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Time to take to the trails
Loudoun County will soon add to its list of historical markers and sites a new piece of the Potomac Heritage Trail, an 800-mile network of trails that runs from the Chesapeake Bay through Washington, D.C., to the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania.Volunteers from the community, REI, Potomac Heritage Trail Association and the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority will be at Janelia Farm in Ashburn on June 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., to help clear a trail for a new portion of the Potomac Heritage Trail.
“We have targeted Loudoun County as a high priority because of the development,” said Rick Francke, executive director with the Potomac Heritage Trail Association. “If we don't get the trail in now, we won't. The Janelia Farm portion is a crucial part of phase one of the Loudoun County project.”
The Potomac Heritage Trail already has portions in Loudoun – Great Falls Park to Algonkian Regional Park and Algonkian to Whites Ferry, and other areas are in the process of being dedicated -- Ball's Bluff, Veterans Park and Edwards Landing.
Travelers on the trail encounter traces of the nation's heritage – from colonial settlements to birthplaces of Founding Fathers to Civil War battlefields.
Just last year a portion was dedicated on National Trails Day in Elizabeth Mills County Park in Lansdowne. The section that will be worked on Saturday will link to that trail.
National Trails Day started in 1993 by the American Hiking Society with a few hundred people participating in the event. Today, more than 1,200 events occur nationwide.
“The purpose is to get people outside on the trail – hiking, biking, equestrian and water trails,” said Ivan Levin, American Hiking Society trail programs manager.
National Trail Day isn't just about creating trails, it's also about experiencing existing trails.
No matter what your skill level, Loudoun has a trail for you. Throughout the county, trails run in neighborhoods and wooded areas, along waterways and over mountains. Trails in Loudoun cover the gamut of skill levels.
Paved trails wind through parks and communities, such as Algonkian Park in Sterling, which are great for those looking more for a stroll than a hike.
Red Rock Overlook Regional Park and Ball's Bluff, both in Leesburg, are great places to go for a moderate hike on natural paths with beautiful views of the Potomac.
And on the western border of Loudoun, near Clarke County, is the Appalachian Trail, which can be a day trip, weekend trip or six-month trek. The Appalachian Trail runs from Georgia to Maine.
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