In springtime, when the vegetation alongthe mountainsides is that new, neon-greencolor and the seasonal rains have swollenthe waterways, a walk along the MauryRiver may just be one the prettiest outingsin all of Virginia. Formed by the meeting ofthe Cowpasture and Calfpasture Riversnorth of Lexington, the Maury initiallycourses into a narrow gorge of verticalmountain walls as its whitewater tumblesover huge boulders. This Class II-IV sectionof the river is popular with canoeists andkayakers, while later in the year, when thewater level has dropped, entire families floatlazily downstream on inner tubes. Becoming a bit more tame as it flows tothe south and east, the river soon meandersalong the northern edge of Lexington. Beyondthe city, it widens a bit as it delivers itswaters past the green meadows of theShenandoah Valley, eventually coming to anend where it empties into the James River. Like all navigable waterways, the MauryRiver corridor has long been a natural conduitfor transportation. Small watercraft firstused its route, giving way to larger boatsupon completion of the James River andKanawha Canal. Then came the Richmondand Allegheny Railroad (which was purchasedby the Chesapeake and Ohio), andnow modern roadways. After it suffereddevastating infrastructure losses from HurricaneCamille in 1969, the C&O abandonedits line along the river. Recognizing that a rare opportunity hadpresented itself, members of various organizationsand interested individuals workedon obtaining the right-of-way and developingthe old railbed into a trail. The NatureConservancy acquired the property in 1978and turned it over to the Virginia Military InstituteFoundation in 1979. The result of all of this hard work is theChessie Nature Trail, a premium outdoorrecreational resource that runs along asomewhat isolated length of the river fromLexington to Buena Vista. With the oldrailbed providing a flat surface, this is a hikethat just about anyone can enjoy. Whenthere is enough snow on the ground, thecross-country skiing is superb. Alternatingwoodlands and pastures guarantee a diversityof flora and fauna, and bird life is exceptionallyrich at just about any time of theyear. The remains of locks and other structuresfrom the days of the canal give thehike an added historical dimension. Pleasantly,as this is one of the very few rail-trailsin the entire country that is open to pedestriansonly, your reverie will not be interruptedby any bicyclists suddenly zoomingpast you. Since this is a one-way hike, a car shuttlewill be necessary. The eastern trailheadmay be reached by taking I-81 to Exit 188at Lexington, driving US 60 east for 2.7miles, and turning left onto VA 608 (StuartsburgRoad). There will be a large parkingarea on the left almost immediately, butcontinue for another 0.2 mile and leave onecar in the small parking area next to thegated access for the nature trail. Continue along VA 608 in the other carfor 5.0 more miles, where you will crossover the South River and the road you areon magically becomes VA 703. Stay on VA703 for an additional 1.7 miles, make a leftonto VA 631 (Old Buena Vista Road), andgo 1.8 more miles to a small parking area onthe right side of the road, directly acrossfrom the Chessie Nature Trail side. (Officiallythe trail begins on VMI Island in Lexington,but starting at the point describedsaves you almost a mile of walking by busyUS 11 and next to a series of warehousesand industrial businesses.) Be aware thatthe trail is only open from dawn to dusk. Walk a few feet down the access roadand turn left onto the nature trail. The accessroad, known as the Wye for its Yshape, was actually a part of the railroadthat provided a place for trains to turnaround. As they came in from the east, thetrains would back up the western leg of theWye, pull back down into the eastern leg,and then travel in reverse all the way to thestation, and the terminus of the rail line, inLexington. Pass though a gate at 0.2 mile, walkingbeside low cliffs and ailanthus and box eldertrees. Also known as the tree of heaven, theailanthus is an introduced species that wasonce planted as a landscaping ornamental.Sun tolerant and able to spread quickly, itoften crowds out native vegetation. Becauseits roots are poisonous, it has sometimescaused water wells to be abandoned.Its male flowers produce a strong offensiveodor, and some people have allergic reactionsto its pollen. The treeÆs seed pods arewinged (as are the box elderÆs) and are reminiscentof those of the maple tree, whichchildren throw into the air so they will floatback down, spinning like helicopter blades.Cedar and sassafras trees become part ofthe understory at 0.8 mile. Pass under a utility line at 1.0 mile, wheretrumpet vine creeps over the rocks andother vegetation. The site of ReidÆs lock and dam is at 1.3miles. It was here that the livestock that hadbeen pulling vessels from Lexington were ferriedacross the river so they could continuedownstream along a towpath. Just beyondthis is a side trail to the waterÆs edge, whichenables you to obtain a different perspectiveon the lock and to watch ducks run the smallriffles of the stream. This portion of the hikehas much of the same look and feel as theC&0 Canal Towpath along the Potomac Riverin Maryland (see 50 Hikes in Maryland). The river is split in two by a long island at1.9 miles. Cross Warm Run on a footbridgeat 2.0 miles, pass under I-81, and stepthrough a gate and into an open meadow.Pass through another gate at 2.3 miles andwalk under a utility line, where severalspecies of daisy-like flowers are taking advantageof the bright sunshine. Mimicking the river, the trail bends to theright at 2.6 miles. The æBF 16Æ that is emblazonedon the post next to the trail markedthe distance along the railroad from thispoint to Balcony Falls on the James River.The cliffs above you have exposed varioustypes of limestone, whose formations dateback more than 450 million years. Lookclosely and you will see veins of calcite and,to a lesser degree, some of quartz. After passing though a gate at 2.8 miles,you could almost expect to see a horse andbuggy come riding up the roadbed, inasmuchas the trail begins to resemble an oldcountry lane with meadows on both sides ofit. Along its south side, the river has cut intothe bedrock, exposing the stratum. Alsoacross the river are the remains of theSouth River Lock, where boats left the riverand traveled along a canal, enabling them toskirt the Maury/South River confluence. The slope of the Blue Ridge Mountainsencompassed within the James River FaceWilderness (see Hike 40) is visible for thefirst time through a break in the trees at 3.1miles. You will pass through a gate at 3.3miles where VA 703 is next to the naturetrail. ThereÆs also a tuft of Asiatic dayflowerat 3.4 miles. Pass through another gate at 3.5 miles,come to a parking area, and cross theSouth River. The remains of an old trestleare visible in the woods to the left at 3.7miles. Proceed to still another gate and intoa cow pasture at 3.8 miles. Sadly, restfulrural landscapes such as this are becomingincreasingly rare, so slow down and enjoyall that it has to offer. Thistle and chicoryspring forth from the ground, goldfinchesperch on the wire fence, and turkey vulturessoar on rising thermals. The æWÆ on the post at 4.1 miles was to remindthe train engineer coming from BuenaVista to blow his whistle as he approachedthe upcoming road crossing (itÆs now the almost-abandoned dirt road you just steppedover). Pass through yet another gate wherea number of sycamoresùwater-loving treesùgrow along the riverbank. The wires of an old cable car stretchacross the stream at 4.5 miles. Some trailsin the American West still make use ofthese to enable hikers to cross unbridgedwaterways. You will pass the æBF 14Æ post 4.6miles into the hike, where traffic is visiblealong US 60 on the south side of the river.Look closely at the cliffs on your left at 4.9miles and you can see the holes that weredrilled into the rock and into which explosiveswere loaded. The Ben Salem Lock, possibly the bestpreserved along the Maury River, is on theopposite bank at 5.1 miles, as is the BenSalem Wayside, where you may see peoplepicnicking, swimming, and fishing. The largerocks, piles of gravel, and stretches of sandin the lower portion of the meadow you walkinto after stepping through a gate at 5.2miles mark it as being a part of the floodplain. Walk by more box elder trees and theæBF 13Æ post at 5.6 miles. ZimmermanÆs Lock,at 6.0 miles, was constructed to provideboats a way around the swift currents in thispart of the river. The journey comes to an end as youpass through the final gate and return toyour shuttled automobile at 6.2 miles. Otherhikes within a short driving distance ofLexington include House Mountain (seeHike 37) and Lake Robertson (see Hike36). Also nearby, and described in 50Hikes in Northern Virginia, are the RichHole Wilderness, Tuscarora Overlook, andBeards Mountain. Excerpted from 50 Hikes in Southern Virginia (2e) ? by Leonard Adkins.Posted with permission of the publisher, The Countryman Press/W. W. Norton &Company, Inc. (http://www.countrymanpress.com)