The Washington and Old Dominion Trail, or W&OD Trail, runs 45 miles from Purcellville in Loudon County to Arlington County and will turn 50 years old in September.
Bicyclists and walkers use a portion of the W&OD Trail in Falls Church, Virginia. The trail celebrates its 50th anniversary in September. (Courtesy of NOVA Parks)
Bicyclists and walkers use a portion of the W&OD Trail in Falls Church, Virginia. The trail celebrates its 50th anniversary in September. (Courtesy of NOVA Parks)
Saturday is National Trails Day and one of the most popular trails in our area is celebrating a big anniversary.
The Washington and Old Dominion Trail runs 45 miles from Purcellville in Loudoun County to Arlington County and will turn 50 years old in September.
“No other feature defines Northern Virginia more than W&OD,” said NOVA Parks Executive Director Paul Gilbert.
According to Gilbert, the trail has changed a lot over its 50 years of life.
“It went from a railroad to a recreational trail that was used on the weekends for fun and exercise, and today it really is part of our carbon-free transportation infrastructure,” Gilbert said.
He said the trail is “world famous” for all those reasons, and that he was one of the first to begin its transformation as part of the rails-to-trails movement. Gilbert said people use the trail as if it were a car-free highway.
“They bike to work, go and run errands.”
Soledad Portilla uses the test to travel between Fairfax City and Sterling every day.
“On the road, it’s amazing, once I start it it’s very safe,” Portilla said.
Greg, who is an avid runner and gave only his first name, uses the trail in the Vienna area.
“It takes me into town without having to drive.”
Gilbert said more and more safety features are being added, such as grade separation where the trail passes over busy roads, widening the trail and adding dual trails already installed on the Falls Church section of the trail, “where pedestrians and cyclists have separate and parallel lanes.”
Gilbert said there is an effort to add those same lanes in all the urban towns the trail passes through, such as Vienna, Herndon and Sterling. He added that the trail continues to improve thanks to the partnership of NOVA Parks and all the towns and counties along the W&OD Trail.
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