In Northern Virginia, a treasure of
recreational and commuting cyclists is the Washington & Old Dominion
Regional Park trail. A splendid
example of a successful rails-to-trails project, the trail follows the path of
the old Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, also known as the W&OD (or
"WOD" to cyclists).
Construction on the WOD started in 1855 with the goal of connecting
Alexandria to Harper's Ferry. Railroad companies rose and fell as they struggled
to make a successful venture. One branch line took D.C. residents to far off
destinations such as Great Falls. In
1968, bowing to economic realities, the railroad company collapsed and sold the
land to Dominion Power (which runs high power lines along the right of
way). Six years later, the City of Falls
Church formed an agreement with Dominion Power and opened up the first portion
of the W&OD trail. By 1982, the Northern
Virginia Regional Park Authority had purchased the W&OD from the power
company. The trail was completed in
1988, running from Shirlington in Arlington, out west through Falls Church,
Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Ashburn, Leesburg, and finally to Purcellville, 45
miles away.
The WOD is a very popular path that
offers broad trails, wonderful destinations, and scenic vistas. In Arlington, the WOD forms a bike beltway,
connecting with the Custis Trail, and the Mount Vernon Trail, making it a
tremendous resource for commuters. Over the years, I have spent a lot of time
on the WOD walking dogs, geocaching,
roller blading, and cycling. But I had
never made it to Purcellville! Last
Fall, my son's high school had a championship football game out in Ashburn and
I grabbed my chance. After driving him
to the game, a traversed over to the trail, venturing on the final leg of the
WOD that I had not ridden. This was the
end of the football season, which means it was late Fall. The colors were tremendous. In Ashburn along the WOD is one of cyclist's
favorite destinations, the Carolina Brothers Pit Barbeque. Not far west of
Ashburn you are treated with an amazing view of the Lucky Stone Quarry, and
then cross the bridge at Goose Creek.
The trail is largely straight and level as you head west, permitting you
to glide through the country-side. I reached Leesburg in short order and
recognized portions of the trail from my previous C&O trip. You continue past Leesburg, with the WOD
following near the Harry Byrd Highway.
I reached Purcellville, and acquired my trophy: a picture of my bicycle
next to the Purcellville sign.
Purcellville is a delightful town with, of course, an excellent bike
shop at the end of the trail, great restaurants, and a number of
Excellent information about the WOD can
be found at the Friends of WOD website.
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