Top 7 Biking Trails: Getting Around Williamsburg Without A Car

A long-time favorite biking trail is the Colonial Parkway stretching from Jamestown through Williamsburg to Yorktown. When staying in Williamsburg, you can take one day to peddle 13 miles to Yorktown for lunch and a ride through the battlefields. You can download the National Park Service app on your phone for the Battlefield Tour.  On another day, you can bike 10 miles to Jamestown for some historical sightseeing.  All along the Parkway highway are pull-offs with historical significance. Biking makes it easy to stop, explore, and get going again.

Head to Jamestown Island for a bike ride that pairs beautiful scenery with historical markers and interpretation stations. The island is open to pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles, but biking around is the best way to see everything and stop wherever you want to explore more. There are two loops that you can complete. The first measures 3 miles and includes Swann’s Tavern, May-Hartwell House, and Historic Jamestown, while the longer one adds 2 miles and leads you to Black Point.  Choose either the three or the five-mile loop to experience the wilderness as the first settlers did in 1607.

One of the best continuous bike trails in the entire country connects Virginia’s current capital, Richmond, to the first capital of Jamestown. Biking enthusiasts may try to traverse the entire trail, but you can easily pick and choose how far you would like to ride. There are trailheads with parking at Jamestown, Park at Chickahominy Riverfront Park, and Charles City Courthouse where you can head towards Culs Courthouse Grille for a delicious lunch in a historic setting before turning around and enjoying the countryside on your way back.

If you want to mix in a little off-road mountain biking to your trip, then head to New Quarter Park just east of town. You can ride the Colonial Parkway to Lakeshead Drive to lead you right into the heart of the park. Once you get there you can explore the 5.5-mile biking loop or just ride around and explore nature.

Part of the larger Virginia Capital Trail, the Powhatan Creek Trail is a tranquil trail that leads you through some of the lesser-visited parts of town - ravines and marshes.  You can start the trail at Clara Byrd Baker Elementary or at Jamestown and bike over quaint wooden bridges passing the site of Historic Mainland Church, the first church built outside the Jamestown Settlement, and a large field until you reach the historic Jamestown settlement on the water. This is an excellent addition to the Historic Jamestown Bike Trail if you want extra sightseeing.

On the South Bank of the York River lies a marsh that is incredibly wild despite being surrounded by some of the oldest settlements in the country. There are trails ranging from easy to difficult that will lead you all around the park. Make sure to stop often and pack a pair of binoculars as you’ll see all sorts of rare birds and wildlife on your excursion.

Just north of town lies one of the most treasured parks in the county. Freedom Park boasts a little of everything from a little museum to the Williamsburg Botanical Garden to some of the best biking trails around. The 0.7-mile Bunny Loop is great for families, while Trails A-E boast different challenges and levels of difficulty. No matter what trail you ride, you’ll be smiling from ear to ear with excitement.