The Ragged Mountain Natural Area

Creation of the Ragged Mountain Natural Area

In April 1997, with the goal of providing long-term protection to the watershed of the Ragged Mountain Reservoir, the Ivy Creek Foundation (ICF) approached the City of Charlottesville with a proposal to designate the Reservoir property as a public natural area reserved for quiet hiking, fishing, and wildlife observation. Under this proposal ICF agreed to fund, design and construct a rustic parking lot, conduct a biological survey, establish and maintain a trail system, and provide maps. See Site Plan and Review.

With financial help from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the Virginia Department of Forestry, and with the hard work of hundreds of volunteers, Ragged Mountain Natural Area was opened to the public in March, 1999.

Directions

To reach the Ragged Mountain Natural Area, take Route 250 Bypass to the Route 29 Business exit.  Turn away from Charlottesville onto Fontaine Avenue.  One quarter mile up, turn right onto Reservoir Road, which is a narrow, curvy gravel road popular with joggers. Drive slowly and carefully!  Approximately two miles down the road, the parking lot is on the right, just before the entrance to Camp Holiday Trails, and is open 7 a.m. to sunset.  Location

Walking the main loop trail may take 2 - 3 hours.  Parts of the trail are quite steep.  The Natural Area is closed and locked at sunset.  Do not attempt the entire loop trail late in the day!

The Trails

Download a copy of the Trail map

From the parking lot the Main Trail climbs sharply to Round Top Mountain. Here hikers can take a ¼ mile spur trail to Round Top Overlook for a panoramic view of the countryside below.

From the Round Top trailhead, the Main Trail descends towards the reservoir, turning right at the emergency access road. Up and on the left the ½ mile Peninsula Loop Trail circles a beautiful neck of pine and oak woods flanked on each side by quiet bays. This area provides the best vantage point to view the lake and to observe waterfowl.

Shortly after the Peninsula Trail trailhead, the Main Trail turns left into the woods following gently sloping hills for 1.5 miles along the water as it passes through mature hardwoods, over mossy creeks, and along rocky outcrops. An old quarry along the shore was used to mine rock for construction of the dam (now a land bridge) in the mid 1880s.

At the land bridge, the 2.2 mile Upper Lake Trail turns off to the right. This remote trail passes high into a beautiful upland forest of majestic oak, hickory, and poplar and then descends into a habitat unusual in Albemarle County, a seasonally flooded wetland. This boggy valley supports a variety of wildlife including heron, waterfowl, otter, and snapping turtles.

The Main Trail crosses the land bridge and ascends to 850 ft.  The last mile traverses terrain that is characteristic of the Ragged Mountains -- high peaks and deep valleys, rocky crags, and scattered stands of ferns, spicebush and mountain laurel.

Natural History of the Ragged Mountain Natural Area

In 1997, as part of the creation of the Ragged Mountain Natural Area, a biological profile of the land was conducted which is documented in the Site Plan and Review .

The Ragged Mountains - a brief history

"Wild and dreary" is how Edgar Allan Poe describes the landscape in A Tale of the Ragged Mountains, a mystical story allegedly inspired by his jaunts through the countryside while a student at UVA in the 1820s.

The region known as the Ragged Mountains is a largely undeveloped area rich in history and mystique. It extends 14 miles southwest from Charlottesville to the communities of North Garden and Batesville.

In 1885, the city of Charlottesville and UVA constructed the area’s first public water supply at the northern end of this region. The reservoir was enlarged in 1908 to triple its capacity and in the 1920s an 18" cast iron pipe was laid underground for 13 miles to a small dam near the Sugar Hollow Reservoir. This pipeline still carries up to four million gallons of water per day to the Ragged Mountain Reservoir.  Historic photographs of the project to enlarge the reservoir are available as part of the Holsinger Studio Collection at UVa Special Collections Library by searching for "Charlottesville Dam".

Rules and Regulations

In order to protect the wildlife, water quality & serenity at the
Ragged Mountain Reservoir the following are PROHIBITED:

If you wish to engage in such activities, please visit one of the many parks in the Charlottesville - Albemarle area which permit walking dogs, riding bikes, swimming and other forms of recreation.  Thank you for your cooperation and understanding!