Who is that Singing Ranger? at High Bridge Trail State Park? It is Ken Cordle! 

If you visit High Bridge on a weekend you will more than likely meet Ken at the River Road parking lot to assist with parking and crowds.

Park Ranger Ken Cordle can be seen some days managing parking
at River Road access area.

While he is extremely good at this job, Ken’s true talents are singing country and bluegrass and playing the guitar. Just ask him, he’s usually got his guitar with him and will be happy to sing and play a tune. 

Ken and his guitar accompaniment entertained the crowds at High Bridge under the full moon.

Ken is a retired construction company owner/worker and currently lives near High Bridge Trail State Park. Although he hails from southwestern Virginia in Buchanan County (pronounced Buck-hanan by the natives) he spent 40 years in northern Virginia and now lives in Cumberland County near High Bridge. When he retired from the rat race, Ken’s ambition was to see the U.S. countryside. He bought a diesel Chevy Duramax, a 30 foot Airstream trailer and hit the road! His travels led him north to Maine in the summer, down to Florida in the winter. Which campground was his favorite? Virginia’s own Breaks Interstate Park and Bear Creek Lake are at the top of the list because the people there are so friendly. He returned to Farmville to make the rounds to say goodbye to his family members as his next stop was westward towards the Pacific coastline. Or was it?

As fate would have it, he met the girl of his dreams in Farmville on his stopover and according to him it took her awhile to wear him down. But says Ken, “She couldn’t travel and I couldn’t leave her.”

High Bridge Trail State Park held several full moon night walks this year and Ken and his guitar accompaniment entertained the crowds at High Bridge under the full moon.

What is the favorite part of the Singing Ranger’s job? “Meeting the people. I love talking to and meeting new people from all around. Of course, I love my ranger hat too,” says Ken. “I wanted it from the beginning. “

A full moon lights up the trail during a summer night.

High Bridge Trail State Park is a 31 mile linear rails-to-trails park open from dawn until dusk. There are several access points from Burkeville west to Pamplin, many located off Highway 460.   

Major access points: Longitude, latitude

• Pamplin City: 37º 15.645, -78º 39.782
• Elam: 37º 17.053, -78º 37.023
• Prospect: 37º 18.123, -78º 33.454
• Tuggle: 37º 18.386, -78º 29.275
• Farmville: 37º 18.271, -78º 23.454
• Osborne Road: 37º 18.536, -78º 22.982
• River Road: 37º 19.437, -78º 20.230
• Rice: 37º 16.179, -78º 17.653

Drive Time:Northern Virginia, three hours; Richmond, one and a half hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach, two and a half hours; Roanoke, two hours.

Contact the park at (434) 315-0457 or by email.

There are 35 Virginia State Parks to choose from, where do you want to go?