By Emi EndoPosted June 02, 2023
Just in time for National Trails Day on June 3, hikers and mountain bikers alike can take advantage of trails recently opened to the public.
Photo courtesy of Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition
National Trails Day, organized by the American Hiking Society, is a day of public events nationwide encouraging people to give back to trails. In Virginia, it’s also Clean the Bay Day, when volunteers pitch in to make the Chesapeake Bay healthier for everyone to enjoy. (Events are being held in Virginia State Parks within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.)
In the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held May 24 to celebrate installing a new bridge and relocating the Narrowback Trail (Forest Trail #432).
The trail, popular with mountain bikers and hikers, is located in the North River Ranger District near Narrow Back Mountain, south of Hone Quarry Campground.
Photo courtesy of Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition
Earlier in May, officials in the Town of Shenandoah held a ceremony to open a new paved trail at Big Gem Park, a 68-acre park located at 736 Fourth St., Shenandoah, Virginia. The 0.25-mile nature trail meets Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards.
Photo courtesy of Town of Shenandoah
Funding support to design and build such trails come from federal and state grant programs that are managed by DCR’s division of Planning and Recreation Resources.
Categories
Nature | Recreation Planning