The Park Most Staunton Residents Drive Past Without Stopping
Five miles of singletrack, a mountain bike community, and a birding legacy most Staunton residents have never discovered.
Gypsy Hill gets the attention. The duck pond, the pool, the bandstand on summer evenings. It earns it. But on the southwest edge of the city, tucked behind a set of softball fields off Montgomery Avenue, sits a 148-acre park that most residents treat as a shortcut to the community center. That is a mistake worth correcting.
Montgomery Hall Park holds the longest trail network inside Staunton city limits, a mountain bike scene that has grown quietly for years, and one of the more interesting pieces of local birding history in Augusta County. It has enough rolling woodland to make you forget, briefly, that you are four minutes from downtown. It deserves more than a passing glance.
The Trails
The park runs five miles of singletrack across six trails, built around three primary named routes: the Yulee Trail, the MHP Expressway, and the Scout Trail. They connect into a network that Trailforks describes as cross-country terrain managed by the city, with the standard loop running Expressway to Yulee to Scout.
The Yulee Trail is the gentlest of the three. Trailforks rates it green difficulty, with 114 feet of elevation gain across its roughly 4,984-foot length. Wide enough for beginners and smooth enough for an easy afternoon, it serves as both an introduction to the park and a warm-up for riders tackling the rest of the network. Hikers use it year-round.
The MHP Expressway is where the park gets serious. At 2.3 miles, it is the longest trail in the network and carries the most elevation gain at 350 feet. The Scout Trail rounds out the loop with a fun descent that Trailforks describes as dropping about 250 feet with turns, log overs, and optional rock drops. Taken together, the full circuit is a legitimate workout without requiring a drive out Route 250.
As of late May 2026, Trailforks reports downed trees on both MHP Expressway and Scout Trail. Check current conditions before heading out.
The Mountain Bike Community
Montgomery Hall’s bike trails did not appear on a master plan. They grew the way most good trail systems grow, through years of local riders showing up, clearing lines, and maintaining what they built. The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition is the local trail association listed on Trailforks for the park, and the partnership between the organization and the city has kept the trails in shape without losing the park’s multi-use character.
For riders who cannot spare a half-day drive to the George Washington National Forest, Montgomery Hall is the answer. MTB Project describes the trails as twisty, always on edge when ridden fast, with the only major technical challenges being occasional log hops and rooty corners. The network accommodates a wide range of ability. The Yulee Trail welcomes beginners and riders returning after a long break. The Expressway and Scout trails offer enough variation to keep experienced riders engaged. Trailforks notes the most popular months for riding are June and October, though the wooded terrain extends the season well into fall.
Dogs are allowed on the trails and must remain on leash.
The Birding History
The Yulee Trail carries a name that means something in Augusta County. YuLee Larner, who lived from 1923 to 2013, was a co-founder of the Augusta Bird Club and one of the recognized pioneers of Virginia birding. She led nature walks at Montgomery Hall Park for decades, and the trail network carries her name. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources notes that a checklist of birds she observed at the park is still available there.
The park is listed on the Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail for good reason. The mix of open fields and hardwood woodland draws a wide variety of species across the seasons. During breeding season, Great Crested Flycatchers, Red-eyed Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and Yellow-billed Cuckoos are regularly present. Spring and fall migration brings clusters of warblers and vireos moving through the tree canopy. In winter, both species of kinglets and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been documented in the park. Deer are common on the wooded slopes year-round.
The Virginia DWR also notes woodland butterflies including common wood nymph, eastern tiger swallowtail, and red-spotted purple at the park’s woodland edges during warmer months.
Everything Else
Beyond the trails, the city lists the park’s features as including softball fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, pickleball courts, soccer fields, horseshoes, a disc golf course, picnic shelters, playgrounds, a natural playground area, and a community pool open during summer. The Department of Parks and Recreation operates its offices from the Irene Givens Administration Building on the grounds. Picnic shelters at the top of the hill are available on a first-come, first-served basis, though groups wanting to use them after 8:30 p.m. must request a permit from the city.
Planning Your Visit
Getting there: Montgomery Hall Park is located at 1000 Montgomery Ave, Staunton, VA 24401, in the southwest portion of the city just south of Stuart Street. From I-81, take US 250 West for 2.8 miles to SR 254, turn left, continue 0.7 miles to Montgomery Avenue, then turn left and proceed 0.5 miles crossing the railroad tracks to the park entrance on the right.
Parking: Trailforks describes the main parking area as accessible by turning left at the T after the main entrance, winding up the hill past the baseball fields to the lot on the left.
Park hours: 4 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Contact: Staunton Parks and Recreation at 540.332.3945.
Trail conditions: Check Trailforks for current reports before heading out, particularly after rain or storms.
Trail conditions and park features change. Verify current information with Staunton Parks and Recreation at 540.332.3945 before your visit. Ride and hike within your ability and always tell someone your plans.
Have a trail report or outdoor story worth covering? Contact us at brad@stauntonian.com.