Turkey Run Park and the Potomac Heritage Trail, McLean, Virginia
I have been feeling pretty uninspired, so have not been keeping up on writing. I am working on adapting A Plans and B Plans for my goals, so that when I am feeling this way I can move to the B Plan, and perhaps continue moving forward. This new skill is the result of my therapist talking with me about how my perfectionism is a trauma response and because I want to move away from it we (I) would try this A/B Plan scenario. Basically, the A Plan is The Big Goal. So, exploring a trail system and then that experience being the hub to writing about not only that, but life in general. I have not been feeling that. So, the B Plan is to simply throw up facts and photos about the trail system and move on.
Except…here I am writing about life. So anyway. Moving on.
Hike 39 in 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles Washington DC: Turkey Run Park consists of 700 pristine acres of mature, second-growth upland forest. this rich environment once nurtured Indian tribes living on the banks of the Potomac River. During the Civil War, Union troops occupied the area to protect the Federal City. This verdant deciduous forest is an ideal habitat for reptiles, bats, beavers, foxes, and white-tailed deer. Called the Potomac Gorge ecosystem, the terraced park offers a memorable hiking experience from the uplands down to the water’s edge. The park offers picnic areas, limited recreational facilities, and ample parking, but once you’ve stepped onto the vertical trails, you’ll feel worlds away from the city.
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, which is unavoidable for some places, like Turkey Run Park, is no joke. Imagine being in a life size pinball machine and you are the ball. This trail system was worth the terror, though.
Like all the trails out here, simply follow the blazes. Also like all the trails out here, it is obvious where most people turn around because the trail becomes much more rugged, ungroomed, and the blazes are far less evident.
The first mile or so was obvious, between the built in wooden stairs, the stone stairs, the bridges, the stone pathways, and the obvious dirt paths. Once you get to the creek crossing, navigation skills make life easier. The creek flows down enormous stones, requiring scrambling, which I always think is fun.
Despite this park being directly off George Washington Memorial Parkway, which is obnoxiously busy like all the roads here, once you are immersed into into the forest it feels like you are very far away. Until, of course, you are hiking below the roads.
This trail system is really fun – it might be my favorite place so far. Stairs, bridges, rock scrambles, water crossings, but even better: the little gorges that you need to use rope to cross.
And that is it. Go hike somewhere.