Common Name: Southern Red Oak
Scientific Name: Quercus falcata
Location: Biscuit Run Park
Coordinates: 37.98229, -78.51233
At Biscuit Run Park in Albemarle County, Southern Red Oaks are part of the native forest canopy, growing among mixed hardwoods and oak-hickory communities. As you follow the trails, keep an eye overhead for their spreading crowns and look along the forest floor for their distinctive leaves and acorns.
One particularly impressive Southern Red Oak grows beside the Foothills Loop Trail. After walking down the entrance trail, turn right to reach the tree. It is believed to be more than 150 years old.
Standing beside a tree of that age adds another dimension to a simple walk in the woods. This oak was already growing here long before Biscuit Run became a public park. Its trunk and branches have witnessed generations of changing seasons while the surrounding landscape changed dramatically.
The park itself has an interesting history. In 1971, developer I.J. Breeden purchased approximately 1,300 acres of cattle fields and forest with plans to build homes. Those plans never came to fruition, but thanks to Breeden’s son, the late sculptor David Breeden, Biscuit Run has long been associated with the local arts scene. In 2005, a group of developers bought the property at auction and later secured approval to build 3,100 housing units on the site. In 2009, the developers opted instead to convey the land to the state in a charitable bargain sale. The state in turn leased it to Albemarle County, which opened Biscuit Run Park in 2024.
Today, the park protects extensive natural areas, stream valleys, and mature forests. Although development of the park continues in phases, visitors can already explore its hiking and biking trails and discover the landscape at a leisurely pace.
As you walk beneath the trees, the Southern Red Oaks offer a tangible connection to the past. Their dark, furrowed trunks and distinctive leaves are more than just interesting features to notice along the trail. They are reminders that this landscape was once, and remains in places, a forest shaped by native trees, wildlife, water, and the changing seasons.
Take a moment beside the old Southern Red Oak on the Foothills Loop Trail. Look up into its spreading crown, examine the unusual leaves, and imagine the forest as it might have looked a century ago. A walk through Biscuit Run is not simply a walk through today’s park—it is a walk through a landscape with a much longer story.
