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The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park is a linear regional park in Northern Virginia. The park's primary feature is the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail (abbreviated as W&OD Trail), an asphalt-surfaced paved rail trail that runs through densely populated urban and suburban communities as well as through rural areas.〔(1) Description and map of W&OD Trail in NVRPA "Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park" marker at trailhead of W&OD Trail in Shirlington in Arlington County, Virginia. Photographs and description of marker in ("Washington and Old Dominion Trail" marker ) page ''in'' ( "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Markers" series ) in (HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database official website ) Retrieved March 28, 2008. (2) (Uenuma, F., "A Long Journey on the Trail: The W&OD Is Park, Path and Community, And Paul McCray Has Been the Man in Charge", Washington Post, June 19, 2008, Loudoun Extra, p. LZ12 ) "in" (Washington Post official website ) Accessed June 20, 2008.〕 Most of the trail travels on top of the rail bed of the former Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, which closed in 1968.〔History of W&OD Railroad in NVRPA ("Tracks into History" ) marker at trailhead of W&OD Trail in Shirlington in Arlington County, Virginia. Photographs and description of marker in ("Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Markers" series ) ''in'' (HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database official website ) Retrieved March 28, 2008.〕 Although the park is long, it is only about wide. The rail trail is approximately wide through much of its length and is suitable for walking, running, cycling, and roller skating. A crushed bluestone surfaced bridle path travels near the paved trail in the park's most westerly .〔Neville, Ashley M., National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Historic District (Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) No. 053-0276), Gray & Pape, Inc., Richmond, Virginia, July 25, 2000, Section 7, Page 2, ''in'' Appendix J of NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL PARK AUTHORITY - PRE-FILED DIRECT TESTIMONY OF MR. HAFNER, MR. MCRAY AND MR. SIMMONS, November 30, 2005 (Part 4 of 5, page 7 of 64), Case No. PUE-2005-00018, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Obtained in 〕 The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA) administers and maintains the park and its trails. NVRPA keeps most of the parkland surrounding the trails in a natural state. The park authority has placed alongside the paved trail a series of mile markers and a number of interpretative exhibits that describe the historic and natural features of the park (see Washington and Old Dominion Railroad#Stations for locations of historical markers near the W&OD Trail).〔Direct Testimony of Paul E. McCray, page 6, ''in'' NORTHERN VIRGINIA REGIONAL PARK AUTHORITY - PRE-FILED DIRECT TESTIMONY OF MR. HAFNER, MR. MCRAY AND MR. SIMMONS, November 30, 2005, Part 1 of 5, page 37 of 59, Case No. PUE-2005-00018, Virginia State Corporation Commission. Obtained in 〕〔Photographs and descriptions of some, but not all, NVRPA exhibits along the W&OD Trail are included in the ("Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Markers" series ) in (HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database official website ) Retrieved March 28, 2008.〕 The headquarters office of the park is near the east side of the trail at Smith's Switch Road in Ashburn.〔(Washington & Old Dominion Regional Park page ) on (Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority official website ). Accessed March 17, 2008.〕 A park rest stop is adjacent to the trail near the park's headquarters. ==Trail route== The W&OD Trail begins near the Nauck neighborhood in the Shirlington section of Arlington County, close to the boundary between the County and the City of Alexandria.〔History of the Nauck neighborhood in NVRPA's ("Nauck: A Neighborhood History" ) marker at trailhead of W&OD Trail in Shirlington in Arlington County, Virginia, ''in'' ( "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Markers" series ) in (HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database official website ) Retrieved March 28, 2008.〕 The trail ends in Purcellville in western Loudoun County. Its route largely parallels the routes of the Potomac River and Virginia State Route 7 (VA Route 7). The trail connects at its origin to the paved Four Mile Run Trail, which travels eastward through Arlington along a stream embankment to meet the Mount Vernon Trail at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, near the Potomac River.〔"W&OD Trail" and "Four Mile Run Trail" ''in'' 〕〔Announcement of May 30, 2009, ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating the completion of a trail extension linking the W&OD Trail at its origin with the Four Mile Run Trail: 〕 The start of the trail is also accessible from the Shirlington exit (Exit 6) of Interstate 395 (I-395) (the Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway). The trail parallels the more curving and hilly Four Mile Run Trail throughout its route in Arlington.〔 Although they coincide in several locations, the two trails generally travel on opposite sides of the Run. There are no restrooms and few water fountains alongside the W&OD Trail in the County. Restrooms and additional water fountains are available near ball fields and picnic areas along the Four Mile Run Trail. The W&OD trailhead (Mile 0) is at the intersection of South Shirlington Road and South Four Mile Run Drive.〔Photographs and description of the area and markers at the W&OD Trail's trailhead in ("Washington and Old Dominion Trail" marker ) page ''in'' ( "Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Markers" series ) in (HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database official website ) Retrieved March 28, 2008.〕 The trail starts in the Atlantic Coastal Plain at the trail's lowest elevation above sea level. The trail climbs in while traveling northwest through Arlington County. While in Arlington, the trail ascends through the Atlantic Seaboard fall line while climbing upstream in the valley of Four Mile Run. The trail crosses the Run seven times in the valley on bridges whose abutments were constructed before the Civil War by the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad, a predecessor of the W&OD Railroad. After crossing Columbia Pike (VA Route 244), the trail enters a steeply-sloped woodland that covers both sides of the valley. Near the end of the woodland, the trail intersects the Bluemont Junction Trail, a paved rail trail that travels to Ballston on the bed of a former W&OD Railroad branch that once ran to Rosslyn and Georgetown.〔("BLUEMONT JUNCTION TRAIL" and "W&OD TRAIL" ''in'' "Arlington County 2005 Small Bike Map" ) ''in'' (Arlington County Government official website ) Accessed June 11, 2008.〕 past that intersection, the W&OD Trail meets the Custis Trail, which travels along I-66 (the Custis Memorial Parkway) between East Falls Church and Rosslyn and which provides access to Washington, D.C.〔("CUSTIS TRAIL" and "W&OD TRAIL" ''in'' "Arlington County 2005 Small Bike Map" ) ''in'' (Arlington County Government official website ) Accessed June 11, 2008.〕 After joining at their intersection, the W&OD and Custis Trails share the same path as they travel northwest near an I-66 soundwall for most of their remaining courses in Arlington. After leaving the fall line, the W&OD Trail enters the Piedmont plateau region near the west corner of the County. The trail continues to climb in the Piedmont while traveling northwest through Falls Church and Fairfax County. The trail reaches an elevation of at its crossing of I-66 in Fairfax County. When it reaches this point, the trail has risen while traveling . After crossing I-495 (the Capital Beltway) and passing Dunn Loring, the trail begins a long descent as it travels through Vienna. After leaving Vienna, the trail continues to descend until it reaches Difficult Run (Mile 14.3), where its elevation of is only about higher than is the elevation at the trail's origin. After the trail crosses Difficult Run, it ascends and descends between additional streams (including Sugarland Run, Broad Run, Beaverdam Run, Goose Creek, Sycolin Creek and Tuscarora Creek) as it travels further northwest in the Piedmont through or near Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, and Leesburg. When crossing Tuscarora Creek in Leesburg, the trail's elevation of is lower than the highest elevation that it reached in Arlington. After crossing Tuscarora Creek, the trail climbs northwest in to reach its highest elevation () when crossing a bridge carrying VA Route 9 (Charles Town Pike) over VA Route 7 near the saddle point of Clarks Gap in Catoctin Mountain.〔(U.S. Geological Survey topographic map of Clarks Gap ) ''from'' website of (TopoQuest ). Accessed October 8, 2009.〕 before this crossing, the trail travels under an old stone arch that formerly carried VA Route 7 over the W&OD Railroad. The trail then turns west, descends through Paeonian Springs to Hamilton Station and climbs to reach Purcellville. When the trail terminates in Purcellville, its elevation is above sea level. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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