The Huckleberry Trail is a paved trail that runs from Blacksburg, VA to Christiansburg, VA. Primary activities on the trail include running, cycling, commuting by bike, leashed dogs, and walking with kids. Free parking can be found along the trail. There are no water fountains or restrooms but some trail signs include free pet waste bags. Cell phone service is strong while on the trail. Click on the picture at the Christiansburg end of the Huckleberry trail in the map below to see a picture of what the trail looks like from that location.
The Huckleberry Trail is 5.75 mile paved trail that runs from the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library in Blacksburg to the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg. The following elevation chart was generated by my Android phone and estimates that the trail declines 100 feet when riding from Blacksburg to Christiansburg.
Biking to the library is an eco-friendly and healthy way to check out books, movies, and CDs. The following picture shows where the trail starts on the northeast corner of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library in Blacksburg.
The trail is less congested after looping around the southern end of Virginia Tech’s campus. The following picture shows the trail as it leads up to a tunnel that goes underneath US-460.
There are at least three street crossings while riding on the trail so beware of passing motorists.
The trail runs by the Coal Mining Heritage Park; which we have not explored yet.
There is little to no shade on the trail except for areas like the one seen below where rocks and/or trees provide some coverage.
The following picture was taken at the end of the trail and faces north.
With help from fellow master naturalists, the following are plants that I have identified near the trail’s edge and that can be easy to spot depending on the season. The following flower is a Chicory caught blooming in late June.
It has leaflets that wrap around the stems.
The next plant is a Virginia Creeper. It has five leaves that are palmately compound. It can be confused with Poison Ivy because sometimes younger leaves are in groups of three.
The next plant is very similar in that it also has five palmately compound leaves. It is a Yellow Buckeye and can be identified as such by its sharply toothed edges whereas the Virginia Creeper has course grained edges and a smooth base.
Both Virginia Tech’s campus and Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center include paved trails that connect with the Huckleberry trail. Cycling commuters can safely ride on a network of paved trails from the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg to all of the following: downtown Blacksburg (near the Blacksburg Library), Virginia Tech’s campus, and Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center. The following picture was taken at the intersection of Washington Street and Tech Center Drive (near Lane Stadium) and was the starting point for a 2.0 mile ride to the Corporate Research Center.
The subsequent picture shows the trail at the intersection of Southgate Drive and Tech Center Drive.
The trail has a short, aggressive climb after crossing Southgate Drive and before it intersects with the Huckleberry Trail; intersection seen in the following picture.
After crossing the Huckleberry trail, the paved path loops through and into the heart of Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center providing safe access for cycling commuters.
In sum, the network of paved trails that connect Christiansburg, Virginia Tech, and Blacksburg contribute to a high quality of life in the New River Valley because they can be used for both recreation and commuting. Planned expansion of this network includes adding trail that will connect to areas north and west of Virginia Tech’s campus. Similar trails nearby include:
Two Knobby Tires 
Hey! Thanks for this information. Somebody has appreciated it, your post is not in vain. I'll probably be doing this trail this Saturday…
Hey! I biked this trail last Friday for the first time. We started at the Mall and rode into Blacksburg. Great trail and scenery. We rode around Blacksburg for a while and had a beer and food at Awful Arthurs (yummy!) before heading back. Perfect outing for a day off work!
Curtis and Laura, thank you for your comments! I am glad more and more people are using the Huckleberry Trail. What's more, there are plans to extend it which will make it both more fun and functional.
Are there any mile markers on the Huckleberry trail?
Yes, look for them on wood posts and park benches.
Is there a public parking lot for this trail?
I don’t think there is an official parking lot but there should be several places you can park. I would start by trying either the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library in Blacksburg or New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg.