A Canopy Of Color

Nov 5, 2026

—

Early morning sun filters through the treetops.

It’s always fun to walk with a destination in mind, especially when a cup of coffee awaits. The Saunders-Monticello Trail fit the bill for us on a warm Sunday morning in October. This is an extremely popular trail located just outside Charlottesville, Virginia and leads to the visitor center of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate. There is no charge to walk the path.

A 5% or less incline keeps the trail wheelchair accessible.

We like to park at the bottom of the trail where two small parking lots are available, but fill up quickly. A early arrival is mandatory. From there, a gently rising 2-mile walk winds through the woodlands along the slopes of Carter Mountain. A series of boardwalks carry walkers through the trees and over deep ravines.

There are a number of small benches placed along the trail where walkers can rest, enjoy the scenery or wait for slowpoke walking partners to catch up.

The Monticello Visitors Center was our destination.

There is no charge for entry into the Monticello Visitors Center. It’s a nice turnaround point for the 2-mile walk. Interior galleries, The Shop at Monticello and the Monticello Cafe are all open to the public for no charge. We each ordered coffee and a scone and sat for a while before retracing our steps back down the hill.