‘World famous’ Northern Virginia trail celebrates 50th anniversary – WTOP News

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 turns 50 in September.

“No other feature more defines Northern Virginia than the W&OD,” NOVA Parks Executive Director Paul Gilbert said.

The trail has changed a lot over its 50-year life span, according to Gilbert.

“It transitioned from a railroad to a recreational trail that was used on the weekends for fun and exercise, and then today, it really is part of our carbon free infrastructure for transportation,” Gilbert said.

He said the trail is “world famous” for all those reasons, and that it was one of the first to start its transformation as part of the rails to trails movement. Gilbert said people use the trail as if it’s a highway that’s car free.

“They’re riding to work, going and running errands.”

Soledad Portilla uses the trial to commute every day between Fairfax City and Sterling.

“On the trail, it’s amazing, once I hit the trail it’s so safe,” Portilla said.

Greg, who’s and avid runner and gave only his first name, uses the trail in the Vienna area.

“It gets me all the way into town without having to drive.”

Gilbert said more and more safety features are being added, such as grade separation where the trail goes over busy roads, trail widening, and adding dual trails that are already in place in the Falls Church section of the trail, “where pedestrians and cyclists have separate, parallel lanes.”

Gilbert said there’s an effort to add those same lanes in all the urban towns that the trail runs through, such as Vienna, Herndon and Sterling. He added the trail keeps getting better because of the partnership of NOVA parks and all the towns and counties along the W&OD’s path.

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