Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park

Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail
Stone arch at Clarke's Gap in Leesburg, Virginia in August 2008
Length44.7 mi (71.9 km)
LocationVirginia, U.S.
TrailheadsEast: Shirlington in Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
West: Purcellville in Loudoun County, Virginia, U.S.
UseBiking
Horseback riding
Running
Hiking
Elevation change469 ft (143 m)
Highest pointClarke's Gap, 610 ft (190 m)
Lowest pointShirlington, 141 ft (43 m)
DifficultyEasy
SeasonAll
Trail map
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The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a linear regional park in Northern Virginia. The park's primary feature is the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail (abbreviated as W&OD Trail), an asphalt-surfaced paved rail trail that runs through densely populated urban and suburban communities as well as through rural areas.[1][2] Most of the trail travels on top of the rail bed of the former Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, which closed in 1968.[3]

Although the park is 44.6 miles (71.8 km) long, it is only about 100 feet (30 m) wide. The rail trail is approximately 10 feet (3.0 m) wide through much of its length and is a shared use path that is suitable for walking, running, cycling, and roller skating.[1][4]

A crushed bluestone–surfaced bridle path travels near the paved trail in the park's most westerly 33 miles (53 km).[1][4] The path is suitable for horseback riding and mountain biking.[1]

NOVA Parks administers and maintains the park and its trails. NOVA Parks keeps most of the parkland surrounding the trails in a natural state. The park authority has placed alongside the paved trail a series of mile markers and a number of interpretative exhibits that describe the historic and natural features of the park (see Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Stations for locations of historical markers near the W&OD Trail).[5][6]

The headquarters office of the park is near the southwest side of the trail at Smith's Switch Road in Ashburn.[7] A park rest stop is adjacent to the trail near the park's headquarters.

  1. ^ a b c d Description and map of W&OD Trail in NVRPA "Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park" marker at trailhead of W&OD Trail in Shirlington in Arlington County, Virginia. See photographs and description of the marker in Prats, J.J. (ed.). ""Washington and Old Dominion Trail" marker". HMdb: The Historical Marker Database. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
    W & OD Trail. The 100-foot-wide Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park (W&OD; Trail) features a 45-mile asphalt trail for walking, running, skating, bicycling and other activities and a 33-mile parallel, gravel bridle path for horseback riding and biking. The W & OD Trail traverses the Piedmont between the Potomac River and the Blue Ridge Mountains creating a recreation corridor extending from the Virginia suburb of Arlington to the farming areas of western Loudoun County.     In "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Markers" series". HMdb: The Historical Marker Database. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  2. ^ Multiple sources:
  3. ^ History of W&OD Railroad in NVRPA marker at trailhead of W&OD Trail in Shirlington in Arlington County, Virginia: Prats, J.J. (ed.). "Tracks into History: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad". HMdb: The Historical Marker Database. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
    August 27, 1968 - W&OD; freight service ends and the line is abandoned. Virginia Electric and Power Company (Virginia Power) immediately buys the property to protect its existing easements and for future expansion.
    1978 - After six years of negotiations with Virginia Power, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority purchases the right-of-way from Shirlington to Purcellville for use as a multi-use trail which is completed in 1988.     In "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Markers" series". HMdb: The Historical Marker Database. Archived from the original on May 12, 2021. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Neville, Section 7, p. 2.
  5. ^ "Pre-Filed Direct Testimony of Paul E. McCray on behalf of Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority" (PDF). November 30, 2005. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017. In NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL PARK AUTHORITY - PRE-FILED DIRECT TESTIMONY OF MR. HAFNER, MR. MCRAY AND MR. SIMMONS, November 30, 2005, Part 1 of 5, page 37 of 59, Case No. PUE-2005-00018, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Obtained in "Case Docket Search". Virginia State Corporation Commission. Archived from the original on September 28, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2017.
  6. ^ Titles of and links to webpages of many NOVA Parks historical markers along the W&OD Trail are listed in ""Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Historical Markers" series". HMdb: The Historical Marker Database. Archived from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
  7. ^ Multiple sources: