The Virginia Capital Trail is a unique bicycle and pedestrian route linking the first settlement in Jamestown, the Colonial Capital in Williamsburg, and Virginia's modern seat of government in Richmond. The 52-mile-long shared-use trail highlights the rich historic, cultural and environmental assets along the Route 5 Virginia Byway - the corridor of America's first westward expansion and the oldest inland transportation route in North America. The trail features interpretive sites with information kiosks and bicycling and pedestrian amenities to accommodate users of all ages and abilities.

In Williamsburg, the trail begins at the Governor's Mansion and follows the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown Island, the site of the first permanent English settlement in the New World. The trail then turns west, crossing the Chickahominy River, running through historic Charles City County, passing original James River plantations, the homes of Presidents John Tyler and William Henry Harrison, and numerous Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields. In eastern Henrico County, the trail returns to the banks of the James River and reaches the heart of the modern waterfront in downtown Richmond, where it connects to the Canal Walk and the James River Park System.