Outdoor Recreation

To provide more information for visitors looking for the best trail or outdoor route, the CACVB partners with Ride with GPS to highlight opportunities in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. These routes cover a wide variety of activities, from hiking and cycling to paddling. Metrics provided through the program, including length and elevation gain, help visitors decide what will provide them with the most enjoyable experience. Points of interest along these routes show what amenities are available, which helps with trip planning. Using Ride with GPS promotes our local partners and allows them to engage with trail users. The CACVB helps visitors feel prepared, safe, and respectful while exploring all that Charlottesville and Albemarle County have to offer.

Blue Ridge Outdoors is a publication that is prominent within the outdoor recreation community in the Southeast, and their Top Adventure Town Contest is a great opportunity to highlight winning destinations for outdoor fun. Charlottesville and Albemarle County have been in the top 3 since 2020, taking the top spot in 2020 and 2024. Every year we update our local partners on the contest and provide promotional materials for them to highlight on their social media and website, as well as physically at their location.

The Three Notch’d Trail is a proposed shared-use path that would connect the City of Charlottesville to the Blue Ridge Tunnel in Afton. A project of the Rivanna Trails Foundation, Albemarle County was awarded a federal RAISE grant in 2022 and began the development of a master plan in 2025. Serving on the local planning committee and bringing a visitor perspective will help ensure that this asset is great for residents of our area as well as visitors looking to plan their trip around it, as well as beneficial for local business owners along the route.

During a 2022 stakeholder meeting for the Drive Outdoor Grant, participants identified the Urban Rivanna River Corridor as the greatest opportunity for outdoor recreation, thanks to its abundance of parks, trails, and amenities, as well as its potential for future connections. The Rivanna River Greenway/Blueway Task Force is a gathering of local land managers, advocacy groups and non-profits, as well as recreation guides and outfitters who come together to discuss the development of this space, along with how to continually educate ongoing projects and plans.