Greenbelt Park: Urban Oasis
History
Long before colonial settlers appeared here, trees and flowers covered these rolling hills and wildlife roamed the woodlands. Algonquin Indians hunted this land in competition with other smaller tribes. A balance existed between the land and its plants, animals, and native people. Then the colonists arrived. Trees fell and forests gave way to farmland. Wildlife retreated to the frontier. For the next 150 years, people cleared the land, plowed the fields, and planted tobacco, corn, and other crops. The rich fertile soil returned high yields. The people did not give back to the land as much as they took. The land wore out, producing less each season and farming ceased. The land was left bare and defenseless. Erosion caused many scars before nature could slow the process with new growth. Since the early 1900's the land has been recovering. Today the mixed pine and decidious forest testifies to the land's ability to recover.
The land of Greenbelt Park was acquired by the National Park Service in 1950 under Public Law 643.
-http://www.nps.gov/gree/learn/historyculture/index.htm
Perimeter Trail
As posted, the Greenbelt Perimeter trail is a 5.3-mile trail that circles the western portion of the park. The trail is mostly dirt and gravel, with some boardwalks and bridges over streams and runs. A couple more notes:
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate (due to length). There are rolling hills throughout the hike, but nothing challenging. I brought my trusty hiking stick, but didn't really need it for much of the hike. I wore running shoes, which worked fine, but I probably would have been better served wearing some kind of trail shoes.
- Solitude: I only saw a few people during my hike (and except for a larger group toward the end, it would have been less than 10), so some of the "busy" factor you might have at other trails wasn't there. But, as always, this is subject to change. I hiked on Memorial Day weekend, and expected more people. I was pleasantly surprised.
One unavoidable thing: for much of the hike, you'll probably hear a lot of noise from the highways on both sides of the park, especially 295. At times, you're hiking only maybe 20-30 yards from the either the Capital Beltway or BW Parkway, and that means traffic noise. - Blazes: The Perimeter is marked with a yellow blaze. However, the only time you really should have to pay attention to the blazes is at intersections (I'll make a note of this later).
- Other:
- There are restrooms at the Sweetgum Picnic area, which is where I parked. Otherwise, there are no facilities along the trail.
- As always, bring some water and snacks with you.
- There are benches placed sporadically along the trail. Great for taking a breather and having a snack. Unfortunately, they're a little too sporadic; you may go a mile without seeing one.
- The perimeter trail is dog-friendly, so bring your furry friends along, on a leash of course.
- No bicycles are permitted on the perimeter trail, but horses are permitted. I saw no sign of recent equine activity (i.e. no horse manure) so I'm not quite sure how often it's traveled by horses and riders.
- Bug spray: There was a park warning in effect concerning ticks. Make sure you use bug spray and check yourself (and your furry friends) for ticks after you leave the trail.
Pictures
The trailhead, not far from the park entrance. I 'backtracked' from the Sweetgum Picnic Area to get back to the trailhead.
Note: Greenbelt Park comprises part of the American Discovery Trail which stretches from coast to coast across 15 states. There's a section of the ADT that goes through my hometown of Muscatine, IA, as well as one of my favorite state parks in Iowa (possible blog post about Wildcat Den State Park later).
At the start, the perimeter trail runs parallel to MD 193.
As the trail turns near 495, it also comes close to the main park road.
One of the aforementioned yellow blazes. The trail is very well beaten, so until you get to intersections, you won't really need to use the blazes to find your way.
Speaking of intersections, here's the first one you'll encounter. The perimeter trail makes a left here. You'll see the double yellow blaze on the tree, once you make the turn.
If the yellow blazes weren't enough, there's a mileage marker every 0.2 of a mile. These markers even have a yellow "blaze" on them as well.
The trail winds up and down rolling hills, but there aren't any long strenuous climbs.
At times, you're a stone's throw from 295.
You'll enjoy plenty of shade for most of the hike.
The boardwalk here needed a bit of upkeep, so mind your steps. For much of this section of the hike, which runs along Deep Creek, the forest floor was covered in green.
Lunch stop here!
This sign seemed like an oddity, but shows that you can even get to Greenbelt Park by using the DC Metro's Green Line. Following this trail would take you to the College Park Metro Station.
The trail turns back toward the front of the park here, but there's also a split toward the campground. Make sure you take the right trail!
The rest of the trail is pretty straightforward. There are connections to the Blueberry and Dogwood Trails off the main trail, if you're up for some extra mileage.
...and that's it! 5.3 relatively easy miles down.
While it's not the most scenic of places I've hiked, Greenbelt Park is a nice place to go which is relatively easy to get to, free, and close. Go for an afternoon on some of the shorter trails, or for a day for the Perimeter trail.
Happy Hiking!
