Zina and I are always up for a trail day, especially one with a name like the Blue Ridge Railway Trail. It sounds like it should deliver adventure, right? Old rail ties. Scenic bridges. Maybe a touch of ghost train lore.

Instead, we got… horses, cows, and the kind of straight-line walking that makes you wonder if you’re in a loop or a time warp.

To be fair, the trail is beautiful in a quiet, steady way. It’s a 7-mile crushed gravel path that follows the route of the old Virginia Blue Ridge Railway, which once hauled timber and chestnut logs through this area in the early 1900s. These days, it’s used by hikers, cyclists, horseback riders, and—apparently—judgmental livestock.

It runs between Piney River and Rose Mill, and it’s mostly flat, making it great for anyone looking for a gentle stroll. There’s even an old caboose at the trailhead in Piney River, which is a fun little nod to the past. You pass through shaded forest, cross the Piney and Tye Rivers on restored trestle bridges, and hear the low hum of nature doing its thing. It’s peaceful. Predictable.

And apparently very popular with horses.

Zina does not do horses.

We stepped aside for more than one equine encounter, and with every clomp of hooves, she looked more and more personally offended. One particularly tall gelding passed us with a snort, and Zina squinted up at him like he’d just insulted her lineage.

Then came the cows.

They weren’t even on the trail—just hanging out on the other side of a fence—but she still booked it past them like we were trespassing on sacred cow ground. I’d like to say I handled it more gracefully, but truthfully, I was right there with her. There’s something about being stared down by a herd that makes you question your entire energy.

Beyond the barnyard drama, it was a solid walk. If you’re the kind of person who finds your peace in motion—not in switchbacks or summits, but in the rhythm of gravel underfoot—this trail will give you that. It’s wide, well-kept, and easy to follow. No map-checking. No rock scrambling. Just steady forward movement and the kind of space your brain needs to unravel a few knots.

There are benches along the way, a few trail signs about the railway’s history, and even a spot near mile marker 3.5 where you can dip your feet in the Tye River.

So, if you’re looking for drama, this trail might not deliver—unless you bring a dog with big feelings about barn animals.

But if you’re after an easy walk with old railroad vibes, the Blue Ridge Railway Trail might be exactly what you didn’t know you needed.