Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail

Last updated
Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail
2019-09-07 16 47 53 View west along the Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail between Georgetown Pike and Old Dominion Drive in Great Falls, Fairfax County, Virginia.jpg
Cross County Trail in Great Falls Park
Length40.5 mi (65.2 km)
Location Virginia, U.S.
Trailheads Occoquan Regional Park, Great Falls National Park
UseBiking
Horseback riding
Running
Hiking
Highest pointFairfax Acres, 430 ft (130 m)
Lowest pointBoat Ramp at Occoquan, 10 ft (3.0 m)
DifficultyEasy
SeasonAll
Cross County Trail crossing Accotink Creek Accotink Creek Trail-6 (3613894490).jpg
Cross County Trail crossing Accotink Creek

The Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail is a 40.5-mile hiking, biking and bridle trail in Fairfax County, Virginia that traverses the entire length of the county in an arc that begins and ends at different points near the Potomac River. [1] The northern portion of the trail follows Difficult Run, while the southern half largely follows Accotink Creek and Pohick Creek. [2]

Contents

Route

The trail is a mix of paved, crushed gravel and natural surface trails that connects to the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. [3] From the north, it starts at the mouth of Difficult Run along the Potomac Rivera in Great Falls National Park and follows Difficult Run southwest, across the Washington and Old Dominion Trail to Oakmont. From there it travels on road over I-66 to Accotink Creek in Fairfax and then follows Accotink Creek to the Daventry area in Springfield. The trail travels west from there to the Pohick Creek valley and follows Pohick Creek southeast to the Laurel Hills area of Lorton. It then goes south, parallel to I-95, and across Rocky Branch to the right-of-way of the old Lorton and Occoquan Railroad. It then uses much of the old right-of-way to reach the Occoquan River. [4]

History

The $6.5 million trail was conceived by hiking enthusiast Bill Niedringhaus, president of Fairfax Trails and Streams, in 1997. [5] [6] He noticed a nearly continuous stretch of publicly owned land across the county which already contained 26.5 miles of discontinuos trail and he presented the idea to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors at a park bond hearing in 1998, enlisting the support of Gerry Connolly. [7] [3] [6] In 1999, Connolly pitched the idea of building the trail to the County Board after it voted to spend $4.2 million on trails over the next 6 years. [8] Supervisors voted to investigate the matter at the time and a month later attempted to hike across the county over a weekend, but were thwarted by the lack of connections. [8] A month later, in early 2000, the Board voted to spend $100,000 on the first 5 phases on the trail and at the end of the year allocated another $500,000 left over from a budget surplus. The money was needed to acquire 10 parcels, build several connections and construct 10 culverts and 8 fair-weather stream crossings. [9] [4] [10]

The construction of the trail in the early 2000s was the largest construction project in the Fairfax County Park Authority's history and required the purchase of multiple pieces of land. [2] Part of the Accotink Gateway Connector Trail, from Daniels Run to Pickett Road, was opened in 2001 and dedicated at a National Trails Day ceremony on June 5th of that year. [11] In 2002, the county acquired the Lorton Reformatory, the District of Columbia's former prison, which enabled them to connect the trail to the Occoquan. [12] In 2003, the county unveiled the first trail marking sign near Laurel Hill. [13] By 2004, the initial 31.5 miles of the trail were complete. [14] That year the Park Authority bought 3 parcels, accounting for 31.74 acres, in the Accotink stream valley that connected to other park properties and provided a link for the trail. [15] The County Parks Authority began the expansion of the Accotink Stream Valley Trail, from King Arthur Road in Annandale to Wakefield park, which is also part of the Cross County Trail, in May of 2005. It, including three new concrete bridges, was completed in June of that year. [16] The entire trail - between Pohick road in southern Fairfax County and Great Falls - opened on December 17, 2005 with a small ribbon-cutting ceremony. [5] [17] [7] Fairfax County had a larger ceremony and celebration, called "Trailfest", officially opening the trail on May 6, 2006. [18]

In 2008, the Fairfax County Park Authority built a new section of the Accotink Stream Valley Trail/Cross-County Trail between Lake Accotink and Hunter Village Drive. [19]

In 2013, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to name the trail after Connolly and made it formal at a ceremony held on National Trails Day in 2014. [20] [21]

In 2016-17, as part of the Lorton Road Improvement Project, The Fairfax County Department of Public Works rebuilt the trail as a sidepath along Workhouse Road (nee Old Lorton Road) where it had previously been an on-road facility on Old Lorton. In addition Lorton Road was rebuilt south of its prior location and DPW built a trail tunnel under the new Lorton Road. That project was completed on March 31, 2017. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annandale, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, US

Annandale is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia. The population of the CDP was 43,363 as of the 2020 United States Census. It is home to the oldest and largest branch of the Northern Virginia Community College system, and to one of the D.C. area's Koreatowns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorton, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Lorton is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 20,072 as of the 2020 census.

The Potomac Heritage Trail, also known as the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail or the PHT, is a designated National Scenic Trail corridor spanning parts of the mid-Atlantic region of the United States that will connect various trails and historic sites in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. The trail network includes 710 miles (1,140 km) of existing and planned sections, tracing the natural, historical, and cultural features of the Potomac River corridor, the upper Ohio River watershed in Pennsylvania and western Maryland, and a portion of the Rappahannock River watershed in Virginia. The trail is managed by the National Park Service and is one of three National Trails that are official NPS units.

The Lorton and Occoquan Railroad (L&O) was a seven-mile railroad line running between the District of Columbia-operated Lorton Reformatory prison in Lorton, Virginia, and the wharf at Occoquan, Virginia, across the Occoquan River separating Fairfax County and Prince William County. The line operated from 1911 until it was decommissioned in 1977, and most of the rolling stock was sold in 1980. It was powered at various times by cable, steam, and diesel.

NOVA Parks is an inter-jurisdictional organization that owns and operates more than 10,000 acres of woodlands, streams, parks, trails, nature reserves, countryside and historic sites in Northern Virginia in the United States. The Authority was organized in 1959. NOVA Parks presently operates 34 regional parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accotink Creek</span> River in Virginia, United States

Accotink Creek is a 25.0-mile-long (40.2 km) tributary stream of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. At Springfield, Virginia, Accotink Creek is dammed to create Lake Accotink. The stream empties into the Potomac at Gunston Cove's Accotink Bay, to the west of Fort Belvoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Neck, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Mason Neck is a peninsula jutting into the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, southwest of Washington, D.C.. It is surrounded by Belmont Bay to the west, the Potomac River to the south and east, Gunston Cove to the northeast, and Pohick Bay to the north-northeast. Mason Neck forms the southernmost section of Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. It comprises an area of 20.0 square miles (51.8 km2), two-thirds of which is preserved as parkland by regional, state, and national authorities. The population of the Mason Neck CDP was 2,005 as of the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pohick Creek</span> Stream in Virginia, USA

Pohick Creek is a 14.0-mile-long (22.5 km) tributary stream of the Potomac River in Fairfax County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It takes its name from the Pohick Native American tribe once prevalent in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Difficult Run</span> River in Northern Virginia, United States

Difficult Run is a 15.9-mile-long (25.6 km) tributary stream of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 242</span> State highway in Fairfax County, Virginia, US

State Route 242 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Gunston Road, the state highway runs 3.58 miles (5.76 km) from U.S. Route 1 near Lorton east to SR 600 at the entrance to Gunston Hall, the plantation of George Mason, on Mason Neck in southeastern Fairfax County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 644 (Fairfax County)</span> Highway in Fairfax County, Virginia

State Route 644 (SR 644) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, is an 11.81-mile (19.01 km) secondary state highway officially named Old Keene Mill Road west of Interstate 95 and Franconia Road to the east. While only a secondary state highway, it serves as a major thoroughfare through southern Fairfax County, acting as the main street through Springfield and Franconia, as well as serving Burke, West Springfield, and Rose Hill and connecting them towards Alexandria and Huntington near the Potomac River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 611 (Fairfax County)</span> Secondary state highway in Virginia, United States

State Route 611 in Fairfax County, Virginia is a secondary state highway which traverses the eastern portion of the county. SR 611 provides a major artery for commuters, connecting the Eisenhower Valley section of Alexandria with Lorton and points south along US 1. SR 611 is known by three names: Telegraph Road, Old Colchester Road, and Furnace Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eakin Community Park</span> Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, US

Eakin Community Park is a 57-acre (23 ha) county park in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is managed by the Fairfax County Park Authority. The park runs roughly northwest to southeast along Accotink Creek. The northwest corner is bordered by Pickett Road and Arlington Boulevard, and the southeast corner is bordered by Woodburn Road. Barkley Road and Prosperity Avenue cut across the park and over Accotink Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occoquan River</span> Tributary of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia

The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia, where it serves as part of the boundary between Fairfax and Prince William counties. The river is a scenic area, and several local high schools and colleges use the river for the sport of rowing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crosspointe, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

Crosspointe is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 5,722.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Mason, Virginia</span> Census-designated place in Virginia, United States

George Mason is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population at the 2020 census was 11,162. It consists of George Mason University and some adjacent neighborhoods to the south and southwest of the city of Fairfax, and is named for American Founding Father George Mason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occoquan Regional Park</span>

Occoquan Regional Park is a regional park along a tributary of the Potomac River, located in Lorton in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia, USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bull Run-Occoquan Trail</span>

The Bull Run-Occoquan Trail (BROT) is a hiking trail in the U.S. state of Virginia. Designated in 2006 as a National Recreation Trail, the Bull Run-Occoquan Trail invites hikers and horseback riders to discover more than 4,000 acres of scenic woodlands.

References

  1. ↑ "75 Miles of Urban Singletrack: A Day on Fairfax's Cross County Trail". Singletracks Mountain Bike News. 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  2. 1 2 "Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail". Fairfax County Park Authority. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  3. 1 2 Rein, Lisa (30 April 2005). "One by One, Fairfax Trails Being Woven Into 40-Mile Network". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  4. 1 2 Branigin, William (19 January 2000). "County Trail is a step Closer". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 "A Trail Runs Through It". The Washington Post. 22 December 2005.
  6. 1 2 "Gerry Connally Cross County Trail" . Retrieved 30 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Cross County Trail Opens". The Washington Post. 17 December 2005. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 Shear, Michael D (7 July 1999). "Fairfax Considers Linking Its Trails". The Washington Post. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  9. ↑ McCaffrey, Raymond (11 September 2000). "Fairfax Funds Projects With Surplus". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  10. ↑ Pae, Peter (11 January 2000). "Open-Space Preservation Trust Proposed in Fairfax". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  11. ↑ "Trail to Be Dedicated". The Washington Post. 30 May 2001. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  12. ↑ Branigin, William (10 July 2002). "Prison Complex Set To Become County's". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "New Trail Sign Points the Way". The Washington Post. 4 June 2003. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  14. ↑ "Cross County Trail Caucus Scheduled". The Washington Post. 15 January 2004.
  15. ↑ "Land Purchases Link Parks, County Trail". The Washington Post. 15 July 2004.
  16. ↑ "Accotink Stream Trail Soon to be Extended". The Washington Post. 14 April 2005.
  17. ↑ "Cross County Trail Meeting Scheduled". The Washington Post. 6 January 2005.
  18. ↑ MacGillis, Alex (1 May 2006). "Months After Completion, Trail Debuts Officially". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  19. ↑ "Meeting the Challenge" . Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  20. ↑ "Fairfax County honors Connolly's efforts by Naming 41-mile trail the "Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail"". 9 June 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  21. ↑ "5 Tips for Hiking the Cross County Trail". Fun in Fairfax VA. 2020-03-01. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  22. ↑ "Lorton Road Improvement Project" . Retrieved 30 December 2024.

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