills such as reading the river, ferrying, eddy turns, and river safety. Eric is shown at left demonstating how using knee and thigh braces gives the paddler more control of the kayak.

Soon after the kayaking class got on the river, additional boaters arrived- more than 30 of them for DRBA's 1st Saturday Outing. As the kayak class practiced their emergency throw-rope techniques they watched the parade of happy boaters float by.

There was plenty of room and water for everyone to enjoy their day on the Smith River! DRBA's first Saturday Outings are free and open to the public. To see details about the next outing visit http://www.danriver.org/.

Another round of Kayak Classes will be offered in June 2009. To register, contact 276-634-2545.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

VMNH & DRBA host 2nd Annual Geocache Day

In celebration of the one-year anniversary of the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve (04.26.09), the Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH) and the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) hosted Geocaching Day.

Below, instructor, Robin Jenson explains the sport of Geocaching to an eager treasure hunter.

Martha Smith of Martinsville (below) trys her hand at the sport of Geocaching while exploring the trails of the Gravely Nature Preserve. Three caches are located throughout the property. For more information on the sport of Geocaching, visit http://www.geocaching.com/.

Clay Gravely and his sidekick Buster, of Martinsville take a moment to admire the interesting grave markers of the Burgess Cemetery located within the Gravely Nature Preserve.

When taking a break from walking and geocaching visitors can enjoy the tranquil beauty of the Smith River from Rhododendron Trail.

Participants Enjoy a "Tuesday Morning Stroll"

Shown above are (L-R) Regenia Manns, Jessee Shumate, Jeannie Frisco, and Bill Mitchell.

On a brisk morning this past month, walkers gathered to enjoy a "Tuesday Morning Stroll" with the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA) and Activate Martinsville-Henry County. While on a 2.6 mile walk at the Fieldale Trail, the participants learned fun facts about Easter eggs and competed for prizes with trivia questions.

Try your hand at this one: The first Easter Egg egg roll was held at the White House by what U.S. President? Do you know? Jessee knew the answer, it was Rutherford B. Hayes!

Also while on the walk, the participants learned about the history of Koehler. Below they are shown looking at sand dredges from the historic Koehler Concrete Plant.

Tuesday Morning Strolls are held the 1st Tuesday of each month. Join us on May 5th, as we visit the Uptown Spur Trail on Franklin Street in Martinsville. We'll meet at 9 am at the Gazebo. For more information, contact 634-2545.

Volunteers Enhance Area Trails

Thanks to a group of DRBA volunteers, our local trails just got a little better! On Tuesday of this week, the troupes rallied together to install three benches along the new Phase II extension of the Fieldale Trail. Each bench had to be moved down the trail individually so garden carts and teamwork were the key to this project.

Now that the task is complete, walkers have several places to rest and enjoy the scenic Smith River while out on the trail. Special thanks to the Magna Vista High School FFA Club, and their instructors: Mr. Holland, Ms. Stout, and Ms. Metz for assembling the benches.


On Wednesday the volunteers gathered at the Richard P. Gravely, Jr. Nature Preserve in Ridgeway to spruce up Jones Cliff Trail. They removed rocks, stumps, and roots from the trail surface that had the potential to become tripping hazards. Now the trail is in much better condition and ready for joggers and walkers to enjoy it.

Special thanks to Brian Williams, Chad Hall, Paul May, Linda Drage, and Wayne Kirkpatrick for helping out with these two projects!

If you'd like to volunteer on a trail workday or participate in the Adopt-a-Trail program, please contact Jennifer Doss- Rivers & Trails Project Manager at 276-634-2545 or jdoss@danriver.org.

Photos by: Jennifer Doss & Brian Williams

Article by: Jennifer Doss

A Trail For Everyone

Today the first in a series of "Wednesday Trail Workdays" was hosted by the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA). The new volunteer opportunity, held the second Wednesday of each month, is geared towards retirees and others who are free during the day.

For today's workday, the crew met at the Fieldale Trail on a new section (Phase II) that will officially open on March 28th. The 1.5-mile extension of the Fieldale Trail travels from the trailhead parking area (3521 South River Road) downstream towards Koehler.

The trail extension is made possible with a grant from the Dominion Foundation for development. Work has been underway on the trail since July when Henry County PSA officials helped to map and survey the trail and acquire easements from generous landowners. In October, when the leaves fell off the trees, volunteers began clearing the trail corridor and inmates from Patrick Henry Correctional Unit #28 completed the trail clearing process. Throughout the months of November and December, Frith Construction smoothed the surface of the trail and built an attractive foot bridge over a stream crossing.

Now that warmer weather has arrived, the volunteers are back at it, providing final touches such as trail marker signs, trimming stray limbs, and neatening up the trail. Benches, educational signs, and other amenities will be installed within the next few weeks.

The Fieldale Trail is part of the Smith River Trail System which will consist of 45 miles of trail along the Smith River in Virginia & North Carolina. It is also part of the Beaches to Bluegrass Trail System which will travel from the Eastern Shore of Virginia all the way to the Kentucky border following the Highway 58 Corridor. This trail system will not only promote conservation, fitness, and recreation in Henry County; but also, bring in tourism dollars as hikers pass through our area.

One of the unique features visitors will see along the trail is a giant sycamore tree that is 16 feet and 4 inches around and approximately 100 feet tall. The tree is known to be over 50 years old (if not much more) due to the fact that it was utilized as an anchor point when the Koehler Concrete Plant was in operation, dredging sand from the river bottom.

The crew of trusty volunteers consisted of Milton Hundley of Eden, Linda Drage and Susan Kanode both of Martinsville. They were led by DRBA staff members Jennifer Doss and Brian Williams. Many thanks to these volunteers for coming to help out!The beautiful weather brought many visitors to the trail today as our crew met a bicyclist, and six walkers; three of them with dogs (on leashes of course!). Dodie & Stuart (pictured below) are regulars on the trail. They try to get out to the Fieldale Trail as much as possible for fitness and enjoyment.

We also met Ray and Jane of Fieldale and their dog Champ (pictured below), who were checking out Phase II of the trail for the first time.


Whether on bike, on foot, or even four-legs, Phase II of the Fieldale Trail is a trail for everyone!

The public is invited to attend the grand opening of the Fieldale Trail: Phase II on March 28th at 12 noon.

The next Wednseday Trail Workday will be held on April 8th from 2-5 p.m. on the Jones Cliff Trail at the Gravely Nature Preserve in Ridgeway. Volunteers may register by calling 276-634-2545.