Rocktown Trails

Located in Hillandale Park

At 74 acres, Hillandale Park is the largest park in the City of Harrisonburg. The park features a dense network of paved, gravel, and dirt trails, including four miles of mountain bike trails with varying difficulty. The trails, known collectively as the Rocktown Trails, were designed in conjunction with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) and Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) volunteers. Through their work on this trail system, Harrisonburg earned its designation as an IMBA Bronze Level Ride Center. A downhill jump track along the powerlines, as well as a small pump track, are popular locations to practice mountain bike skills. The trails, jump track, and pump track are open year-round during daylight hours along with the normal Hillandale park hours.

Click here for a printable page on these trails. Hillandale Park Rocktown Trails

Trail Information

Trail Activities: Mountain Biking, Hiking and Trail Running

Time required: 30 minutes to 2 hours
Challenge level: Beginner to Advanced
Distance: Up to 5 miles
Elevation change: Minimal. Trails are built on a gradual slope up to the eastern side.
Terrain: Dirt singletrack with a variety of surfaces, scaled from smoother easy options to technical challenges with rocky surfaces.
Preferred direction: Check out suggested loop directions to get started

Practical Planning Information

Services along trail: Hillandale Park has indoor restroom facilities, a bike tool stand, picnic areas and a playground. The restroom facilities are open from mid-April through late October.
Food & water: Water fountains are available near the trailhead parking area.
Mobile phone service: Good coverage within Harrisonburg

Directions & Parking

Google: Hillandale Park

Driving time: 5 minutes from downtown Harrisonburg
Signs and marking: Trails are marked with colored signs indicating challenge level and specific names.
Parking: Various public lots are available within the park. The parking lots closest to the trails are located at the end of the paved park road before the circle turnaround. Park in the parking lot across from Shelter #11. Additional access points are available to foot and bike traffic at the dead end of South Avenue and Circle Drive.

Rocktown Trails

Navigating the Trail

Use the trail maps and key to choose a trail that is appropriate for your skill level. Trails of varying difficulty wind through the network, from easy green trails and moderate blue trails at the edges of the park to more challenging red and black trails towards the center. Take it Easy and Let it Flow are two great introductory loops, while Buck Jam and Seeing Red present opportunities for more advanced riders. Follow the location markers to stay on the loop you have chosen. If you find that you are lost in the trail network, follow the powerlines or head westward downhill to return to the parking area.

Avoid the trails after rainfall, as they become quite muddy and slick. Watch out for poison ivy along the trails, especially when the vegetation grows in the late spring and summer.

More Information

Harrisonburg’s Largest City Park

In addition to the trails mentioned in this guide, Hillandale Park also offers many picnic shelters, basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, and a playground as well as bathroom facilities and water fountains. A 1.4 mile gravel fitness loop is ideal for walking and running and connects to the Friendly City Trail, a two-mile paved multi-use path.