Community members explore the future Annandale Greenway
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| Loki leads the way as participants in the Annandale Greenway Inaugural Walk leave Green Spring Gardens and head toward Braddock Road. |
About 30 people went on the Annandale Greenway Inaugural Walk Oct. 24, a four-mile trek along existing trails and sidewalks between Green Spring Gardens and Annandale Community Park.
The Annandale Greenway Alliance, an informal group of local residents, is working on getting the pathway officially designated as the “Annandale Greenway.”
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| The path along Elmdale Road, with Pinecrest Golf Course on the left. |
Their goals are to get signs posted along the way, have a logo designed, and promote the Greenway among community residents, local businesses, and public officials.
Related story: Community members invited to get involved in the Annandale Greenway project
As the group met Sunday afternoon in the Green Spring Gardens parking lot, Mason Supervisor Penny Gross told them she supports the project. One of the key challenges, she noted, is getting the various county agencies with jurisdiction over the route to coordinate their efforts to support the Greenway.
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| Annandale Greenway walkers on Sleepy Hollow Road. |
At a meeting with Greenway proponents earlier this month, Gross agreed to host a meeting with staff from the Park Authority, VDOT, and the county’s trails department.
- From the Green Spring Gardens parking lot, follow the trail along Witch Hazel Road to Braddock Road.
- Cross Braddock Road at the crosswalk and turn right.
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| Wolftree Lane ends at Mason District Park. |
- Go left at Elmdale Road and continue along the sidewalk next to Pinecrest Golf Course.
- Turn left on Old Columbia Pike and walk on the grass as there is no sidewalk.
- Turn right onto the sidewalk on Sleepy Hollow Road.
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| From Mason District Park, the Annandale Greenway follows Roberts Avenue. |
- Go left on Wolftree Lane for a short distance until it dead-ends at Mason District Park.
- After a short walk, the trail dead-ends. Turn left.
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| Alpine Drive |
- Follow the trail through Mason District Park and turn left just before the large bridge.
- The trail exits the park onto Roberts Avenue.
- From Roberts Avenue, turn right on Alpine Drive. The middle section of this road is a pathway inaccessible to vehicles.
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| The Greenway follows several streets through the Annandale commercial center, including Evergreen Lane. |
- Turn right on Evergreen Lane.
- Cross Columbia Pike at the crosswalk. Be extra careful here, as this is a hotspot for pedestrian accidents.
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| The Greenway crosses Columbia Pike. |
- Head along the sidewalk on Columbia Pike and turn right just after the Annandale Fire Station.
- Cut through the future Annandale Civic Space, exiting onto Daniels Avenue.
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| The future Annandale Civic Space, between the Annandale Fire Station and the ACCA Child Development Center on Columbia Pike. |
- Turn right onto Poplar Street, which doesn’t have sidewalks.
- Cross Annandale Road at the crosswalk at Markham Street.
- Head right on the sidewalk on Annandale Road.
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| Poplar Street |
- Turn left on Medford Drive.
- Cross Medford shortly after the road divides and look for a path heading into Manassas Gap Park. It’s a little hard to find the path, as it gets overgrown during the warmer months. Look for the blue pinecone trail marker on the ground.
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| The corner of Annandale Road and Medford Drive. |
- Follow the path through the park on the roadbed for the never-built Manassas Gap Railroad.
- The trail exits on a paved path between two houses on Royce Court.
- Turn right on Royce Court.
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| Manassas Gap Park |
- Cross Hummer Road – another trouble spot for pedestrians – at the crosswalk and head along Royce Street.
- Turn left onto the Hidden Oaks Nature Center trail.
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| Royce Court |
- Instead of heading right toward the nature center, which is being renovated, follow the trail to Annandale Community Park.
- That’s the end of the Annandale Greenway. But once it’s established, it could connect to more trails, such as the Cross County Trail.
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| Annandale Community Park |
Thanks for reporting on this Ellie! If anyone wants more info please join our FB group Annandale Greenway Alliance to join our effort!
That little stretch on Old Columbia Pike between the Mason District path and Elmdale, and then again from Elmdale to Whispering Lane– wouldn't it be grand if that could be real sidewalk? It would connect all the neighborhoods on Whispering Lane up to the bus at Columbia Pike and the elementary school.
Yes, it would be! It will never happen, as that would require the county do to some real work. Instead, we get sidewalks on roads that are already wide enough to be safe for pedestrians, like Sleepy Hollow Road.
Thanks for sharing this adventure using great pictures, specific descriptions of the pathway, the exact route and especially for your safety warnings so those who choose to walk Our Annandale Greenway will enjoy themselves as we did.
Without sidewalks this just seems dangerous and foolish.
95 percent of this walk is on already established sidewalks and through our 6 Mason Parks. There are about 3 small, but challenging areas—-but that’s why we’ve got an Alliance! To recognize these challenges and figure out a solution so we can knit our community resources together. Join us!
The Annandale Greenway represents a concept that should be applied throughout Fairfax County – A concept of "Complete Streets" and "Neighborways" that knit existing streets together into networks safe and friendly for pedestrian and bicycle travel. These "Neighborways" can connect places we live, shop, work, play, and worship without sacrificing our dwindling heritage of natural wooded areas for new infrastructure. The concept can also emphasize maintaining what we already have instead of costly tax outlays for something new and redundant.
Friends of Accotink Creek – http://www.accotink.org
Does someone have a map? Thanks. If not, I’d be glad to volunteer time to produce one.