Because of the population density where these two projects are located in the Places-29 Development Area, new enhancements at these sites will provide valuable access to open space and new recreation opportunities close to home. And in addition to strategically increasing residential access to recreational experiences, these projects will also help increase equitable access to recreational experiences, as determined through spatial and demographic analysis.

These projects are part of a larger effort to implement Albemarle County, Virginia’s FY24-28 Strategic Plan. And this work responds to our community’s current demand for connected, walkable communities – as well as population projections for thousands of new residents over the next two decades.

Project Guidelines:  

Project locations and concepts were selected with the following project parameters:

• Locations that provide strategically beneficial values without requiring purchases or acquisitions (to avoid unnecessary expenses and elongated project timelines)
• Pragmatic project scopes and concepts that are reflective of the project budget, site constraints, technical feasibility, and the Albemarle County Parks & Recreation Needs Assessment;
• Emphasis on enhancing residential areas and expanding opportunities to recreate from home; and
• Emphasis on increasing equitable access to parks (as analyzed by age, race, and income) 

Project Funding:  

These projects are funded locally through Albemarle County’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), which supports long-term investments in community facilities. In FY26, the County budgeted $1.65 million for urban pocket park projects, with a majority portion ($1,250,000) dedicated to upgrades and enhancements at Charlotte Humphris Park and a smaller portion ($420,000) dedicated to establishing the Hillsdale Pocket Park.

Project Details – Humphris Park Enhancements:

Charlotte Yancey Humphris Park is one of the few County Parks within Albemarle County’s Development Area. The park’s existing paved trails and mature hardwood forest make Charlotte Humphris Park a popular spot for people (and their pets) – but park amenities and visitor services are currently limited.

This project will create new infrastructure and new amenities that maximize recreational value and community benefits. And because the project site is limited to a small portion of the park near Whitewood Road, Albemarle County can provide a fun, interesting new destination within an existing park while keeping almost all of the forest habitat undisturbed and protected.

The goals of this project are to:

• add new recreational amenities, infrastructure, and other improvements to the existing trails park;
• improve access in the park for all community members, and enhance bicycle and pedestrian connectivity across the site; and
• ensure the plan, design, and construction minimize environmental impacts.

Key Improvements and Priorities – Humphris Park Enhancements:

The project will deliver new and improved features such as:

• Improved paved trails for walking, wheeling, and biking
• New park entrance on Whitewood Road, including small parking lot for ADA-accessible parking
• New central amenity area near Whitewood Road, designed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards
• New park pavilion with plumbed bathrooms, drinking fountain, and water bottle fill station
• New kiosk and new signs
• New recreational amenities such as natural play features, swing bays, and benches

Project Status – Humphris Park Enhancements:

Project planning, design, and community engagement have been happening in 2025-2026, and project construction is scheduled for 2026-2027. Click here for more information about the current project status for the Humphris Park Enhancements project.

Project Details – Hillsdale Pocket Park:

This project will transform an existing stormwater management property on Hillsdale Drive into a new pocket park with recreational amenities for community benefit and enjoyment.

The Hillsdale Pocket Park project was selected in part because it is located in Albemarle County’s Development Area. The property is situated adjacent to the mixed-use and multifamily developments along Hillsdale Drive and Seminole Trail (U.S. 29). The County’s investment in this site aligns with ongoing efforts to redevelop nearby shopping centers and residential complexes.

The location on Hillsdale Drive makes this site accessible by sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit. And because there is a relatively dense population of residents in this vicinity and in the County’s urban ring that surrounds Charlottesville, new enhancements here will provide valuable access to open space and recreation opportunities close to home. 

The goals of this project are to:

• Enhance an underutilized County property by providing new passive recreation amenities within close proximity to residential areas and mixed-use activity centers. 
• Establish a new pocket park with safe, convenient access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders, and improving circulation through the site for all community members. 
• Ensure the plan, design, and construction minimize environmental impacts and do not interfere with the functionality of the existing stormwater management basin. 

Key Improvements and Priorities – Hillsdale Pocket Park:

The project will deliver new and improved features such as: 

• New paved pathway through the site, designed to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards 
• New park furniture and features, including benches, picnic tables, and shade sails 
• Enhancing existing native landscapes  
• New kiosk and new signs 

Project Status – Hillsdale Pocket Park:

Project planning, design, and community engagement have been happening in 2025-2026, and project construction is scheduled for 2026-2027. Click here for more information about the current project status for the Hillsdale Pocket Park project. 

Urban / Pocket Parks Projects Alignment with AC44 Comprehensive Plan:

• Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Goal: Albemarle County will have a connected and accessible network of parks and greenways with both active and passive recreation opportunities to improve quality of life, offer active modes of transportation, enhance climate resiliency, and provide access to nature. Parks, trails, and amenities will be welcoming and inclusive and meet the needs of the growing community.
• PROS Objective 2: Increase and accelerate the development of parks, greenways, and blueways with an emphasis on parks and greenways in the Development Areas, to increase the percentage of community members in the Development Areas who are within a quarter-mile of a public park and/or public greenway trail.
• PROS Objective 3: Increase access to County parks and trails with an emphasis on inclusion, equity, universal access, and public safety.
• Click here for AC44 Comp Plan | Parks, Recreation, and Open Space

Urban / Pocket Parks Projects Alignment with Albemarle County's Strategic Plan:

• GOAL 3 – Infrastructure & Placemaking: Invest in infrastructure and amenities that create connection, opportunity, and well-being.
• GOAL 4 – Quality of Life: Encourage a vibrant community with economic and recreational opportunities that serve all community members.
  • GOAL #4.5: Enhance overall access to parks and recreational opportunities with an emphasis on urban neighborhoods.
• Click here for Strategic Plan FY24-28 | Albemarle County, VA

Additional Urban / Pocket Parks Information and Resources:  

• Albemarle County has created large-format display posters to provide details information and context about these projects: 
  • Click here for Informational Exhibit (Urban / Pocket Park - Project Background)
  • Click here for Informational Exhibit (Urban / Pocket Park - Planning Process)

• Albemarle County has published an Engage page for each project site. Click on the hyperlinks below to access separate web pages with many more details for each project site:
  • Charlotte Humphris Park Enhancements | Engage Albemarle
  • Hillsdale Pocket Park Project | Engage Albemarle

• Albemarle County has completed extensive public engagement for these two project sites. In addition to conducting four community meetings and offering a questionnaire for each site, County staff also completed the following media interview: 
  • NBC29 Community Conversation: Tim Padalino, ACPR Chief of Parks Planning (01-06-26)

The future total buildout of the Rivanna River Greenway + Blueway will result in the following outdoor recreation expansions:

• expand the existing Scenic Rivanna River Blueway from 12 miles to 17 miles (with enhanced river parks at Brook Hill and Milton Landing, and an all-new river park at Buck Island); and

• expand the existing Old Mills Trail from 2.5 miles to 6.5 miles, and connect the expanded Old Mills Trail with other riverside trails upstream and downstream for a total of 10 continuous miles of riverside greenway trail between Darden Towe Park and the Glenmore neighborhood.

Although many components of the planned RRGB remain undeveloped, multiple components are currently built and in use. The following destinations are currently available for public use and enjoyment:

• Brook Hill River Park (“soft open” status – limited parking and no permanent amenities or visitor services)
• Rivanna Trail – Free State spur (approximately 5 miles of primitive trail extending upstream from Pen Park to Belvedere)
• Darden Towe Park (paddlecraft boat launch and trailhead for Old Mills Trail at regional park)
• Free Bridge Promenade (linear extension of Darden Towe Park along Rivanna River – former roadway converted to non-vehicular recreational use)
• Old Mills Trail – Pantops segment (approximately 2.5 miles of variable surface trail extending downstream from Darden Towe Park to I-64)
• Milton Landing (paddlecraft boat launch with very limited parking and no permanent amenities or visitor services)
• Old Mills Trail – Glenmore segment (approximately 2.25 miles of primitive greenway trail along Rivanna River; please note no access or parking available for general public at this time)

Project Alignment with AC44 Comprehensive Plan:

• Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (PROS) Goal: Albemarle County will have a connected and accessible network of parks and greenways with both active and passive recreation opportunities to improve quality of life, offer active modes of transportation, enhance climate resiliency, and provide access to nature. Parks, trails, and amenities will be welcoming and inclusive and meet the needs of the growing community.

• PROS Objective 2: Increase and accelerate the development of parks, greenways, and blueways with an emphasis on parks and greenways in the Development Areas, to increase the percentage of community members in the Development Areas who are within a quarter-mile of a public park and/or public greenway trail.
  • PROS Action 2.5: Collaborate with local partners and VDOT to increase options for walking and biking to existing parks that are next to or near the Development Areas, such as Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm and Monticello.

• PROS Objective 5: Expand and improve the trail networks and blueways in County parks and greenways and increase multimodal connections to parks and greenway trails.
  • PROS Action 5.4: Increase and accelerate the funding, development, and operation of the planned Rivanna Greenway + Blueway – an interconnected network of greenway trails, water trails, river parks, and other river access points – between Brook Hill River Park and (future) Buck Island River Park. Initial efforts should focus on initiating and completing the extension of the Old Mills Trail (from Pantops to Milton) and the development of Milton Landing River Park and Brook Hill River Park.
  • PROS Action 5.5: Improve and expand river access facilities and amenities in coordination with partner agencies such as the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation, and the Rivanna Conservation Alliance.

• Click here for AC44 Comp Plan | Parks, Recreation, and Open Space

Project Alignment with Albemarle County's Strategic Plan:

• GOAL 3 – Infrastructure & Placemaking: Invest in infrastructure and amenities that create connection, opportunity, and well-being.

• GOAL 4 – Quality of Life: Encourage a vibrant community with economic and recreational opportunities that serve all community members.
  • GOAL #4.5: Enhance overall access to parks and recreational opportunities with an emphasis on urban neighborhoods.

• Click here for Strategic Plan FY24-28 | Albemarle County, VA

Click here to view an informational exhibit: Old Mills Trail Extension – Sense of Place

Click here to view an informational exhibit: Old Mills Trail Extension – Required Improvements

Project Status - Old Mills Trail Extension (Full Scope)

Over the past several years, Albemarle County has obtained or reserved all necessary greenway easements that will be required to design, construct, and operate a public-access greenway trail between the current trail ending in Pantops and the existing Milton Landing river access point. The remaining required right-of-way permissions are partially complete and in progress. In 2026, Albemarle County received preliminary approvals for this project from the Virginia Dept. of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VRPA) to extend the trail under the I-64 highway bridges and under the active railroad trestle.

A feasibility study for this 4-mile trail extension was previously completed in 2020. That effort evaluated the existing conditions at that time; identified constraints and opportunities; and recommended specific trail alignments, bridges and other trail infrastructure, and other trail enhancements.

Click here to view previous Feasibility Study (2020): Old Mills Trail Extension

Currently, this 4-mile OMT Extension project remains formally planned but unfunded. However, Albemarle County staff – in collaboration with a coalition of project partners – are actively working to design, fund, and construct “Phase 1” of this project. Phase 1 will be a 1-mile extension downstream from the current trail ending, bringing trail users onto Monticello’s historic Lego Farm in the Southwest Mountains water gap.

Project Scope - Old Mills Trail Extension (Phase 1):

The Old Mills Trail (OMT), as well as the broader Rivanna River Greenway + Blueway corridor, is currently a well-used and much-loved outdoor recreation destination. It is also a corridor of incredible untapped potential and underutilized value.

This OMT Extension (Phase 1) project will provide approximately 1-mile of new public-access recreational trail along the Scenic Rivanna River, immediately downstream of the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s Pantops Development Area. This extension will bring trail users onto Monticello’s historic property at Lego Farm in the Southwest Mountains water gap.

This Phase 1 of the OMT Extension project will include:

• Construction of approximately 5,000 linear feet of 6'-8' wide primitive trail;
• Construction of 1 bike/pedestrian bridge (approx 30' long with 6’ wide clearance);
• Construction of 1 railroad underpass shelter (approx 70' long with 11’ wide clearance);
• Wayfinding signs;
• Interpretive signage about natural resources and historic resources; and
• Installation of 4,000 SF of native landscaping along portions of trail to stabilize slopes, promote biodiversity, and enhance aesthetics.

Project Location - OMT Extension (Phase 1):

This project has an exceptional location due to the abundant natural heritage and scenic resources, as well as the notable cultural heritage and historic resources. This project will provide new public recreational trail access out of the Pantops neighborhood, under the I-64 highway bridges and under the active railroad trestle, onto Monticello’s historic Lego Farm, and into the Scenic Rivanna River’s water gap through the Southwest Mountains – a premier segment of Virginia’s first state-designated Scenic River.

Project Need + Benefits - Old Mills Trail Extension (Phase 1):

The need for this project relates to a combination of multiple factors – including the remarkable project location, it’s proximity to an urbanizing mixed-use designated growth area, the lack of any prior public access, and the community benefits of this first phase of the project.

Additionally, this project will successfully meet a demonstrated community need. The Albemarle County Parks & Recreation Needs Assessment (2018) identifies “hiking / walking / running” as the top “High Priority” activity need, and also identifies “hiking / walking trails” as the top “High Priority” facility need.

Altogether, this one project will create an enticing new attraction for participants in a wide variety of trail-based activities like hiking, trail running, mountain biking, birding and wildlife observation, shoreline fishing, forest bathing, and/or relaxing and viewing the flowing waters of the Scenic Rivanna River.

In short, this project will provide access to a new outdoor recreation destination with an incredible sense of place and unique experiential value. One mile of new trail will bring visitors through forested landscapes that are rich with history both presidential and pre-historic, and will provide physical and visual access to a designated Scenic River with abundant riparian and aquatic wildlife.

None of this has previously been legally accessible to the public – but this project will create a new era of public use, discovery, enjoyment, education, and inspiration.

Finally, this project will also lay the groundwork to continue to extend the Old Mills Trail further downstream to Milton Landing and Glenmore in future phases. That future extension will add an additional 3 miles of trail between Lego Farm and Milton Landing, and will pass the location of Thomas Jefferson’s birthplace and provide a view of a historic mill ruin at Shadwell Farm (which has never been accessible to the public).

Project Status - OMT Extension (Phase 1):

Albemarle County staff – in collaboration with a coalition of project partners – are actively working to design, fund, and construct “Phase 1” of this project. The following updates reflect the project status as of June 2026:

• Preliminary designs have been completed by civil engineers and landscape architects, showing the location and type of trail improvements.
• Preliminary right-of-way (ROW) permissions have been obtained from the Virginia Dept. of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VRPA). Albemarle County will continue to coordinate with these stakeholders until final, permanent permissions for this project are acquired.
• Project funding is (partially) being pursued through the federal Recreational Trails Program administered by the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation. To help complete project funding, additional fundraising efforts are being led by the Albemarle County Parks Foundation, which has begun a campaign to raise a minimum of $75,000 to help fund and construct this first phase of the trail extension onto Lego Farm. If funding is successfully obtained, the design and permitting phase would continue in 2026 – 2027, and construction would begin by Summer 2027.

Project Timing - Important to Note:

This is an unfunded priority project within an existing greenway easement. The easement, acquired from Monticello in 2007, has a sunset clause that defines a deadline for beginning construction by August 2027 and completing construction by August 2029. If the deadlines are not met, the easement could potentially be vacated and released. Those timelines require the Design Phase to begin in FY26 and the Construction Phase to begin in FY27.

Project Costs:

The cost estimate for all design, permitting, and construction of this 1-mile project (Phase 1) is $626,820.

Project Funding:

The first phase of this formally-planned project is currently unfunded. Albemarle County, with support from numerous project partners, recently applied for project funding through the federal Recreational Trails Program. Award announcements from Virginia Dept. of Conservation & Recreation are expected in Summer 2026.

Click or tap on the next section to access the RTP application materials and other project documents. 

At the same time, fundraising efforts are being led by the Albemarle County Parks Foundation. The AC Parks Foundation has begun a campaign to raise a minimum of $75,000 to help fund and construct this first phase of the trail extension onto Lego Farm. These fundraising will be vital to help make this long-planned project a reality.

Additional Information + Details - Old Mills Trail Extension (Phase 1): 

Click on any of the following links to access detailed information about the project design, ACPR's recent application materials to request project funding through the Recreational Trails Program, and documented support from project partners and community stakeholders: 

• Preliminary Design Packet – Old Mills Trail Extension (Phase 1 – Lego Farm)
• Recreational Trails Program – Grant Application for OMT Extension (Phase 1 – Lego Farm):
• Recreational Trails Program – Letters of Support for OMT Extension (Phase 1 – Lego Farm)
• Preliminary Right-of-Way Agreement Letter – VDOT
• Preliminary Right-of-Way Agreement Letter – VPRA