Jamestown Island Drive on Jamestown Island, Colonial National Historical Park

Bikes are allowed on the scenic Jamestown Island Drive, a Figure-8 shaped, paved loop road that runs through the central and eastern portions of Jamestown Island. The complete oval is 5 miles long, but you can bike the first loop only for a 3-mile ride. The road is one-way and open to vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. There is no parking at the start of the road, so you must depart from the Historic Jamestown Visitor Center parking lot (the stated distances include the ride from the parking lot).

The road is only one-lane wide, and there is not a lot of room for both cars and bikes. However, the speed limit is low, making it about as safe for cyclists as road biking can be. Furthermore, there are not a lot of cars traveling on the road—during my visit there were as many bikes as there were cars—and due to its length you won’t find many pedestrians. The entire road is flat and easy to bike or hike, and most of it cuts through the forest with only a few short stretches out in the open.

For more information, see the Jamestown Island Drive web page here on National Park Planner.