Revitalizing Green Spaces by Building a Trail

Trail head sign

Southern Montgomery County, adjacent to DC, is a densely developed and populated area with patches of green space scattered to provide recreation and respite from the active lives of its citizens. The largest green spaces in the down county are Sligo Creek Park, Northwest Branch Park, and Rock Creek Park; all with trail systems but non connecting to each other; until now.

For two years, multiple organizations (Northwood High School, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Chesapeake Bay Trust, Neighbors of Northwest Branch, Friends of Sligo Creek, MD State Highway Administration, Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection) partnered to build the one and half mile Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail that connects Sligo Creek and Northwest Branch Parks together. In 2009, the State Highway Administration was persuaded to bank 15 acres of their land for environmental protection. This property is adjacent to Northwood High School. It was used for many years as an unofficial community landfill. With money from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, students and community volunteers removed 11,000 pounds of trash, built a three-quarter mile interpretive trail about the Chesapeake Bay watershed, removed invasive species and planted native trees and plants. This first phase was completed with a National Trails Day celebration in June 2010 with a 5K community fun run and hike.

In April 2011, volunteers constructed more of the trail to University Ave with hopes of extending it further into Breewood Park to reach Sligo Creek Park. As lead organizations, Northwood and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club worked with Montgomery Parks and Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection for a year to gain permission and plan the trail extension. In November, 25 students and community volunteers built the half mile extension of the Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail in Breewood Park.

Anne Ambler of NNWB and Erol Miller of Northwood HS

The Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail now connects Sligo Creek Park just below University Avenue (on the Parkway across from the last playground) to Northwest Branch Park at the Loxford Terrace connector trail. The trail is blazed in red for Northwood High School. Furthermore, it is posted with a trail sign on Sligo Creek Parkway, University Ave, Northwood High School and in Northwest Branch Park.

The Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail project is a successful example of a public, private partnership which has left a positive legacy in an urban area with scattered but valuable green space. Montgomery County residents greatly regard their county parks with trails being the most valued resource. This successful public, private partnership protected land for green space and environmental education, restored land to improve the ecosystem’s health including the watershed and built a recreational resource that ties the community to the land creating ownership and pride; creating legacy.

Volunteering as a Vacation?!

For the last couple of summers, I have been taking some "me" time to learn and give back. While my kids are having fun and spending quality time with their grandparents, I rejuvenate my passion for all things hiking and environmental. In the past, I canoe camped in the Adirondacks to learn and become a Leave No Trace Master Educator and strategized with Appalachian Trail clubs in the White Mountains to encourage youth to become trail stewards. This summer, I participated in an American Hiking Society Volunteer Vacation on the Iron Goat Trail in Stevens Pass, Washington (Central Cascades).
Thirteen volunteers from all parts of the United States gathered at the Mountaineers Lodge in Stevens Pass on July 9th for two purposes: to have fun and give our sweat to the Iron Goat Trail. We worked with Volunteers for Outdoor Washington, their Iron Goat Trail committee and the US Forest Service to fix problems caused by multiple avalanches on the nine mile trail. Originally, the group was supposed to break ground on a new connector trail. However, Martin's Creek was running high due to a late snow melt and the Forest Service couldn't build a temporary bridge to access the area (the Cascades received three feet of snow in April). Therefore each day, our large group split into many, each with a crew leader, to tackle blowdowns, dig root balls, fix cribbing, install and clean drainage dips, brush (otherwise known as weed whacking), clear boulders, repair bridges, fix surface gullies, and clear a lot of avalanche debris on the lower and upper pass of the Iron Goat Trail.
The Iron Goat Trail is an interpretive rails trail built from the Great Northern Railroad bed. The railroad was an engineering feat and so is the trail, both built with incredible sweat equity. In the early 1900's, thousands of immigrant workers blasted tunnels, dared heights to construct trellis and chiseled steep mountain sides to complete the railway from Minneapolis to Seattle. In the 1990's, with Ruth Ittner's vision and fortitude , the Iron Goat Trail was built. The trail was built both by many volunteers from American Hiking Society and Volunteers for Outdoor Washington. The Iron Goat Trail is masterfully built; the most beautifully constructed trail I have hiked. The granite, stacked cribbing on the steep mountain slopes matches that of the stone walls built by New England pioneers. Craftsmanship!
The lower pass of the Iron Goat Trail is ADA approved. The trail is wide with a compact surface, gentle elevation gain, easily passable mountain streams and ravines, raised cribbing and wheel chair accessible interpretive signs. ADA trails are also fantastic for families with young children who may need to push a stroller. This trail offers great family fun: easy access, visual and interpretive history, waterfalls, mountain streams, great views, and near and far beautiful scenery. If a challenge is needed, then hike the upper pass of the Iron Goat Trail via the Martin Creek crossover or the more strenuous switchbacks to Windy Point. The best view of the mountains is at Windy Point, whether you are standing or sitting on a toilet. Yes, that's right, there is a composting, pit toilet where you can do two things at once, enjoy the view and well you know....
The group bonded around its central theme, the Iron Goat Trail. We sweated and shivered, created aching backs and muscles, developed hunger pains (then ate really well), grew tired (then slept well), shared stories and conversations and participated in an amazing adventure of white water rafting on our day off (Read Part II of Volunteering as a Vacation). Happy times all for the greater good - hike-able trails to provide access to the bounty of nature!