Indian Head Rail Trail Ribbon Cutting

On December 2nd, Charles County, Maryland, hosted a ribbon- cutting ceremony to announce the Phase 1 opening (the first four plus miles) of the 13.4 mile Indian Head Rail Trail, the first rail-trail in the county.  The first couple of miles of trail are now paved and open at each end at the towns of White Plains and Indian Head, for bicycling, walking, and rollerblading, and skateboarding, with the completion joining the two ends scheduled for fall, 2009. 

In 2006, the Federal Lands to Parks Program’s Bill Huie, based in Southeast Regional Office, worked with the county and the U.S. Navy and  transferred the 13.4 mile, 100-foot wide abandoned rail line corridor with the requirement that it be used for public recreation in perpetuity. The railroad previously served the nearby Naval Surface Weapons Center.

Participating elected officials, local bicyclists, residents and National Park Service staff were all very pleased and excited to be part of this grand opening to celebrate the opportunities the trail presents.  Speakers noted the natural scenic beauty and the variety of wildlife that can be seen along the trail and the Mattawoman Creek;  the economic development opportunities (attracting new businesses and increased tourism) that they are confident will be spurred in the county, and close-to-home recreation and resulting health benefits that local and metro area residents will enjoy. 

The trail will be part of the Potomac Heritage Trail. The President, Board of Charles County Commissioners, expressed his hope that the trail will meet up with the Three Notch Trail in adjoining St. Mary's County.  National Park Service’s Lucy Lawliss, Superintendent, George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Thomas Stone National Historic Site, who attended, expressed her wish that the trail will help her efforts to establish a trail to the nearby Thomas Stone Historic Site.

Speakers, included Tom Roland, Assistant Director, Department of Public Facilities for Charles County Parks & Recreation Division (and the event’s organizer); Dennis Scheessele, Mayor of the Town of Indian Head;  the five County Commissioners;  Michael D. Wilson, National Park Service’s Chief of State & Local Assistance Programs; Blake Altman, Indian Head Rail Trail Advisory Committee; as well as a representative from the Oxon hill Bicycle & Trail Club, the Indian Head Rail Trail Advisory Committee.  Other participants included numerous local residents; National Park Service’s Wendy Ormont, Federal Lands to Parks Program Leader, and Wayne Currie, NPS staff, a representative of the Maryland Historical Trust/Southern Maryland Heritage Area Authority, the U.S. Navy, and Charles County Departments of Emergency Management, the Sheriff’s Office, and others.