Newly built singletrack trail running along a wooded ridge at Seven Bends, with sunlit spring trees and blue sky.

Seven Bends State Park · Woodstock, Virginia

Seven Bends Trails

Building trails that connect Seven Bends State Park and the North Fork of the Shenandoah River to Massanutten Mountain and the George Washington National Forest.

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The Project

From River to Ridgetop

Seven Bends State Park draws more than 90,000 visitors a year. But the trails from the park up toward Massanutten Mountain are mostly steep, eroding legacy routes—old roads rather than purpose-built trail—with few loop options. The Coalition is working with Seven Bends State Park and the Lee Ranger District of the George Washington National Forest to build sustainable trails that more of our neighbors can use.

90,000+Park visitors a year

3.95 miBuilt in Phase 1

Up to 4 miComing in Phase 2

$530K+Recreational Trails Program grants

Two Phases

Building the Network

Freshly built singletrack curving through a stand of pine trees at Seven Bends, its tread covered in light-colored crushed stone.

Complete

Phase 1 — River to Ridgetop

Opened June 2026

3.3 miles of new singletrack
0.65 miles of new gravel trail
$239,920 Recreational Trails Program grant, awarded in 2022
Built by Appalachian Dirt and Black Diamond Design
Stone donated by Frazier Quarry

Read about the ribbon cutting →

A compact excavator cutting new trail into a rocky, wooded hillside during Phase 1 construction at Seven Bends.

Funded 2026

Phase 2 — North Fork Trails Connectivity

Design underway

$296,411.60 Recreational Trails Program grant
Up to 4 miles of new trail
A second connection to the Massanutten Mountain National Recreation Trail, so you can make loops instead of out-and-backs
Turns the Gokotta Accessible Trail into a full loop
Closes and rehabilitates eroding social trails

Timeline: design and environmental review through summer 2027; construction spring through fall 2028.

Help fund Phase 2 →

Front page of the Daily News-Record with the headline "Ready for Adventure," featuring a photo of Kyle Lawrence beside a trail sign at Seven Bends State Park and a mountain biker riding the new singletrack.

In the News

Phase 1 Made the Front Page

The opening of the River to Ridgetop trail landed on the front page of the Daily News-Record under the headline “Ready for Adventure,” and ran in the Northern Virginia Daily. Thank you to everyone who made this trail possible.

“These projects don’t happen on their own. It only works when the community kind of rallies around it.”Kyle Lawrence, quoted in the Northern Virginia Daily

Read the story →

Get There

Trail Map

Seven Bends State Park on Trailforks.com

Project map

Topographic map of Seven Bends State Park and the slope of Massanutten Mountain. Purple lines mark the proposed trails, dotted lines mark existing roads and trails, and red arrows point to two connection points with Forest Service trails along the ridge. — Project map from our November 2025 update. Purple lines show proposed trails; dotted lines show existing roads and trails.

State park parking pass required

Seven Bends is a Virginia State Park, and every vehicle needs a parking pass. Pay the daily parking fee at the park or use a Virginia State Parks annual pass.
See parking fees & passes →

Lupton entrance

This is the park’s Lupton entrance. Park in the Lupton parking lot near Lupton Pavilion and the barn. Phase 2 will turn the Gokotta Accessible Trail into a full loop that starts and ends here.

Directions to the Lupton entrance →

Riverbend Rise Trailhead

Trailhead for the River to Ridgetop trail.

Get Involved

How to Help

The Recreational Trails Program reimburses 80% of project costs. The Coalition raises the other 20% through donations and volunteer hours. Every gift and every hour helps unlock federal funding.

Donate

Give to the Seven Bends local match. Your gift goes straight to the 20% we need to raise.

Volunteer

Trail days count toward the match. Every hour you spend on the trail is worth real dollars toward the grant. Join the Seven Bends email list and we’ll invite you to upcoming trail days.

Get trail day invites