My dog, Macey, and I walked the expanded Vulcan Trail on a Tuesday morning and we pretty much had the trail to ourselves. There were some walkers, joggers, and bicyclists, but for the most part, we were alone. The first part of the trail is paved, the second part is crushed stone, both were flat, and wide enough that golf carts and even a wide truck can fit. The trucks were maintenance trucks, and the golf carts were used to take people who didn't want to or couldn't walk the trail. I spoke with two ladies who appeared to be with the Freshwater Land Trust, and they said that the golf cart tours are over for now.
The trail is bordered by tall trees, providing shade, but there are areas where you can see downtown and neighborhoods. There are areas where the trail is right by someone's back yard. There are areas where I felt a little spooked, because no one else was around, and I wasn't sure what area of town I was in. I should have looked at, and taken a photo of the map at the trail entrance.
It would have been nice to see an additional map or a sign or two along the trail to let me know where I was.
On the way in the 2.2 miles trail, there were overflowing trash cans. Trash from the busy weekend of visitors perhaps. However, on the way out, we saw that the trash cans had been emptied.
I was told that there's an unmarked parking lot by the Goodwill on Green Springs Highway that will allow you to access the trail from that end. Good to know for future visits to this trail. read more