James River Park Pony Pasture — Attraction in Richmond

I've visited this area occasionally over the course of several years, and I've never had a bad time. Beautiful scenery; you don't have to walk miles and miles from where you parked; the trail is great when it's dry; the rocks on the water are big and a lot of fun for those who are adventurous; great place for dogs, kids, couples, adults, and joggers/cyclists. Certain hazards about the river and its visitors should be noted, however: do not enter water that is both deep and fast unless you wish to be swept away, watch out for slippery rocks, the water gets very cold during certain months, broken glass and other unpleasant objects can be found and stepped on by bare feet if you aren't careful, and be mindful that young people might come here to drink and smoke. I keep my distance from these groups, and they haven't given me any trouble so far 👍. But don't let the warnings keep you from visiting this spot! Some of my fondest memories with friends and family took place here. Also sometimes the river goes up due to flooding and rain and there are no rocks to walk on, so if that's what you're here for (like me) plan your visit ahead to come when the...

This is such a beautiful place and our first time visit. However for being such a beautiful place trail along the park could be better, although I don’t want to but giving it one star less so somethings would change hopefully. After parking and walking on the trail a bit, trail suddenly disappears and now you end up walking on the road. This can be dangerous and unsafe for both walkers, joggers, pets and surely not easy for drivers. Although the traffic is less yet it calls for a nice trail whenever is next renovation effort. This would also make it more accessible to people and safer to enjoy this very beautiful place. We got lucky with parking. Only spent about an hour hiked from parking all the way to what is called a Z dam. You get to hear roaring James River watch the water rushing through rapids and may be spend some time on the huge rocks along the river. If you are a birder this is beautiful place for that too. We spotted blue heron and few other birds along the way. Hope you enjoy this park in...

Although this is a "natural area", the city likes to label it as a park. A park denotes active daily oversight and cleanup as noted in Henrico parks. As a city resident, paying increasingly " vague higher utility costs", etc., much more needs to be done to budget and supervise picnic fires and unsafe river swimming and crossing and kayaking, bathroom facilities etc., It is a shame that JR Park seems to be such a valuable resource to the area, yet does get much needed resources through city council of etc. Many volunteer groups help to...