1990 Bikeway/Walkway Plan

Huckleberry Trail

PRIORITY: #1 Project

DESIGNATION: Trail

Description: Beginning near the entrance to Warm Hearth Retirement Village, and extending to the corporate limits of Christiansburg, this project would convert the county-owned, abandoned Norfolk and Western railroad line to an off-road trail.

Funding Source: If promoted as a linear park, this trail would qualify for Virginia Outdoors Grant funding. Since the land is currently owned by the County, land acquisition is unnecessary, making this project economically feasible. Various civic organizations have also volunteered their services to help clear the right-of-way.

Traffic Counts: 32,925 along South Main Street (US Rte 460, 1988 figures).

Justification: The Huckleberry Trail is a historic, abandoned railroad right-of-way that originally extended between Blacksburg and Christiansburg. This trail would follow the old railroad line and would create a linear park parallel to US 460. The route would serve as a commuter link between Blacksburg and Christiansburg and would provide access to Mid-County Park (see page 18 for connecting route description). While the County's portion of this route would end at the town limits of Christiansburg, it is recommended that Christiansburg investigate continuing this trail to the New River Valley Mall. The Blacksburg Bikeway Plan also ranks this project as #1 and recommends that it be extended from Blacksburg to the County.