Thomas Jefferson’s dedication to walking is palpable as you make the easy walk amid his grounds.
Thomas Jefferson made his thoughts on walking abundantly clear in two separate letters to relatives in the 1780s (see excerpts below). So, it seems only appropriate that the Thomas Jefferson Foundation developed (free to the public) a system of trails coursing through the grounds of his home on the outskirts of Charlottesville, Virginia.
“The object of walking is to relax the mind. You should therefore not permit yourself even to think while you walk. But divert your attention by the objects surrounding you. Walking is the best possible exercise.”
“If the body be feeble, the mind will not be strong. The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is best.”
The upper portion of the Saunders-Monticello Trail, the main route that all of the pathways tie into, begins as a boardwalk. However, to call it a boardwalk is an understatement. With gently curving lines and an infrastructure that enables it to rise high above the sloping ground, it reminded me of a miniature Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but one made of wood.
Information on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail’s website (dgif.virginia.bov/vbwt) states that the boardwalk’s elevated position “leads to eye-to-eye contact with many species more usually seen from below.” Alas, the thick early morning fog floating across the hillside kept us from spotting any woodland creatures. Nevertheless, placards placed on trailside plants helped us fulfill Jefferson’s admonition to pay attention to the “objects surrounding you.” Two in particular caught my eye, boxelder and black haw. Both are here because Jefferson included them in his inventory of cultivated shrubs “not exceeding 10 feet.” I don’t know if he also chose raspberry bushes, but Laurie and I couldn’t resist sampling a few of the ripe fruits dangling beside the pathway.
A turn onto the .3-mile Pond Trail yielded sightings of ducks, herons and sparrows, while the short side trip to the Carter Overlook provided a forest-framed view of Charlottesville with a backdrop of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
Before leaving here, we took advantage of some of the other attractions that are accessible from the trail system and have no fee to visit. The “Secluded Farm” has two miles of pathways winding through natural grasslands, and an arboretum has been developed with more than 100 species of plants representing many of those that live in Virginia’s mountains and piedmont areas.
When You Go
The Walk: The nearly effortless 2-mile Saunders-Monticello Trail descends at an easy five-degree grade through the mature forestlands of Monticello. Although a round-trip walk would double the mileage, it would still be nothing more than a moderately easy outing. An additional 6 more miles of connecting trails provide options for further explorations.
Getting there: Take I-64 Exit 121 at Charlottesville and turn onto Va. 20 South. Go to the second stop light, turn left onto Va. 53 (Thomas Jefferson Parkway), continue for 1.75 miles, pass under the Saunders Bridge and turn right. Follow this road to the parking lot for Monticello. (If doing a car shuttle for a one-way walk, you would have left one automobile in the lot near the intersection of Va. 20 and Va. 53.)
More information: A map of the trail system is available on monticello-www.s3.amazonaws.com/files/old/inline-pdfs/TrailMap.pdf
Find out more about Leonard’s walking and hiking adventures at habitualhiker.com.
The story above appears in our September/October 2019 issue. For more subscribe today or log in to the digital edition with your active digital subscription. Thank you for your support!
