In 2018, a group of volunteer enthusiasts formed the Tidewater Trails Alliance (TTA), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocacy for multi-use trails as alternative transportation options was formed. Incorporated and granted tax-exempt status under Section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, this alliance became the major driving force behind the TRAIL757 project, formerly known as the Birthplace of America Trail (BoAT), during the period 2018-2024.
TRAIL757 is a multi-use trail that will be the centerpiece of a regional active transportation plan connecting the Virginia Capital Trail with the Beaches to Bluegrass Trail / South Hampton Roads Trail in Southeastern Virginia. The vision is to be able to Walk, Run, Ride, or Roll from the oceanfront at Virginia Beach or the waterfront communities in Fort Monroe and Newport News to the capital steps in Richmond on a trail system free from motorized traffic. Building this trail will provide connections to major population centers in Hampton Roads, providing recreation, health, and wellness opportunities to hundreds of thousands of Virginia residents – many of whom come from historically underserved communities. The trail will be a hub connecting residential communities, tourism attractions, historical sites, educational institutions, and recreational facilities throughout Southeastern Virginia. This total regional trail system will be approximately 190 miles when complete, with TRAIL757 comprising approximately 94 miles of that.
From the trailhead in Jamestown (and the eastern terminus of the Virginia Capital Trail), you cross the James River via the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry into Surry County and travel to Suffolk, VA (gateway to the Dismal Swamp) and connect to the South Hampton Roads Trail, which will take you to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and Cape Henry (first landing of the settlers). The South Hampton Roads Trail consists of the Suffolk Seaboard Coastline Trail, the Western Branch Chesapeake Trail, the Portsmouth Rail-to-Trail, a portion of the Elizabeth River Trail, and the Virginia Beach Trail.
Or you can start in Jamestown and travel to our newest National Monument at Fort Monroe or Newport News’s Victory Arch -locations of the second landings of the settlers. Traveling to Fort Monroe, you will pass the Emancipation Oak at Hampton University. Traveling to Victory Arch, you pass many attractions including The Mariners Museum & Christopher Newport University.
In Jamestown, you can also head west along the Virginia Capital Trail. This trail is a completed 52-mile pathway to Richmond where it meets the East Coast Greenway, which runs from Maine to Florida.
TRAIL757 is the culmination of a 2-year engineering and cost feasibility study conducted by Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO). This project was submitted to and approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) in 2017. The plan is in place, but the trail will not happen without advocates to see the trail to its completion.
Please watch this website and our Facebook page, Friends of BoAT, (name change coming soon!) for news about this project that will help ensure the safety of runners, walkers, cyclists & skaters across all of Coastal Virginia. Your financial support is needed. If you would like to donate to support the Trail, please do so below. Your contributions will be tax-deductible. We will acknowledge all contributions received and confirm the tax status of your donation.
If you’d like to donate to support our efforts, please do so here:
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