See the Eastern Front Trails web page for a complete trail map.
Length: .9 mile
Type: Hikers, Bikers, and Horseback Riders
Difficulty: Easy
The Battery 7 Trail is located in the Eastern Front Unit of Petersburg National Battlefield. Its western trailhead is on Siege Road (Intersection L on the map) just south of Hwy 36 / Washington Street, and its eastern trailhead is at Intersection G where it becomes the Meade Station Trail. Though named the Battery 7 Trail, I never saw any remnant earthworks of Battery 7 or any marker that identified its former location.
Starting from Intersection L, the Battery 7 Trail is for the most part wide—perhaps it was some sort of old road—though there are some narrow sections. For some reason there is a lot of sand on the surface, which makes bike riding a little tricky at times. This is the only area of the Eastern Front Unit trails where I noted sand being a problem.
The first .2 mile of the Battery 7 Trail heads up and over a small hill. After that, it’s a steady, gradual uphill climb to Intersection I, so gradual that most people won’t even break a sweat—unless it’s hot out to begin with.
There are two intersections with trails that connect to an unnamed hiker-biker trail to the west of the Battery 7 Trail (a red trail on the map with Intersection J as an identifying feature). One connector is prior to and one after Intersection I. Neither of these are on the map that is available at the Eastern Front Visitor Center, but I have drawn them in on the corrected map at the top of this page. There is also a trail that leads over to Adams Avenue, a road within the active Fort Gregg-Adams military base (formerly Fort Lee). A fence separates the park from the base.
The Battery 7 Trail heads due south from Intersection I. From that point it is as straight as an arrow and flat as a pancake. It eventually ends at Intersection G and becomes the Meade Station Trail if you continue straight. You can also take a right onto Jordon Point Road (still a dirt trail) in the direction of Intersection H.
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Last updated on March 27, 2023