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BLM-Eastern States opened the first constructed trail for mountain bikes on BLM lands east of the Mississippi River with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 9, that included participation from a variety of partners on the project as well as an inaugural trail ride.
The Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area, in Lorton, Va., is the site of the South Branch Loop Trail, a 4.7 mile hiking and biking trail, one of only a few natural surface trails open to mountain bikes on public land in the greater Washington, D.C., area.
The new trail is the product of BLM partnerships that were represented at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Partners include the Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts (MORE), the Trail Solutions (TS) Team from the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), and the American Hiking Society (AHS). Following the ceremony, BLM employees Doug Vinson and David Lyster led a group ride on the trail for approximately 20 mountain bikers. The trail includes a variety of hills, boardwalk bridges, banked turns, and rollers, all of which are features that control or build speed, while not catching air. It is open to the public from sunrise to sunset, year round.
Volunteers from the Boy Scouts of America and Friends of Meadowood worked with BLM staff for over 600 volunteer hours during the past year to complete this trail. The project was designed by the Trail Solutions team of the International Mountain Biking Association. The result of all these combined efforts is an environmentally sustainable trail that is fun to ride and hike.
The Meadowood bike trail event was held on National Get Outdoors Day, a national event to encourage outdoor activity. BLM is one of the federal partners in the event.