Appomattox State Forest - Carter Taylor Trail

Appomattox-Buckingham, had a long history of farming. Evidence of the land’s former inhabitants can be seen in the cemeteries and old homesteads scattered throughout the forest. By the mid-1930s, much of this land had become unproductive and was highly eroded. At that time, the federal government began purchasing marginal farmland under the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, enacted to help conserve and restore the health of the land. Much of this purchased land was soon leased to the state. In 1954, the federal government deeded land to the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest was born. Under the Virginia Department of Forestry’s management, the forest grew to its present 19,808 acres, spanning parts of Appomattox and Buckingham counties.

Holliday Lake State Park, operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, is located within the forest and provides a good starting point for visiting the State Forest. The Carter-Taylor multiple use trail begins in the park and makes a 12-mile loop through the forest. Hikers may also use the network of forest roads and trails that traverse the forest.

Wildlife abounds in the ever-changing oak-hickory and pine forest. Deer, turkey, and even black bear make their homes in these woods. Travelers hike through harvested areas that have either been replanted or protected so that nature is allowed to take its course.