Hike North Bank & Buttermilk Loop — James River Park, Richmond in Virginia

What to bring

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TL;DR: The North Bank and Buttermilk Loop is the highest-rated hike in the Richmond area — a 6.1-mile loop along both sides of the James River through the heart of the city. The route passes through Maymont Park (a 100-acre Victorian estate), a bamboo forest, rocky river crossings at Dry Rocks, and the Buttermilk Heights section with the best views and the toughest climbing. A Belle Isle detour adds a river island with Civil War history. This is urban hiking at its best.

What to Expect on the Trail

The James River Park System is Richmond’s crown jewel — over 600 acres of riverside parkland threading through the city with trails that make you forget you are in a state capital. The North Bank and Buttermilk Loop combines the two signature trails on opposite sides of the river into a single circuit that covers the best of everything the park system offers.

The North Bank Trail runs along the river’s north side through a mix of floodplain forest, rocky bluffs, and the grounds of Maymont Park — a 100-acre Victorian estate with formal gardens, a wildlife exhibit, and stone bridges that feel transported from an English countryside. The trail passes through Maymont without an entrance fee, giving you a curated estate experience wedged between wild riverside sections.

One of the most unexpected features on the North Bank section is the bamboo forest. A stand of bamboo — believed to have escaped from an ornamental planting decades ago — has colonized a section of the floodplain. The trail passes through a green tunnel of bamboo stalks that clicks and sways in the wind. It lasts only a few hundred yards, but the contrast with the surrounding hardwood forest is disorienting in the best way.

The crossing between the north and south banks uses the Boulevard Bridge, with an optional detour onto Belle Isle — a 54-acre island in the middle of the James River. Belle Isle served as a Confederate prison camp during the Civil War, holding Union soldiers in an open-air compound. Interpretive markers tell the island’s history. The island also has a former hydroelectric power plant, now abandoned, that urban explorers find compelling. The detour adds about a mile but the island is worth the extra distance.

The Buttermilk Trail on the south bank is where the difficulty lives. The trail climbs through the Buttermilk Heights section with rocky switchbacks and exposed bluff views over the river. This is the most technically demanding terrain on the loop — not scrambling, but sustained climbing on rooted, rocky trail that earns the 350 feet of cumulative elevation gain. The heights section has the best views on the entire loop: the James below, the Richmond skyline above, and the river’s rapids visible between the trees.

The Dry Rocks crossing near the south bank requires hopscotching across exposed boulders in the river. In low water, this is a fun rock-hop with minimal wet feet. After rain, the rocks can be ankle-deep in fast-moving water. In high water, the crossing may be impassable — check river levels before committing to the full loop if recent rain has been heavy.

How Hard Is This Trail, Really?

Moderate. The 6.1-mile loop has about 350 feet of cumulative elevation gain, concentrated in the Buttermilk Heights section. The North Bank side is relatively flat river-bottom trail. The Buttermilk side has the climbing, the rocky footing, and the bluff sections that make you work. The contrast between the two sides is part of the appeal — you get easy riverside walking and real trail in the same loop.

The Dry Rocks crossing adds a variable. In normal conditions it is a fun obstacle. In high water it can turn a loop hike into an out-and-back on one side of the river. Check the James River Park System website or social media for current conditions — they post regular updates on trail and river status.

Counterclockwise (North Bank first) is the recommended direction. This gives you the easier terrain on fresh legs and saves the Buttermilk Heights climbing for the second half when you are warmed up. Going clockwise means descending Buttermilk Heights on tired legs, which is harder on the knees and less enjoyable.

Budget 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on pace, stops, and whether you detour onto Belle Isle. The loop works as a morning hike, an afternoon run, or a long lunch break for downtown office workers who can escape for three hours.

Best Time to Go

Fall is the premier season. The James River corridor turns color in October and the bluff views from Buttermilk Heights frame the foliage against the river and the city skyline. The temperatures are ideal for hiking. Spring is equally good with dogwood blooms and the river running high enough to make the rapids audible from the trail.

Summer works with early starts — the river corridor stays cooler than the city streets, and the canopy provides shade on most of the North Bank section. The Buttermilk Heights section is more exposed. Winter is quiet and the bare canopy opens up river views that summer foliage hides.

The trail is popular year-round with runners, dog walkers, and hikers. Weekend mornings are the busiest. Weekday visits offer more solitude, especially on the Buttermilk side which is less accessible to casual walkers.

Before You Go

Park at the Reedy Creek lot off Riverside Drive on the south side of the river. Free parking. No entrance fee for any part of the James River Park System. No restrooms on the trail — the nearest facilities are at the Reedy Creek parking area and at Maymont Park (when open).

The loop works in either direction, but counterclockwise (North Bank first) is recommended. The trail is well-marked with posts and blazes, though some junctions in the Buttermilk section require attention. Download a James River Park trail map before your visit — the trail network has multiple connectors and side trails that can be confusing for first-timers.

Dogs are allowed on leash throughout the park system and this is one of the most dog-friendly urban hikes in Virginia. The river access points allow dogs to wade and swim. The Buttermilk Heights section has rocky footing that larger dogs handle well. Bring water — there are no fountains on the trail.

Cell service is spotty in the river gorge sections, especially along the North Bank and in the Belle Isle area. The trail is within Richmond city limits — the Reedy Creek parking area is about 10 minutes from downtown.

Word from the Trail

The North Bank and Buttermilk Loop is the best argument for urban trail systems in the country. A 6-mile loop through bamboo forest, a Victorian estate, a Civil War prison island, rocky river crossings, and bluff-top views of a state capital skyline — all within a city that most people associate with history museums and Confederate monuments rather than trail running. Richmond’s relationship with the James River has been complicated for four centuries, but the park system that exists today is the best version of that relationship. The trails give the river back to the people who live alongside it. The loop is how you experience that gift in a single morning.

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