The Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship (BRCES) has seven different loops of intertwining trails. With a wildlife pond, historic homesteads, wetlands, and Piney Run, this area offers something for everyone. Make sure to bring your camera, because there are pictures around every corner at the BRCES.
The Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship is also a working farm, with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program, engaging the community as stakeholders in the farm produce. The Robert and Dee Leggett Foundation purchased Mountain View farm in 1999 as a home for the Blue Ridge Center and to preserve the land's history.
All the trails are accessed from the main trailhead, 100 yards from the parking area where the gravel road splits to the right. With multiple different circuits possible, from the shorter 1.8 mile Farmstead Loop passing a wildlife pond, valley views, two old homesteads, and several pastures, to combining that circuit with several of the higher mountain loops to form a 6.2 mile perimeter hike.
Piney Run passes through the middle of the property, on its way to the Potomac River. The run has a beautiful lunch spot on a small island where the Old Bridge Trail crosses it, as well as a large wetlands area that is visible from both the Piney Spur Trail, and Legacy Loop.
But whichever combination of trails you decide to do, make sure to print the trail map, as you might miss something beautiful in this labyrinth.
Interactive Hike Map BelowPrintable
Topo Hike Map (PDF) Hike route in Drag the map with your mouse using the icon Zoom with the controls on the left Mouse-over icons in the map below for location shots
Calculate roughly how many calories you could burn on the BRCES hike:
This was the first hike that my wife and I took together and I would highly recommend it for beginners. Didn't see much wildlife, however the scenery made up for it. The hike wasn't difficult but the trip around the Piney Run Spur was a decent workout. Can't wait to try it in the spring.
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Date of Hike: Friday, August 21, 2009
The prior two reviews emphasize what I liked most about this hike: the solitude, and the little things. I had the entire property to myself on this hot and steamy Friday morning. It's true that there are no overwhelming vistas on this property (although the scenery at Gordon Pond is quite nice), it was the lesser views that were so pleasing: the bench at Piney Island, the bridges across the streams, Jonathon's Rock, and the multi-colored algae on Wortman pond.
A note of caution: keep your trail map handy. Though it is very accurate, there are many intersections along the way at which you will need to orient yourself.
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Walt G
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Date of Hike: Sunday, August 16, 2009
I took my 6 year old daughter for a 3 hour hike on the recommended route minus the Legacy Loop. Basically a nice walk in the woods, not too strenuous and a few interesting things to see. The interesting sights are not big open vistas, but smaller things. Frogs in a stream, the Boy Scout built bridge on the Little Turtle Trail, a bleached turkey vulture skull, the wildflowers in Butterfly Alley. The quiet was nice, we didn’t see any other hikers on the trails.
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Libby
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Date of Hike: Monday, July 13, 2009
The best part of this hike was the solitude, by far. My fiancee and I didn't see a single other person during our whole trek, which was a welcome change from some of the other trails we've done in NoVa. It was not physically challenging, though the gradual up and down grades did make for a decent work out. Definitely bring bug spray with you if you do it.
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Date of Hike: Saturday, June 28, 2008
I took MRSHyker here for her birthday. We did the circuit shown here. It was a very pleasant walk in the woods with some short, modest climbs thrown in to let you know you were in the mountains. We found the Gordon Pond area to be a nice break spot. If you're into flora and fauna you can find at least 12 different species of wildflowers here. Most of these will be along Butterfly Alley (the power line swath) but others can be found in the wooded areas as well. We saw White Avens, Deptford Pinks, Black-eyed Susans, Fleabane, Ox-eye Daisies, Foxglove Beardtongue, Scarlet Pimpernel, Venus Looking Glass, Hyssop Skullcap, Tall Bellflower, Butterfly Weed, Common Milkweed, White Vervain and Yarrow just to name a few.
Definitely bring a copy of the map but be aware of one possible point of confusion. It looks like there is only one place to ford Piney Run where the Little Turtle, Piney Run Spur and Farmstead trails come together but you have 2 chioces. If you cross at the southernmost one where an attempt at building a bridge is being made (See photo on this site.) you will arrive at one of the "historic cabins". There is no sign for the Piney Run Spur Trail at this point but it is to the left behind a wood gate of sorts. If you follow it north a short distance to the other ford you will find a more complete set of signs.
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