Norfolk Va. – The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation manages five digital trail counters along the Elizabeth River Trail. The counters record up to the minute usage at each location and the Foundation has been tracking this data since 2019. For the first time trail usage exceeded one million users at the end of the fiscal year.

The five counters are distributed at Water Street near Harbor Park, on the Hague Bridge/Sentara Loop, near Plum Point Park, approaching Jeff Robertson Park, and at the Larchmont Library trailhead. The usage from 7/1/2025 to 6/30/2026 totalled 1,004,478 a 44% increase over last fiscal year where numbers reached 696,799.

“When the Foundation was first formed nearly a decade ago, our goal was to reach half a million trail users,” said board chair John Garrett, “that was the figure the Virginia Capital Trail had reached at the time and we held that as our goal. To more than double that figure feels like a real achievement for our region.” 

By mid-June the million figure was nearly in sight with a usage report of 994,996 at the Foundation’s June 17th board meeting. “At the beginning of the year one million trail users felt possible, as we knew this was a huge year for the ERT with our HQ opening and Sail250 festivities attracting crowds on much of the Trail, but when we closed in on the 900,000 mark well before the historic Sail250 event it only reinforced what we were seeing. The Trail is getting so much use every day, by locals and by visitors. The exponential growth has been astounding and something the City of Norfolk can really be proud of,” said Kindra Greene executive director of the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation.

The Foundation will continue working on their outreach efforts to trail adjacent neighborhoods and eastern communities as they work to advocate for an extension of the ERT to connect with the Virginia Beach Trail.

About The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation

The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides the planning, program, and advocacy for the Elizabeth River Trail, (a designated National Recreation Trail), to connect Naval Station Norfolk to the Virginia Beach Trail. The Elizabeth River Trail runs 10.5 miles through businesses, and historic attractions and is within a 5-minute walk of 28 neighborhoods. The multi-use trail is designed for walking, running, and biking. It comprises 11 sections from Norfolk State University, through Downtown Norfolk and Old Dominion University to NIT Terminals along the Elizabeth River. The Foundation has completed multiple new unique and award-winning amenities, including kayak launches, play sculptures, a double turbo challenge course in Plum Point Park, The Glowline, an ERT hydration station, and most recently a Trailside HQ and outdoor classroom. Major sponsors include CHKD, Vigor Marine/MHI and the City of Norfolk. elizabethrivertrail.org