Jamestown Island loop (plus)


Susan and I are both teachers with close to fifty combined years-experience teaching high school mathematics, so you know that we love what we do.  We work long, hard hours during the school year, but also recognize that we are blessed to enjoy a summer vacation that is much longer than most professions allow.  It is during the early morning hours of these days that we enjoy cycling the most.  The heat and humidity at dawn in Tidewater, Virginia is like a promise from Mother Nature that she will bake you by midday, but at that time of the morning is intoxicating. 

And while mid-August brings a certain excitement to our lives as we gear up for our students, there is also a certain amount of sadness as we lose the freedom to bike whenever the weather is favorable, regardless of the day of the week.  We still have some days left, mainly on the weekends, and will try to bike into October, and those dates—because of their infrequency—will become even more special.  We are looking forward to the air becoming a little cooler, the leaves changing color, the new scents on the trail, and yes, opening our students’ eyes to Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus.


One of our discoveries this summer has been to bike the Jamestown Island ride in historic Jamestown, Virginia.  The loop itself is only about five miles, but with it's tree-lined, flat, paved surface and several wooden bridges (as well as ways of extending the trip), it has quickly become one of our favorites.

The 411 on the Ride: 

Date: July 30, 2020

The best way to describe this ride is by stages, as listed below:

Stage 1:    Jamestown Settlement Visitor Center to Jamestown Island Visitor Center

We parked at the Jamestown Settlement Visitor Center (1368 Colonial Parkway, Jamestown, VA 23081), which has  ample parking. By turning right out of the parking lot and following the signs you will pass through a pair of entrance gates and then cycle a wide stretch of road on a strip of land that leads to the island. The road is open for motor vehicles, but is wide enough to accommodate foot traffic, vehicles, and bikes. This segment ends at the Jamestown Island Visitor Center (which has its own parking lot -- the address is eluding me at the moment) and clocks in at just under 1.5 miles.  


Stage 2:    Jamestown Island Loop

 This is the heart of our trip.  Continuing past the Island Visitor parking lot, you will pass a welcome sign.  The trails are well-maintained and for the most part shaded.  Even though it is an island, there is a pretty consistent buffer of trees between you and the water.  After a little more than a mile, you will see a sign that gives the choice of doing the short loop or extending for the long loop.  On the maps below, look for where the trail "pinches" together.  


Continuing on the long loop, you will cross a number of wooden bridges (with only an occasional plank that needs to be replaced) with spectacular views.  The trail is extremely flat and is good for cyclists of all ages and skill levels.  The entire loop, starting at and returning to the Island Visitor Center, was about 5.2 miles of easy biking. When you're at about the halfway mark through the loop, there is a pull-off and a sandy walk down to the water where you can take a break and have a photo op.


Stage 3:    The Extensions

This is what makes an excellent short ride into an awesome long ride.  First, if you take a left out of the Jamestown Visitor Center parking lot (instead of a right to get to the island), another immediate right, then after a 1/4 of a mile ride across the road, you will see the entrance to the Capital Trail on your left--52 miles of cycling fun that stretches between the historic capital of Virginia and the current capital.  We have done sections of the Cap and have loved it.  More about this on another blog post.

For this ride, we had something else in mind...  So after 1.4 miles of the Cap, we made a right-hand turn off the road and onto another trail: the Powhatan Creek Trail.  This exciting 2 mile ride is paved and not open to motor vehicles, but there will be pedestrians.  The hills are fast and fun, with several wooden bridges to cross.  The trail ends at the Clara Byrd Baker Elementary School, which has parking at 3131 Ironbound Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23185.

Elevation gain: 38 feet

Time:   ~1.5 – 2 hrs

Websites:     www.nps.gov/jame/island-loop-drive.htm

                    also see:  www.historicjamestowne.com

We have done this ride several times over the summer of 2020, and we have only found one drawback. If cycling on the weekend, expect to encounter some amateur cyclists who are not always considerate of others and often lack basic cycling etiquette. On the other hand, the weekdays rides were absolutely perfect. So much fun, that the last time we biked the island we did the loop twice! And if you come across a pair of young children and their mother, and they ask you to stop so that they can show you the eagles in the trees, take the time to stop. It'll be worth it for you and it'll make their day. 




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