See the Eastern Front Trails web page for a complete trail map
Length: .25 mile
Type: Hikers and Bikers
Difficulty: Easy
The Hickory Trail is part of the trail system in the Eastern Front Unit of Petersburg National Battlefield. It runs east to west from the Ranger Station parking lot on Hickory Hill Road. This is a good place to start a hike of any length through the battlefield. If you wish to park here, when you get to the area, look for a sign that reads TRAILHEAD PARKING PASSENGER VEHICLES ONLY. The road looks like it cuts through a residential area, but at the end is a parking lot. The actual Ranger Station and Park Headquarters are a few driveways farther down Hickory Hill Road to the east.
At the end of the parking area is a sign for the HICKORY TRAIL, which runs either left (west) or right (east) from the parking lot. There appears to be a trail directly behind it, but this is not a trail. The westside trailhead is easy to spot, but you have to look carefully to find the trailhead on the east side.
Both directions lead to the Encampment Trail, but if you head right, the trail dead ends into to the driveway for the Ranger Station after .2 mile.
To reach the Encampment Trail, turn left on the paved road and then continue straight on a gravel road when the pavement curves to the right towards the Park Headquarters building. Total distance from the parking lot to the Encampment Trail at Intersection S is a half mile.
Intersection with the Encampment Trail just north of the Petersburg National Battlefield Ranger Station
The Hickory Trail to the west of the parking lot is as flat as a pancake. To the east it is a little hilly, but all the hills are negligible, and most hikers won’t even notice them. The entire trail is in the forest.
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Last updated on March 28, 2023