The 12-mile Carter Taylor Trail is a fairly new addition to the riding options for mountain bikers in the Piedmont. The trail was named after longtime state forester Carter Taylor, who devoted himself to the surrounding 19,710-acre Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest, the largest of Virginia's state forests. This multiuse loop was dedicated in 1996, and park staff are encouraging its use by mountain bikers while discouraging further use of the 5-mile Lakeshore Trail around Holliday Lake.
The trail has a number of possible starting points where it intersects state roads, although the recommended trailhead is at the forestry center for Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. The Carter Taylor Trail is well marked as it winds its way along single-track; double-track; grassy, overgrown no-track; and gravel roads.
If you're camping at Holliday Lake State Park, take the trailhead located just across from the campground. A half-mile (one-way) spur from the Carter Taylor to Holliday Lake contains some steep, short uphills and downhills along a section of power-line right-of-way that will get all but the strongest riders walking.
Overall, the 12-mile loop is relatively flat, easy to follow, and a trail for riders of all ability levels. If you're short on time or stamina, it's also possible to ride a number of shorter loops by using paved state roads that intermittently intersect the trail.
Finding the trail: Coming from either the east or west on US 60, turn onto VA 24 at Mount Rush toward Appomattox. (Note: this may appear to be the middle of nowhere, but the historical marker at this spot indicates it's actually the geographic center of Virginia.) After 7 miles, turn left onto VA 636 and park next to the forestry center for Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. You can start on the Carter Taylor Trail by crossing VA 636 and riding down the Richmond Forest Road, located just behind the maintenance buildings opposite the forestry center.
If you're camping at Holliday Lake State Park or planning to swim in the lake, you should start from the well-marked trailhead located across from the campground within the park's boundaries. Instead of turning onto VA 636, continue on VA 24 for 4 additional miles and turn left onto VA 626. Then follow the signs for Holliday Lake State Park.
Notes on the trail: The trailhead within Holliday Lake State Park is well marked (as is the entire trail) but includes a very steep half-mile section of trail along a power-line right-of-way. To miss this power-line section, leave the park on VA 692 past the entrance station and then pick up the trail a half mile down the road on the right, where you'll see an information board just into the woods. Follow the obvious double-track from here and continue straight where the spur trail runs right along the power line back to Holliday Lake State Park.
Novice riders (and all riders during wet periods) should omit the section of trail between the Holliday Lake State Park spur trail and VA 614. This is a low-lying muddy section with several short, steep ups and downs, and its surface can be torn up by horses. A wide but short stream crossing through here makes this area noticeably more difficult than the rest of the trail.
For those starting from the forestry center, pedal or coast downhill a short distance on the Richmond Forest Road to a sign and a dispenser for trail brochures on the left side of this double-track. There's no need for step-by-step directions to navigate this loop because"CT" (Carter Taylor) signs have been positioned where you need them. This is not to say there are no ambiguous places where an additional sign or two would have helped, but they are few compared to the confusing trails often encountered in Virginia's national forests.
On the CT, you only need to look around a little to find the trail's continuation after a short lapse on the edge of a cultivated field or an overgrown section of double-track. Someone finally figured out that you only need trail directions at critical turns, and this is where you will find the unassuming but welcome CT signs pointing the way. This is very helpful because a large number of county and forest roads intersect the trail along its 12-mile length. For that matter, this 19,710-acre state forest is laced with numerous unmarked roads that you could, with a map and an adventurous spirit, combine into all kinds of possible rides.
A final note: History buffs will recall Appomattox Courthouse as the site where Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union's General Ulysses S. Grant, putting an end to the Civil War. If Civil War history interests you, be sure to visit the nearby Sailor's Creek Historic State Park, site of the last battle between the Union and Confederate armies, and Appomattox Courthouse National Historical Park.
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Carter Taylor Trail
Appomattox-Buckingham
State Forest
Trail Map
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 | Length/configuration: 12-mile loop. |
| Aerobic difficulty: Flat and slightly rolling terrain. |
| Technical difficulty: Easy—gravel and grassy double-track with few obstructions. |
| Scenery: Dense woods, cut-over areas, and open fields in rolling Virginia Piedmont. |
| Special comments: A good family ride; longer and shorter loops are possible by using intersecting secondary roads and state forest double-track. |
| General Location: 40 miles east of Lynchburg and 20 miles north of Farmville. |
| Elevation Change: Moderate typical rolling hills of the Piedmont with some short, steep ups and downs as well as relatively flat sections of forest roads. |
| Season: Year-round. |
| Services: Holliday Lake State Park has camping, picnicking, swimming, boating, and fishing. A fee is charged to enter the park, although it's not necessary to enter the park to ride the Carter Taylor Trail. All other services are available in Lynchburg. |
| Hazards: Some short but very steep sections of trail, especially on the initial power-line right-of-way; traffic at several spots where the trail crosses state roads; large patches of poison ivy, especially on the last section of power line (if you're susceptible to ticks and poison ivy, skip this part of overgrown no-track and ride on VA 636, which runs within 40 feet of the trail); and hunting during fall and winter gun seasons. |
| Rescue Index: Summer riders can find assistance at Holliday Lake State Park. |
| Land Status: Virginia state forest and park. |
| Maps: Available from the office of Holliday Lake State Park and Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest. |
| Trail Map |
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