Charlottesville offering guided hikes of property next to Ragged Mountain Natural Area

The City of Charlottesville owns the land around both the Ragged Mountain and South Rivanna River Reservoir and both are operated as natural areas with strict rules about how the trails are to be used.

The Ivy Creek Foundation operates the 219-acre Ivy Creek Natural Area, but the City of Charlottesville operates the 980-acre Ragged Mountain Natural Area.

In 2019, the City of Charlottesville acquired another large tract just to the east.

“142 acres of undeveloped forested land with rock outcrops and mountainous topography,” reads the website for the Heyward Community Forest. “It is intended to be used for environmental education, forest preservation, and trail purposes.”

As part of that work, the Parks and Recreation Department is holding three guided walks with the first happening this Wednesday at 5 p.m.

“Participants will learn about the natural history of this recent addition to the City’s park system while discovering how to identify local vegetation and wildlife,” reads an information release. “Each hike will cover approximately two miles on natural-surface trails, with some moderate hills and climbs.”

The other hikes will take place on October 7 and November 4.

The release notes that the parking lot is crowded due to construction of various Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority projects and suggests arriving early.

Many of the trails at the Ragged Mountain Natural Area are closed while work is conducted to prepare land to be inundated when the pool height is raised 12 feet as a next step in implementation of the community water supply plan. The work is expected to be completed in December.

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