Friday, December 18, 2015

Thank you PHTA


Below is a report on the activities of the Potomac Heritage Trail Association over the last year. I highlighted all the parks that are owned by NOVA Parks to focus on just how much this trail group does to help us. In addition to being one of your many important partners in maintaining our properties, they are also helping out all the other park agencies in the region. 

Volunteers are critical to providing great park places for the public, and the Potomac Heritage Trail Association is one of the very best groups out there. THANK YOU!

Potomac Heritage Trail Accomplishments for 2015
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
   Scouting a future PHT route from Georges Mill Road to Route 340, with
    major research on public road access for the PHT route.
Springdale Regional Park
   Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority purchased 150 acres along the
   Potomac River near Point of Rocks, with plans for a future section of the PHT.
Whites Ford Regional Park
   New PHT logo indicating that the Riverfront Trail is now a section of the PHT.
Veterans Park at Balls Bluff
   New park entrance and Potomac Heritage Trail sign, with fresh paint blazing.
Potomac Crossing Park
   New PHT logo on new park entrance sign.
Balls Bluff Battlefield Regional Park
   Fresh PHT paint blazing, including along Balls Bluff above the Potomac River.
Edwards Landing Park
    Fresh PHT paint blazing.
Sage Hill Farm
   New trail near removed pine plantation, with new PHT paint blazing.
Red Rocks Wilderness Overlook Regional Park
   New PHT paint blazing along White Trail.
Elizabeth Mills Riverfront Park
   Fresh PHT paint blazing, new blue hiker logos at the Goose Creek Overlook
   Trail, Kepheart Landing Trail, and Goose Creek Canal Trail.
Janelia Farm Trail Easement
   Fresh PHT paint blazing, new plastic direction sign at east end.
Potomac Farm Trail Easement
   Fresh PHT paint blazing.
Selden Island
   Preliminary talks between the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Potomac
   Conservancy, and Potomac Heritage Trail Association about opening the
   island to the public as a nature preserve and possible section of the PHT.
Bles Park
   Major trail upgrade to the PHT, including new signage and gravel entrance.
   Fresh PHT paint blazing.
Algonkian Regional Park
   Fresh PHT paint blazing, and grand opening of the popular new Woods Land
   Trail. Ira Gabrielson and Algonkian Sanctuary National Recreation Trail signs
   moved to the proper location.
Lowes Island Trail Easement
   Fresh PHT paint blazing, with upgrades to trail sections.
Seneca Regional Park
   Fresh PHT paint blazing, and new PHT logos.
Fraser Preserve
   Fresh PHT paint blazing and new PHT logos
Upper Potomac Regional Parklands
   Fresh PHT paint blazing and new PHT logos.
Great Falls Park
  Repair of road along Difficult Run.
Great Falls to Scotts Run PHT connector trail
   Construction of new PHT trail along Capital Beltway sound wall.
Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial
   New Potomac Heritage Trail sign installed by PATC.
Woodlawn National Historic Trust
   Scouting of new section of Potomac Heritage Trail.
Fort Belvoir
   New bike path along Route 1, and scouting of new section of PHT along
   Fort Belvoir and through Accotink Bay Wildlife Refuge.
Noman Cole Lower Potomac Water Treatment Center
   Scouting of new section of PHT, with upgrades and PHT paint blazing
   coming soon.
Joseph Plaskett Park
   New PHT paint blazing coming soon.
Laurel Hill Park
   New PHT trail along Laurel Crest, with connections to the Cross County Trail.
Mason Neck Visitor Information Center
    Grand opening of major PHT trail gateway for Mason Neck.
Meadowood Recreation Area
    PHT now complete.
Pohick Bay Regional Park
    PHT route now complete, with new PHT logos.
Gunston Hall National Historic Landmark
    New PHT logos.
Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge
    New PHT logos.
Mason Neck State Park
   New PHT logos.
Civil War Defense of Washington Trail
   Major Sierra Club PRO promotional hike in celebration of Rock Creek Park's
   125th anniversary.
   Major sections of the Potomac Heritage Trail have also added new plastic
   directional signs, wooden mileage signs, and Potomac Connection signs.
                                                                    Glenn Gillis

                                                                    Potomac Heritage Trail Association

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