It was a picture-perfect day last Saturday when representatives of the City of Falls Church joined those of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVRPA or “NOVA Parks”) at a sign unveiling and dedication ceremony for the The Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first ride on the trail. The ceremony was held on the trail down from the bridge that crosses W. Broad in the Little City.

The first ride took place on September 7, 1974 in The Little City, where the first segment of the trail purchased and opened by NVRPA was located (the rest was purchased in sections between then and its eventual completion in 1988). Today’s W&OD is a 45-mile long, 100-foot wide park and paved trail (with a 32-mile adjacent gravel horse trail) stretching from Shirlington to Purcellville.

“The W&OD was one of America’s first conversions of an abandoned rail line to a recreational trail, and it’s inspired many similar projects,” said Paul Baldino, the Falls Church representative on the NOVA Parks board, at the event. “There are now more than 2,400 rail trails in the U.S.”

Baldino added that the W&OD’s proximity to D.C. has allowed government staffers and members of Congress to visit the trail and — after seeing its success — support funding for similar projects elsewhere.
The journey to transform an abandoned railroad into a thriving recreational corridor was filled with challenges — and the unwavering determination of community advocates like Barbara Hildreth.
Hildreth, a former NOVA Parks Board Member, played a critical role in the development of the trail after the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad stopped running.

“I knew that right of way would never be put back together once it was carved up,” Hildreth recounted to the crowd of 75 in attendance at Saturday’s event. “Something had to be done quickly to preserve the wonderful 45-mile ribbon through the countryside.” She saw the stretch of railway at risk of being lost to development — and believed that, once divided, it would never be restored. Her vision was clear: a multi-use trail along the entire railroad.

Hildreth’s initial attempt to propose a trail to her county supervisor was met with resistance; the supervisor wanted to build a high-speed express bus route along the corridor instead. She offered a compromise, suggesting an express bus lane on one side and a trail on the other, separated by a shrubbery hedge or other divider. The idea was still rejected, and Hildreth found herself at a crossroads. She explained her frustration at the event, recalling, “The supervisor insisted on ‘just the bus,’ so I began to recruit support for ‘just the trail.’”

Hildreth’s next step was to galvanize the community. She reached out to anyone who might support her vision—civic groups, bike clubs, conservationists, and local officials.

“I even went to Richmond to call on the Secretary of Transportation with my four children, one on my back, two in a stroller, and one by hand,” Hildreth recalled, “and he said ‘Little lady, transportation is just trucks and cars, not bicycles and walking.’”

Hildreth’s determination remained unshaken. She served on trail committees with the Metro Washington Council of Governments and Washington Area Bicycle Association, and became chairman of the Fairfax County Parks and Recreation Committee. “In that capacity, I was asked by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to take the lead in developing a county-wide trail system [plan],” she said. They adopted her plan in April 1973.

Hildreth’s advocacy paid off, and the tide soon shifted in favor of preserving the right of way as a public trail. In 1974 the right of way was sold to NVRPA for $4 million — with the trail to be developed in segments, as funding allowed.

The City of Falls Church played a pivotal role in demonstrating the trail’s potential, voting to pave the first section of the trail to gauge public interest. The new trail quickly became popular with residents, laying the foundation for expansion across the entire 45-mile corridor — a vision Hildreth had championed from the start.

Today, Hildreth says, the W&OD is used by nearly three million people annually. The trail is adored by the communities along its path, with improvements and accommodations being regularly made. Last week the city “substantially completed” four upgraded crossings along the trail. In 2021 a bridge across Route 29 — just outside city limits in Arlington — was installed, which VDOT says now sees about 600,000 users annually. A separate walking path was added in 2020. Capital Bikeshare was introduced in 2019. In 2014 the city added wayfinding signs. A bridge across Broad St. was added in 1992.

The trail has become a staple of recreational life in Northern Virginia, connecting parks, communities, and other trails across the area.

Judy Collins, vice chair of the board of directors for Friends of the W&OD, an organization established in 1991 to protect and improve the trail, spoke about the organization’s patrol activities. “As of July, we have 52 active trail patrollers, and they collectively completed almost 170 trail patrols covering over 3,400 miles,” she said, adding that she appreciated efforts to refurbish and replace signs and markers along the trail, many of which have become weathered or moldy. “I want to thank them for this effort, and look forward to seeing this sign and more to come.”

Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi also underscored the importance of the W&OD Trail to the community at the event. “Having just celebrated our new claim to fame as being the healthiest community in the U.S. [according to U.S. News & World Report], a huge factor in that ranking is clearly the recreational transportation options we provide in the city. Between sidewalks, parks, and the W&OD — most notably — running down the spine of the city, we are so proud that this [trail] is a part of us,” she said, adding that she “got my run in yesterday” on the trail.

Hardi said the trail — and the ongoing partnership between the city and NVRPA to maintain it — well-represent the culture of the Falls Church community. “The W&OD is really the perfect example where something has grown and changed over time to meet the needs of the community, and meet our responsibility to the next generation. It’s one of the best and most enduring investments for the future, without forgetting what was once here in the past.

“With that, we look forward to being continued good stewards of this gem in our city.”