Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Location
Spotsylvania County
Endpoints
Lake Anna State Park Visitor Center
Mileage
1.6
Roughness Index
2
Surface
Dirt
The Railroad Ford Trail is located in beautiful Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania
County between Washington, DC, and Richmond, Virginia. The park boasts 2463
acres with 11 trails, swimming, boating, fishing, horseback riding, and camping. The
park is open daily from 8
AM
to dusk.
This loop trail (which is rough but wheelchair-accessible) is a section of the ori-
ginal 17.5-mile rail corridor that was established in 1917 to support the war effort in
Europe. The railroad was used to transport ore from Holladay Mine, 5 miles north, to
Allah Cooper Mine, 7 miles down the track. Lead and zinc were extracted from the
ore and transported 10 miles to Mineral, Virginia, where they were then shipped on
the C&O Railroad to northern factories to make bullets and shell cartridges.
Today, visitors will find a beautiful walking trail, sun-dappled by a tree canopy.
To find the trailhead, follow the sidewalk past the visitor center and boat-rental area.
The trail begins at the marker where the sidewalk ends. From the trail marker, bear
right to begin your walk along this loop. The 0.75 miles takes you along a packed dirt
path that runs parallel to the lake.
