The Rivanna Trail – Quarry Park

The Rivanna Trail encircles the entire City of Charlottesville; this section follows the meanderings of Moore’s Creek. Once you leave the parking area at Quarry Park, look for woodchucks sitting guard at the entrance to their burrows. When you cross the large metal and wooden bridge over Moore’s Creek you are on the Rivanna Trail and have the option to head east or west. To the right (west) you pass through an area of scattered forest patches and shrubby fields just north of Interstate 64. Heading left (east) you enter more developed riparian forest and can follow the creek under Monticello Avenue. (It is proposed that a trail will eventually lead from here to the Monticello Visitor center on the southern side of Interstate 64.)

While walking the trail you will be greeted by the numerous common residents of the eastern forest, such as northern cardinal, blue jays and downy woodpeckers. These familiar species are joined during migration with a completely different set of visitors. In spring or fall look for  warblers like Cape May, magnolia, northern parula and American redstarts. As the fall cools down the area, flocks of American robins take over and are sometimes joined by wandering cedar waxwings, and occasionally other fruit eaters such as Swainson’s thrush or gray catbird.