Radcliffe Conservation Area Loop

Dogs Unknown

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Hiking this loop counterclockwise is harder as you are left with the more technical Explorer Trail for the last mile. This includes some elevation changes and a more primitive tread. The crushed gravel ends about 1/4 mile short of the turnaround point, as the trail is still being improved (April 2017). The Main Trail is easy, flat, and wide, so if you want to take this one clockwise you'll have an easy finish with almost no elevation gain.

The John J. Radcliffe Conservation Area part of the County of Chesterfield Parks and Rec is 87 acres of woodlands and swampland along the Appomattox River just below the the Brasfield Dam and Appomattox River Water Authority. This loop is a great way to see the woodlands. For the first portion of the hike, the Appomattox River caresses the trail for over a mile, and there are more than a handful elevated boardwalks throughout the trail and wonderful creeks along it that will make you stop and enjoy the sounds and wildlife.

The woodlands serve as habitat for a variety of birds including blue herons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, and others. Piles of discarded freshwater clams testify to satiated muskrats or raccoons or otters.