A construction project at UVa has closed access to the cut-off between Old Ivy Rd and the trailhead at the intersection of Ivy Road and the 250 Bypass. That short stretch has never been an official part of the Rivanna Trail--because of the illegal crossing of the railroad tracks--but those who might be inclined to use it will need to find an alternate route for the next couple of months.

Unfortunately, pedestrian access in the area is difficult. Traveling counter-clockwise, our recommended route is to turn past the Law School and do a roadwalk to Old Ivy--being particularly careful at the narrow railroad underpass. Some users may prefer to continue all the way to Leonard Sandridge Road or Old Ivy and then down to the underpass, though neither option has sidewalks. (Heading west at Old Ivy may be a shorter distance, but the intersections at Ivy Road and the bypass ramps are particularly treacherous, and are not recommended.) Consult the Rivanna Trail app or web map for detailed directions, both here and along the entire RT.

Longer term, as UVa development continues on Old Ivy Road and begins on the former Kluge Children’s Hospital site, we continue to advocate for a safe and convenient corridor for the RT and along Ivy Road. It’s impossible to know what solutions might be possible and when, but this area is increasingly recognized as a key missing link in the RT and the wider transportation network.

For users of the River North segments of the RT, please note that there will be some occasional closures on the east side of Dunlora during the winter. We have been notified by the Dunlora Community Association that they have approved bow hunting to reduce the size of the deer herds within the DCA property.

Hunting will be roughly confined to the area bounded by the Rivanna River, eastern property boundaries of homes on Barclay Hill and King William Drive, Dunlora Farm Road, and the boundary with Belvedere. Hunting may take place seven days a week and initially will be during dawn hours, 5:00 am - 8:00 am. (Depending on results, they may extend hunting hours to include the dusk hours, but we will be notified in advance if this change is made and will post a notice here.) Hunting will be conducted starting in November and conclude in the middle of March.

New deck boards are going in this week on the bridge at the one-mile mark along the paved trail in Riverview Park. Daytime closure of the bridge will be required while the work is underway.

Construction will begin in the Belvedere neighborhood on Rio Road in the next couple weeks, impacting the River North spur of the RT. Please avoid active construction areas and heed safety signs. The recommended parking area to access River North trails is Pen Park.

• a "you are here" icon to pinpoint your exact location on the trail
• a zoomable interface to help navigate from one trailhead to another and along street walks
• icons highlighting trailheads, road intersections, bridges, and stream crossings
• your choice of a street or satellite background

If you've ever gotten lost on a road walk, or got to the end of one segment and wondered where the next begins, this is the perfect tool for on-the-ground navigation. In the future we plan to add the River North Spur through Dunlora and additional connecting trails within Charlottesville.

Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and let us know what you think.

February's work party opened up a new alignment for the trail south of Fontaine Avenue, eliminating a roadwalk along Natural Resources Drive. When heading counterclockwise, just before where the trail used to turn up to road (immediately past the site of the stile that was removed in January's work party), follow the new alignment to the right. The trail continues through the woods between the 250 Bypass and Natural Resources Drive, passes over a culvert, and comes out to the road directly across from where the trail resumes towards Stribling. New signs mark both trailheads directly opposite each other on both sides of the road.

We have some final grading yet to do, and also need to add trail blazes and update our maps, but the new alignment is open and ready for use.

Work is beginning on an RWSA meter site on Avon Street, where the Rivanna Trail emerges from under the bridge on the east side of Avon. Access may be closed through the end of the month. While work is underway, Trail users can turn up to the street on the west side of the bridge, cross Avon, and then walk south towards the City yard and the connection to Quarry Park and Rt 20.

Matt Kayhoe, former RTF board member and professor at the UVa School of Architecture, passed away this past August. He is remembered as one of the beloved early builders of the Rivanna Trail. Matt regularly participated in work parties, added his architectural expertise to the design of both trails and bridges, and held everyone to high standards of work. In one memorable board meeting he spoke from the heart about the struggle he was having deciding whether or not to allow bicycles on the RTF trails. "I don't like the idea of having bikes on our trails, but when I was a child I had plenty of safe places to ride my bike. For children living in Charlottesville today, riding bikes on streets is not a safe alternative. We must open up our trails to bicycles for the sake of the children." Matt is remembered as a teacher with high, sometimes tough standards, but he was passionate, and he had a heart of gold. We are grateful for his work on the Rivanna Trail.

Due to construction of a utility duct, Stribling Avenue Extended will be closed from September 19 to October 14. A short stretch of the trail along Stribling where the trail comes out from the Forestry property and passes under the railroad trestle is impacted by this closure. As an alternative, through-hikers may walk along Fontaine, right on Jefferson Park Avenue, and then right again onto Old Lynchburg Road towards Azalea Park.

Part of the trail between Avon Street and Quarry Park has closed. While the City pursues a permanent rerouting, a detour is now open that maintains the continuity of the trail. From the former trailhead at Avon Street, follow Avon south and up the hill to the next driveway on the left. Turn onto the driveway and follow the road straight back to a fence where you will find a sign marking a gate, which leads to the detour trail. There are signs with maps posted at either end of the closed section of trail.

Please respect the owners of the Virginia Self Storage property and discontinue all use of the previous trail. Doing so will help us maintain our positive relationship with the owners and will aid in future negotiations.