New Blue Trail Opens This Weekend at Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation (VOF) is thrilled to announce the official opening of the Catletts Trail (Blue Trail) at the Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve this weekend.
This new 1-mile, out-and-back trail (for a total 2-mile hike) invites visitors to explore a stunning and previously inaccessible section of the Preserve. The trail follows the serene Catletts Branch stream corridor, offering peaceful waterside views as it winds through lush thickets of mountain laurel and vibrant, fern-dominated seepage swamps.
Beyond its natural beauty, the Catletts Trail serves as an outdoor museum, unlocking a vital chapter of the mountain’s rich cultural history. Hikers will pass historic homesites, ruins, and landmarks—such as the Robinson and Charles Corum sites—that tell the deeply moving story of the free African American communities that built lives on these ridges.
A Community Triumph: Thank You to Our Partners
Bringing this trail to life required years of research, collaboration, and hard work. VOF extends its deepest gratitude to the many partners who made this project possible, including the descendants of the mountain’s historic families, especially the Robinson, Corum, and Gaskins families; the Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County; the National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways Grant Program; archaeologist Patrick O’Neill; forensic genealogist Phyllis Scott; VOF Research Fellows Barinaale Dube and Amber Miller; the Piedmont Environmental Council; the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation – Division of Natural Heritage; the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and District Manager Mike Custodio; and the VOF Preserve volunteers from the surrounding community. We are grateful for everyone who contributed to bringing the Catletts Trail to life.
Plan Your Visit
Come out and be among the very first to hike the Blue Trail this weekend! The Bull Run Mountains Natural Area Preserve is open during our summer hours from 8am to 6pm. We ask that all hikers stay on the designated trail to protect the sensitive ecological habitats and fragile cultural resources along the stream.
