New River Land Trust

The New River Land Trust works to conserve farmland, forests, open spaces, and historic places in the New River region of Southwest Virginia. Since 2002, we have helped protect over 58,000 acres of land in the region and 27 miles of New River frontage.

We work with landowners to conserve or restore their land, and with partners on larger conservation projects such as the Brush Mountain Park Project.

Brush Mountain Park 

Brush Mountain Park totals 758 acres with a planned total of 20+ miles of trails across 3 properties. The forested park provides multi-use trails for recreation, habitat for wildlife, and will preserve views of Brush Mountain while forever protecting the land. 

2025 Funding Priority - New Trail Construction and Maintenance

Our fundraising focus this year is on building new trails on Millstone Ridge (formerly Property 3) and to support the work on maintenance-intensive trails like Blunderbuss and Wavelength in Brush Mountain Park. 

Construction has just begun on the Teal Trail. Next we'd like to move on to the Purple Trail. We received a $10,000 grant towards building the trail but need to raise more to complete it. Millstone Ridge has three trails open to the public now - Running Cedar, Chasers and Grinder (orange trail). 

The property will eventually be turned over to the Town of Blacksburg to manage, and the land placed in a conservation easement that protects the forested property into the future.

Background

In 2018, the New River Land Trust received a $1.2 million grant award from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Forest CORE Fund. The grant allowed us to purchase the first two properties totaling 552 acres.  

In 2021, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation awarded a $210,000 grant to the Town of Blacksburg that helped NRLT purchase and protect a third property of 205 acres of biodiverse forest habitat. In 2023 we raised money to purchase an additional 20-acre property adjacent to Stonecutter's Hollow. 

The Town of Blacksburg will provide long-term stewardship in the form of viewshed protection, preservation of ecological diversity, and recreational opportunities. Trails on Millstone Ridge are being built by contractor Eastern Trail Co. Conservation easements on the properties will be held by the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.

The Peer Segelke Environmental Grant

Give $5, help us win $1,000! This year there is a new Giving Day award just for environmental organizations, the Peer Segelke Environmental Grant. 

This $1,000 award is for the organizations focused on environmental sustainability and natural resource conservation - we are one of 9 organizations eligible for this award.

The organization with the highest number of individual donors will receive the award.

You could help us win by making a donation of at least $5!