Jim Barnett Park in Winchester has a one mile figure-8 paved fitness trail. The trail is accessible from the Winchester Green Circle Wilkins Lake/Shawnee Springs section. While the Winchester Green Circle trail leaves the Shenandoah University Campus and crosses South Pleasant Valley Road, you can cross Hollingsworth Drive and access the Jim Barnett Trail by following a short dirt path from the corner of the gravel parking lot located at the intersection of Hollingsworth and Pleasant Valley. The trail features a series of short hills as it cuts up and down the side of a hill and passes by an osage orange tree.
Jim Barnett Fitness Trail
Optimist Area in Jim Barnett Park
I wrote earlier about a one mile section of the Winchester Green Circle along the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve.
Winchester Green Circle and Shawnee Springs Trail
Another one mile section exists farther east starting at Shenandoah University, running past Wilkins Lake where you can see burning bushes and mallard ducks. This section continues along sidewalks before returning to paved trail past the Shawnee Springs Area. If you like trail running or hiking, you can make a loop using the Winchester Green Circle and the Shawnee Springs Trail. The approximately half mile Shawnee Springs Trail intersects the Winchester Green Circle Trail in two locations and passes through fields and woods. In the wooded section, the trail passes by some old foundations.
Winchester Green Circle Trail
Shawnee Springs Trail Sign
Directions – Getting There
- Take Exit 313 from I-81
- Follow Rte 50 East
- Make a Right off of Millwood Drive (Rte 50) onto University Drive
- Free Short Term Parking is available along University Drive by the tennis courts
The Future of the Winchester Green Circle
What’s next for the Winchester Green Circle Trail? The plans are ambitious so trail users are anxious to find out next steps for the Winchester Green Circle Trail project. I don’t have any news to report other than when I ran the Winchester Green Circle 5k recently, someone from the Winchester Green Circle group announced that they would have some news to share soon.
According to a sign along the Winchester Green Circle Trail, this chinquapin oak may be cut down.
The Winchester Green Circle Trail
The Winchester Green Circle Trail may eventually extend much further around Winchester, but for now it is a paved trail stretching just a mile or so. The trail runs along West Jubal Early Drive west of Rte 11 before leaving the roadside. The trail then runs with the Winchester & Western Railroad tracks on one side and a nice neighborhood on the other.
Once the trail leaves the roadside, it becomes more scenic with a boardwalk section through a marshy area and views of a pond. In addition to the chinquapin oak tree, there were also numerous wildflowers along the trail including blackberry lily, queen anne’s lace, and common mullein.
2011 Update: I believe the tree was removed.