South River Greenway

About this route

Waynesboro's greenway runs two miles beside the South River, starting at the Loth Springs Trailhead near the YMCA and ending at North Park. It is asphalt the whole way, and the city describes the route as flat terrain on a hard surface that makes for easy walking and riding. The city also says the views of the river, the parks and the mountains make it a favorite of residents and visitors. It is a shared-use path rather than a footpath, and the city's own etiquette notes that the greenway is used by people of a variety of skill levels. The two ends are different places rather than a loop, so covering the full length means arranging a shuttle or turning around.

Six trailheads have published parking: Loth Springs at 640 Arch Avenue, Loth Springs Natural Area at 600 Race Avenue, South River Preserve at 101 Short Street, Constitution Park on Main Street, the Port Republic Historic Neighborhood at the corner of Abbe Place and Shiloh Avenue, and North Park at 800 Bridge Avenue. Four of those carry the city's accessible flag: Loth Springs, Loth Springs Natural Area, South River Preserve and North Park. Sanitation is basic. Portable toilets are listed at the Loth Springs and South River Preserve trailheads and along the route, and North Park has either a seasonal restroom or a portable toilet, with restrooms there generally available April 1 through October 31 depending on weather. The only drinking water the city lists on the greenway is the bottle filler at the North Park trailhead, so fill up before you start anywhere else. The city also lists benches, exercise stations, a bike repair station and interpretive signage about local history along the way.

A few things are worth squaring away before you go. Hours are sunrise to sunset, and the city publishes no lighting information for the path itself, no elevation figure, no coordinates, and nothing about tree cover. Its own mileage is not consistent either: the greenway page states two miles from Loth Springs to North Park, while the greenway extension page states that three miles of greenway have been constructed, counting later phases including the Loth Springs / Ridgeview Park connector completed in 2025. The city describes the Loth Springs Natural Area node as currently under construction, and a further extension from North Park to Basic Park is funded through VDOT and in design, so it is worth checking the city's news page before a trip. Pets must be on a leash and cleaned up after immediately.And if you fish here, the Virginia Department of Health maintains a mercury advisory on the South River from the footbridge at the E.I. DuPont Co. site in Waynesboro downstream to the confluence with the North River at Port Republic, advising against eating all species except trout.

Why this difficulty rating: The City of Waynesboro describes the greenway's route as over flat terrain on a hard surface, which it says makes for easy walking and riding. The city publishes no elevation gain figure for the greenway.

Highlights

• Follows the South River, which the city describes as a Virginia Scenic River, through Waynesboro
• Asphalt shared-use path over flat terrain, which the city says makes for easy walking and riding
• Benches, exercise stations and a bike repair station along the route
• Interpretive signage about local history
• Six trailheads with parking, four of them flagged accessible by the city
• Trailheads at Loth Springs, Loth Springs Natural Area, South River Preserve, Constitution Park, the Port Republic Historic Neighborhood and North Park
• ADA-accessible fishing platform and angler access trails at South River Preserve; kayak/canoe ramp at North Park
• Constitution Park trailhead is described by the city as Virginia's first Urban Trout Fishery

Map and trailheads

Approximate locations for orientation only. Carry an offline map — cell service is unreliable on much of this network.

Know before you go

Route type

Point to point

Surfaces

Paved

Setting

River, Urban, Park

Amenities

Parking, Restrooms, Water, Picnic facilities

Parking

The city lists six trailheads with parking: Loth Springs, 640 Arch Avenue (accessible, portable toilets); Loth Springs Natural Area, 600 Race Avenue (accessible); South River Preserve, 101 Short Street (accessible, portable toilet); Constitution Park, given as 207 West Main Street on the greenway page and as 207 E. Main Street on the Constitution Park page, with separate Dominion Shelter parking at 101 Short Street; Port Republic Historic Neighborhood, corner of Abbe Place and Shiloh Avenue; and North Park, 800 Bridge Avenue (accessible, bottle filler, seasonal restroom or portable toilet). Lot sizes are not published.

Restrooms

Facilities are largely portable and seasonal. The greenway page lists portable toilets among the amenities along the trail, and flags them at the Loth Springs and South River Preserve trailheads. North Park is listed with either a seasonal restroom or a portable toilet; the North Park page states that restrooms are available from April 1 to October 31, generally, depending on the weather and other factors. Constitution Park's Dominion Shelter has no restrooms, but a portable toilet is located in the 101 Short Street parking area. At South River Preserve, the city states restrooms will be built over time and may be funded from a variety of sources.

Water

The only drinking water the city lists along the greenway is the bottle filler at the North Park trailhead, 800 Bridge Avenue. The North Park page also lists a water fountain at the park shelter. No water source is listed at the other five trailheads, so carry your own.

Fees

The City of Waynesboro publishes no entrance or use fee for the greenway itself. Shelter reservations at city parks are separate: the Parks & Recreation Rules and Regulations state a reservation fee of $40.00 before 2 p.m., $40.00 after 2 p.m., or $75.00 for the day, and that online reservations receive a $5 discount on the rental fee. The parks page lists Sunset Park, which is not a greenway trailhead, on a different schedule.

Permits

No permit is published as required for walking or riding the greenway. Permits apply to reserved facilities. The Parks & Recreation Rules and Regulations state that reservations can be made online or in person, that permits will be emailed or arrangements made to pick them up during regular office hours, that permits and receipts are always available in the user's Parks & Recreation account, and that the reservation holder must ensure all participants are aware of the rules concerning park use.

Hours

Open sunrise to sunset, per the city's greenway page. The Parks & Recreation Rules and Regulations state that parks open at sunrise and close at sunset, and the city's parks page states that parks are open to the public from dawn to dusk every day of the year with few exceptions.

Dogs

Dogs allowed on leash

Accessibility

The city flags four of the six trailheads as accessible: Loth Springs (640 Arch Avenue), Loth Springs Natural Area (600 Race Avenue), South River Preserve (101 Short Street), and North Park (800 Bridge Avenue). South River Preserve includes an ADA-accessible fishing platform. The city does not publish grade percentages, path width, or cross-slope figures for the greenway.

Stroller friendly

Not yet verified

Good with kids

Not yet verified

Seasonal notes

The greenway page lists no seasonal closure, and the city's parks page states parks are open every day of the year with few exceptions. Restroom availability at the North Park trailhead is seasonal, generally April 1 through October 31 depending on weather and other factors. Corridor work is ongoing: the Loth Springs / Ridgeview Park connector (Phase 3) was completed in 2025, the city describes the Loth Springs Natural Area project as currently under construction, and the North Park to Basic Park extension (Phase 4) is funded through VDOT and in design. The city publishes no greenway closure or detour notice, so check the city news page or call Parks & Recreation before a trip.

Weather exposure

Not yet verified

Cell service

Not yet verified

Emergency

Not yet verified

Hazards and wildlife

• Shared-use corridor: the city's Greenway Etiquette asks users to stay to the far right of the trail, pass on the left and provide an audible warning before passing, and to slow down because excessive speeds are dangerous for everyone. It states the greenway is used by a variety of people with a variety of skill levels.
• Mercury fish consumption advisory: the Virginia Department of Health lists 'Do not eat' for all species except trout on the South River from the footbridge at the E.I. Dupont Co. site in Waynesboro to the confluence with the North River at Port Republic.
• Restrooms along the route are portable toilets, and the North Park restroom is seasonal, generally April 1 to October 31 depending on weather.
• Drinking water is published at only one trailhead, the North Park bottle filler. The city publishes no shade or sun-exposure information for the corridor.
• The city describes the Loth Springs Natural Area node as currently under construction, and the North Park to Basic Park extension is in design.
• Hours are sunrise to sunset, and the city publishes no lighting information for the path itself.

The greenway follows the South River, which the city describes as a Virginia Scenic River; a 6.5-mile section from N. Oak Lane to Hopeman Parkway received that designation, which became official on July 1, 2021. Constitution Park, a greenway trailhead, is described by the city as Virginia's first Urban Trout Fishery. The city's water trail page states that the former Delayed Harvest Trout Fishing zone is now catch and release only with artificial lures only, and that no bait may be used or in possession. South River Preserve, a 26-acre park on the greenway dedicated August 21, 2025, includes an ADA-accessible fishing platform, angler access trails, pollinator meadow trails and native tree planting. Loth Springs Natural Area, roughly 12 acres, is being developed with $1.3 million from the Waynesboro DuPont Settlement for stream daylighting of piped spring water to the South River and stormwater practices.

Read the Virginia wildlife and safety guide