What To Do

Off-Road Trails

South Pedlar ATV Trail System (Terrapin & Rattlesnake Trails) is a loping network of approximately 19 miles of trails designed for the recreational all-terrain vehicle rider. It is open to four-wheel ATV's, motorbikes and mountain bikes. Riders will find challenges in the narrow and twisting trails while others will find trails that are wide and inviting.

Visitors enjoy panoramic vistas, groves of large trees, spectacular mountain laurel blooms in season and relief from the hot summer sun under the shady forest canopy.

Permitted Vehicles: Four-wheel all-terrain vehicles (ATV's), motorbikes and mountain bikes. No saddle, pack or draft animals. Three-wheel ATV's and specialized vehicles exceeding 600 pounds or 50 inches in width are prohibited.

Directions: Signs for the Terrapin and Rattlesnack Trailhead parking lots are posted along State Route 130. From Bedford take Hwy 122 N to Rte. 501. Go left on 501 toward the Blue Ride Parkway. Just after crossing through the Parkway underpass, ahead on the right is Forest Development Road (FDR) 319. Turn right onto FDR 319 to the Terrapin Trailhead parking lot. The Rattlesnake Trailhead parking lot is another _ miles west on State Route 130, then right onto FDR 564.

Vehicle Operation: Protective helmets must be worn and child operators between the ages of 12 and 16 must be supervised by an adult. Only one rider/operator on a vehicle at a time.

Use: Designated trials of the South Pedlar ATV Trail System are marked by orange diamonds with a reflective mountain symbol. Camping is permitted except within 500 feet around the trailhead parking lots. Trailers should not exceed 16 feet in length. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on trails or trailheads. Hunting is permitted in the area. State regulations for transportation of a weapon and for hunting near a road is applicable. Trails are considered roads under Virginia hunting regulations.

Fees: Parking at the trailhead is $5 per vehicle per day. Self-service pay stations are available at each trailhead parking lot. A seasonal parking permit is available from the Pedlar District Office.

Trails & Mileages:
South Pedlar (around the boundary - 11 miles
Terrapin - 0.6 miles
Rattlesnake - 0.6 miles
Piney - 0.9 miles
Otter - 1.2 miles
Lone Mountain - 2.0 miles
Lasso - 2.8 miles

For more information:
Glenwood/Pedlar Ranger District
PO Box 10
Natural Bridge Station, VA 24570
540-291-2189
www.southernregion.fs.fed.us/gwj/ohvtrails.htm

Upcoming Events

  • May 17 - Restoration Talk and Tour - 3:00pm to 4:00pm - In honor of National Historic Preservation month, Director of Restoration Travis McDonald will present a slide talk and tour explaining why Jefferson's design of his retreat, Poplar Forest, was a radically modern work of architecture in America for its time. Jefferson's work was a "melting pot" of architectural prototypes but also very personal. The current restoration work on the wing of service rooms is one of the most Jeffersonian parts of the architecture and one that was innovative and unusual in American architecture. Standard admission charge, which also includes a separate tour of the house either before or after the restoration tour. - Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, 1548 Bateman Bridge Road, Route 661, Forest - 434-525-1806 - www.poplarforest.org

  • May 24 - Moonlight Serenade - 7:00pm - See the Memorial at dusk on this special Memorial Day weekend. The Jefferson Choral Society will perform an evening concert of 1940s music from 8:00pm to 9:00pm. Performer Keith Campbell will kick off the concert at 7pm. The Memorial will remain open until 10:00pm. - National D-Day Memorial, Bedford - 540-586-3329 - www.dday.org

  • May 31 - 3rd Annual BBQ at Sedalia - Barbeque connoisseurs will gather at the 3rd annual BBQ festival to celebrate the art and secrets of slow-cooked pork barbeque. Tastin' starts at High noon! BBQ Teams will likely begin cooking Friday night and continue into the early hours of Saturday morning. The 4-person teams typically have playful names, but are serious about tasty and tender pork barbeque. - The Sedalia Center, 1108 Sedalia School Road, Big Island - $ - 434-299-5080 - www.sedaliacenter.org

 

These events and more can be found in our event calendar.

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