The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition builds and enhances trails on public lands, advocates for safer walking and biking, and connects communities across the Shenandoah Valley.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
EIN: 34-2016415
Waynesboro, Virginia
Sunset Park Trails
Four miles of beginner-friendly trail with a view of the valley, built on a former landfill and close to home for Waynesboro.
DonateGet Sunset Park updatesFrom landfill to overlook
Sunset Park sits on top of Waynesboro's former landfill, which closed in 2003. The park opened to the public on June 4, 2024. The City of Waynesboro owns and runs it. The Coalition leads the trails, working with the city to turn a community vision into natural-surface singletrack for walking, running, and biking.
The trails are designed for beginner and intermediate riders, a welcoming first step into the outdoors for people who may not be ready for the steep, rugged trails on nearby public lands.
4 miles open. 107 acres. Two overlooks over the valley.
Wide paths on the hilltop make an easy family walk.
“This plan will provide a foundation and vision for community-centric trails close to home for many people.”
Kyle Lawrence, Executive Director, Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition
Trails close to home mean more families can ride together.
How it came together
2003
The landfill closes
Seventeen acres are capped. Trails are never built on the cap.
May 2023
The trail plan is finished
Planned with an IMBA Trail Accelerator Grant, with help from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation's Get Outdoors grant and the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge. The plan calls for over four miles of beginner and intermediate singletrack.
Late 2023
Phase 1 gets built
Rugged Trail Company builds the first trail on the park's eastern side, paid for through a community fundraising campaign and a grant from Fox Trails Trust.
June 4, 2024
The park opens
Sunset Park opens to the public with two overlooks, a picnic shelter, and a restroom.
May 2026
Four miles are open
The Waynesboro community came together at the end of May to celebrate four completed miles of trail.
What's next
These trails are the start of a larger plan for outdoor recreation and community connection in Waynesboro. The Sunset Park Trails Master Plan lists:
- A mountain bike skills trail
- A tot track and bicycle playground
- More mountain bike-optimized singletrack
- A connection from downtown Waynesboro to the Crozet Tunnel
- Expansion toward the Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah National Park
One long-term goal: connecting downtown Waynesboro to the Crozet Tunnel.
Visit Sunset Park
Hours
6:00 am to 10:00 pm in spring and summer. 6:00 am to 7:00 pm in fall and winter.
The City of Waynesboro sets the hours, so check the city's Sunset Park page before you go.
Parking and facilities
Upper and lower parking lots. The trails start at the lower lot.
A year-round restroom, a picnic shelter, and a quarter-mile walking loop around the lawn and meadow.
Trail map signage at Sunset Park.
The full plan for the trails, including what's built and what's still to come, is in the master plan.
How you can help
Projects like Sunset Park take community partnerships, volunteer time, planning, permitting, staff time, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work to turn a dream into trail. Be sure to give Sunset Park a visit, and if you want to help the next trails happen:
Get Sunset Park updates by emailGive monthly as a TrailKeeper
Sunset Park news
Four New Miles of Trail Now Open at Sunset Park
Four New Miles of Trail Now Open at Sunset Park
Ready to Ride: How Waynesboro Kids Learn to Bike (and Love it)
Ready to Ride: How Waynesboro Kids Learn to Bike (and Love it)
Sunset Park Trails Phase 1
Sunset Park Trails Phase 1
Singletracks.com Turning a Landfill into Singletrack Treasure
Singletracks.com Turning a Landfill into Singletrack Treasure
Sunset Park Trails Phase 1
Sunset Park Trails Phase 1
Turning a Landfill into Singletrack Treasure in Virginia is No Easy Task
Turning a Landfill into Singletrack Treasure in Virginia is No Easy Task
Thank you
Sunset Park Trails exist because of the City of Waynesboro and Waynesboro Parks and Recreation, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge, Fox Trails Trust, Rugged Trail Company, Trail Solutions, and the volunteers who helped with trail work.
Questions about Sunset Park? Contact Kyle Lawrence, Executive Director, at [email protected].
