Westmoreland State Park · VA
Big Meadow Trail
The park’s most popular trail, descending through forest and tidal marsh to Fossil Beach on the Potomac, where visitors sift for Miocene shark teeth and fossil shells.
Live · updated
Today
Skip the hiking plan today.
Today's best: hiking
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Skip the hiking plan today.
Trail running
Skip the trail running plan today.
Dog walking
Thunderstorms in today's forecast — dogs panic and trails become dangerous.
Score breakdown
- · 83°F air — Within comfort range, outside ideal
- − Thunderstorms — Get off exposed ridges before they arrive
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 1.4 mi
- Elevation gain
- 144 ft
- Surface
- mixed
- Difficulty
- easy
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.1675, -76.8605 — VA.
Park
Part of Westmoreland State Park (official site →).
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Frequently Asked
How long is Big Meadow Trail?
Big Meadow Trail is a 1.4-mile route with 144 feet of elevation gain — easy — gentle grades, generally suitable for families and beginners with normal fitness. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
What's the trail surface like at Big Meadow Trail?
Big Meadow Trail is mixed surface — sections of dirt, rock, and root that vary along the route. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages Big Meadow Trail, and where do closure alerts come from?
Big Meadow Trail is in Westmoreland State Park, which is managed by the managing agency. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the agency. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.