Tag: trails
Take a hike and a photo on New Year’s Day
New Year’s Day in Fairfax County means it’s time for the Park Authority’s annual First Hike Photo Contest. To participate, visit any FCPA trail on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, take a photo, and submit it online before Friday, Jan. 2. The photo link will be posted here by 7 a.m. on Jan. 1. Prizes, sponsored by the Fairfax … Continued
Greening the Greenway: Native plant pilot combats the heat island effect
By James Albright A new initiative to incorporate native plantings in downtown Annandale kicks off this fall with a pilot patch along Columbia Pike. The “Greening the Greenway” pilot is named for the still-developing Annandale Greenway community trail. The central part of the Greenway travels through the urban core of Annandale along Columbia Pike. The … Continued
Holmes Run project will fix storm damage
The City of Alexandria is gearing up to begin construction this summer on a stream and trail restoration project on Holmes Run in the Dora Kelley Nature Park. The project is expected to be completed in summer 2026. This is the last of four major projects along Holmes Run Stream Valley to repair extensive damage … Continued
Construction to start soon on Long Branch trail upgrade
The Fairfax County Park Authority plans to begin construction on the Phase 2 improvements to the Long Branch Stream Valley Trail in late June or early July. The project focuses on improving the trail segment between Woodland Way and Wakefield Chapel Road in Annandale. The gravel trail will be paved with approximately 5,500 linear feet … Continued
Health & Wellness: Nature walks
By Rachel Martin While the past couple of weeks have brought their fair share of unpredictable weather, the calendar officially says it’s spring. That means warmer days, a gentle breeze, green grass, and the beautiful return of life – in both people and plants. It’s the perfect time to step outside and enjoy everything Annandale … Continued
Park Board hosts New Year’s Day photo contest
The Fairfax County Park Foundation invites the public to start 2025 on the right foot: Join the nationwide tradition of taking a hike on New Year’s Day and enter the 2025 First Hike Photo Contest. The contest is open to photographers of all levels. To participate, hike or stroll through any Fairfax County park or … Continued
Public input sought on ActiveFairfax plan
Fairfax County is updating and combining the Bicycle Master Plan and Countywide Trails Plan and combining them into the ActiveFairfax Transportation Plan.
VA Tech students propose improvements for the Annandale Greenway
A handful of urban planning students at Virginia Tech developed a plan for enhancing and promoting the Annandale Greenway. The greenway is a 4.5-mile pathway connecting park trails and sidewalks between Annandale Community Park and Green Spring Gardens. The students, under the leadership of Prof. Shelley Mastran, put together a “story map,” a geographical information … Continued
VA Tech student project focuses on the Annandale Greenway
Prof. Shelley Mastran of Virginia Tech’s School of Public and International Affairs in Arlington, is having her urban planning students carry out a project on the Annandale Greenway. The 14 students are in a graduate-level class called Capstone Studio, which requires a project on real-world planning problems. They are working on master’s degrees in urban … Continued
Greening up the heart of Annandale
By James Albright The Annandale Greenway was designed to connect six parks in the Annandale area – running from Green Spring Gardens westward through the heart of the town and ending in Annandale Community Park. As of Oct. 21, a new park, the Eileen Garnett Civic Space, was inaugurated on Columbia Pike, adding a seventh … Continued
Explore a park: Wakefield Park
This article is part of our Explore a Park series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The most recent piece in the series was on Deerlick Park. Wakefield Park has a wide range of athletic facilities and a network of trails along Accotink Creek. The 292-acre park at 8100 Braddock Road in Annandale stretches from Lake … Continued
Explore a park: Deerlick Park
This article is part of our Explore a Park series on parks in the Annandale/Mason District area. The most recent piece in the series was on Crossroads Interim Park. Deerlick Park is a 19-acre wooded oasis in the Springfield area of Mason District. It’s bordered by Braddock Road, the Edsall Park community, Immanuel Bible Church, and the … Continued
VDOT to reduce tree loss on Braddock Road
The Virginia Department of Transportation has reduced the amount of tree loss in the Braddock Road Multimodal Improvements Project, agency officials announced at a recent community meeting. The project would create 10-foot-wide shared-use paths along both sides Braddock Road, as well as intersection improvements at Ravensworth Road, Wakefield Chapel Road/Danbury Forest Drive, Rolling Road, and … Continued
Community invited to National Trails Day event at new Lake Accotink trail crossing
The Fairfax County Park Authority is celebrating the official opening of the Accotink Creek Crossing on Saturday, June 3, which is National Trails Day. The new crossing at the bottom of the Lake Accotink dam consists of a 325-foot elevated concrete pedestrian bridge over the outfall, an area that repeatedly flooded in the past, and … Continued
Elevated walkway opens at Lake Accotink
The new elevated walkway below the Lake Accotink dam opened to the public on April 21. The $3 million project is substantially complete, but crews are still working on a few punch list items, says Heather Lynch of the Park Authority’s Planning and Development Division. The project was needed because the existing trail often flooded, … Continued