Henrico officials weighing new trail that would follow path of Union troops

A recommendation for a new trail that would connect four different parks in Varina – Deep Bottom, New Market, Four Mile Creek, and Dorey – as well as the Virginia Capital Trail was one of several updates provided by the HEART Committee to the Henrico Board of Supervisors July 11. (HEART stands for Henrico's Environmental Action Resource Team, which is a collection of county officials from various agencies.)

The trail, whose potential cost officials aren’t yet able to estimate, would run three to four miles, from Deep Bottom Park north to the undeveloped New Market Park at the southeastern intersection of I-295 and New Market Road. It also would be located across New Market Road from the Four Mile Creek Park trailhead for the Virginia Capital Trail and would further extend the trail from Dorey Park to Four Mile Creek Park by at least three miles, Henrico Parks Planning Supervisor Al Azzarone explained. The project would involve collaboration with Recreation and Parks, the Department of Public Utilities, The American Battlefield Trust and the Capital Region Land Conservancy.

“It would roughly follow the route of advancing Union troops north from their Deep Bottom landing in September 1864 to the Battle of New Market Heights that was mainly fought on the land encompassed by the currently undeveloped New Mark Park parcel on the south side of New Market Road,” Azzarone said. “The Battle of New Market Heights is notable for the use of United States Colored troops who earned 14 fourteen Medals of Honor for their actions.”

County officials are developing a grant proposal for planning money for the trail through the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.