James River Park - The Wetlands

A welcome respite during the long lockdown months, we walk almost daily taking in the birds and wildlife, and just experiencing the rhythms of nature during wet and dry times, and through the changing seasons. A real place of natural beauty in the midst of the suburban landscape.

Great walks near the James River. Good location to watch for birds on their migration routes. Dogs should mainly be leashed. River access. Parking is very limited. One option is to park at Pony Pasture and follow the river trail to Wetlands. Be sure to see the pond from the blinds to see wildlife.

This is one of those gated community trails that's incredibly difficult to access if you don't live in the area and drive there. You can get there from Pony Pasture but then it becomes a lot longer of a hike. Tried going through the middle opening for Pony to be closer but that street was closed off. This is Richmond not Colorado really shocked by the lack of access.

What's not to like? It's 1/4 mile to the water from where you park. Super calm waters. Just awesome. We'll be exploring the trails next time!

Richmond is lucky to have such a wonderful river and park system in the heart of the city. Deep woods with well maintained hiking and cycling trails and easy access to the James River for canoeing, kayaking or just sunning on the rocks. The park is also a bird watcher's paradise with many species of waterfowl, hawks, owls, eagles and many smaller birds. This park is a gem, not to be missed.