How to Support Local Recreation in Charlottesville and Albemarle County

Charlottesville and Albemarle County are home to a number of beautiful parks, waterways, and trail systems that are enjoyed year-round by locals and visitors alike. In fact, the area was just named a Top Adventure Town by Blue Ridge Outdoors, no doubt at all because of these outdoor spaces.

In addition to our hardworking parks and recreation departments, we also have to give thanks to the local organizations that work around the clock to advocate for, maintain, and grow these spaces. Here’s a brief look at just a few of the local, hardworking groups responsible for keeping Charlottesville and Albemarle County beautiful and ready for adventure.

RCA
CAMBC
RTF
TJTU
IVY CREEK
1. Rivanna Conservation Alliance (RCA)

“The Rivanna Conservation Alliance is an amazing group of people creating so much positive change for the river and our community. We work closely with RCA on educational river outings and trash cleanups, and the scope of what they achieve beyond that is really impressive. They manage two different comprehensive water quality and stream health monitoring programs, plant thousands of native trees, take a leadership role on invasive species issues, and are even spearheading some huge improvements for our most popular riverfront park. The staff and volunteers of RCA show just how well a community can connect with and take care of its river.” - Rivanna River Company

What is the RCA?

The Rivanna Conservation Alliance acts as the voice of the Rivanna River within the community, protecting clean water, healthy ecosystems, and outdoor recreation through science-driven conservation across the 766-square-mile watershed. RCA is the only nonprofit in Virginia to be certified by the Department of Environmental Quality at the highest level for bacteria and biological water quality monitoring. Local, state, and federal government agencies use RCA’s data to inform their environmental decision-making and community members use it to guide their decisions about safe river recreation.

What Key Projects is the RCA Working on in 2025?

  • Water Quality Monitoring: 100+ trained volunteers led by professional staff, monitor 50 long-term stream sites for biological health and test 21 sites for bacteria regularly during recreation season. RCA's public Bacteria Data Dashboard helps paddlers, swimmers, and anglers know when it's safe to enjoy the river.
  • Watershed Education: Providing hands-on field experiences to 1,250 middle schoolers in Albemarle and Charlottesville, plus community pop-ups throughout the year.
  • Rivanna Restoration at Riverview Park: Restoring 900+ feet of eroding riverbank at the city's only public Rivanna access point, adding new river access areas and trails. Construction planned for winter 2026-2027.
  • Rivanna Forest Restoration Partnership: Leading 12+ organizations to combat invasive species and restore forest health in three public parks along the Rivanna River, with 1,800 native trees planted in 2024.
  • River Cleanups: RCA's September River Round-Up mobilized 200+ volunteers who removed 2.46 tons of trash and 116 tires from the Rivanna and its tributaries.

How Can Visitors Best Support Your Mission?

There are a few ways to support the RCA. Volunteer for cleanups, restoration work, or water quality monitoring by completing a Volunteer Interest Form, check the Bacteria Data Dashboard before swimming/paddling, sign up for RCA's monthly newsletter, attend events like the annual Rivanna Riverfest, practice Leave No Trace principles, and follow RCA on Instagram and Facebook.

2. Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club (CAMBC)

“The Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club has been instrumental in establishing mountain bike trails, parks and access in the region for many years. The group every year leads large groups of volunteers to build, maintain, and advocate trails and train access. Their work with area landowners and managers has helped establish a vibrant community of riders of all ages. Additionally, they have actively supported the start of area Junior racing teams.” - Blue Ridge Cyclery

What is the CAMBC?

The Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club develops and maintains trails in Albemarle County, advocates for mountain bike usage, and supports our local mountain bike community.

What Key Projects is the CAMBC Working on in 2025?

  • Biscuit Run Bike Park: The new bike park, Biscuits and Gravity, has several new jump lines, a slalom track, flow and drop trails, as well as a new skills area where riders can practice their progression. Climbing trails were built, so riders can easily get back to the top for another run on these gravity-fed descents.
  • Heyward Community Forest: Heyward’s new trails are a combination of hand-built tech, slabs, and flow trails featuring wood features. With a short climb back to the top, Heyward has become a very popular destination for riders from out of the area.
  • Mint Springs Park: A major effort, led by CAMBC Board Member Hunter Davis, has been underway for the last few years to transform Mint Springs into a technical singletrack destination. Steep and rocky descents, amazing views of the local mountains, and miles of technical sections have been built as CAMBC has invested time and energy into developing these trails.

How Can Visitors Best Support Your Mission?

Join the CAMBC's mailing list to learn about trail rides, trail workdays, and social events.

3. Rivanna Trails Foundation (RTF)

What is the RTF?

The mission of the Rivanna Trails Foundation (RTF) is to promote, create, and protect pathways, trails, and greenways in the Rivanna River Watershed that connect communities and people to one another and to nature. The RTF is a volunteer organization supported solely by tax-deductible contributions. They believe that community-wide trails serve as a resource for nature-related recreation, environmental education, and human-powered transportation.

What Key Projects is the RTF Working on in 2025?

  • Hosting the annual Loop de 'Ville Festival: During the Loop de 'Ville Festival, RTF provides guided hikes, runs, and mountain bike rides over short and long distances. They have "cheer zones" (aid stations) every few miles along the longer routes, so participants can get a pick-me-up snack and a high five.
  • Organizing the Trailblazers Program: RTF partners with Shenandoah National Park to host a work crew of young people during the summer. Participants spend 5 weeks improving local trails and then spend time at Shenandoah National Park, capping off their summer experience!
  • Promoting the Three Notched Trail: A proposed 25-mile, car-free path for recreation and safe transportation. The RTF originally promoted the project and now it has become an Albemarle County project. The trail is in the design phase as part of a federally funded trail master plan.

How Can Visitors Best Support Your Mission?

Visitors can support the Rivanna Trail Foundation by attending the Loop de 'Ville Trail Festival in the fall, volunteering at the monthly trail work party (held the 2nd Saturday of the month), and becoming a member of the trail (which supports the 25 new bridges that are currently being added to the trail!).

4. Thomas Jefferson Trout Unlimited (TJTU)

What is the TJTU?

The Thomas Jefferson Chapter of Trout Unlimited is an affiliate of the national organization with 336 members in the Central Virginia area. Locally and nationally, Trout Unlimited brings together people and interests to care for and recover rivers and streams so that present and future generations can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Through TJTU's partnerships with other local and statewide groups and agencies, the Thomas Jefferson chapter works to maintain the fishery on the Moorman's River tailwater and provide fishing experiences for a wide variety of groups.

What Key Projects is TJTU Working on in 2025?

  • TJTU annually hold events for groups of veterans, cancer survivors, persons with physical and or intellectual challenges, UVA students and school age children.
  • Most recently TJTU hosted a river cleanup day with the Day of Caring annual event.
  • TJTU meets monthly with speakers and fly-tying sessions at most meetings. Information on upcoming events can be found on their website.
  • Trout in the Classroom: TJTU promotes conservation through this educational program for students. The program is hands on, supporting teachers and students to rear trout from eggs to fingerlings, then release them. Along the way they learn important lessons about the environment, sustainability and their responsibility as a caretaker. There are currently 8 schools in the program.

How Can Visitors Best Support Your Mission?

In order to provide their fishing programs, which are done at no cost to the participants, TJTU maintains a 3/4 mile stretch of the Moorman's River by stocking it with rainbow trout during the statewide trout season. The public can gain access to this fishery by purchasing a permit to practice catch and release fly fishing at this site in Sugar Hollow. A Virginia Fishing License with trout stamp is also required.

Permits for access are available online and at the two local fly shops in Charlottesville: The Albemarle Angler and Orvis Charlottesville. TJTU's ability to purchase the trout is totally dependent on the honesty and generosity of permit purchasers.

5. Ivy Creek Foundation

What is Ivy Creek Foundation?

Ivy Creek Foundation’s mission is connecting people to the past and present by honoring the land, history, and community. Ivy Creek's vision is to inspire and engage the community in the stewardship of the area's natural resources and rich African American cultural history. Since 1979, Ivy Creek has been stewards of the Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm. In 46 years they have developed over seven miles of trails, educated tens of thousands of visitors, and managed this 219-acre preserve bordering the South Fork Rivanna Reservoir, which is a mix of upland woods, pine stands, open fields, streams, and two miles of shoreline.

What Key Projects are You Currently Working on in 2025?

How can visitors best support your mission?

Please attend one of Ivy Creek's educational events, tour the historic barn on the weekends, or hike the trails. Visitors can also send in pictures of Ivy Creek Natural Area with permission to share on social media, their website, or their newsletter. Send to Rochelle Garwood at rochelle@ivycreekfoundation.org