The Bureau of Land Management Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area will open a new trail in a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m., June 9. The ceremony will take place at the trail head located at 10207 Old Colchester Road in Lorton.

The new 4.7-mile South Branch Loop Trail is accessible for hiking and mountain bike use. The new trail is the product of BLM partnerships that will be represented at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. They include the Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts, the Trail Solutions Team from the International Mountain Biking Association and the American Hiking Society.

Following the ceremony, organized hikes and mountain bike rides will be conducted until 2 p.m.; however, the public has access to trails on the SRMA from sunrise to sunset, year round.

The South Branch Loop Trail provides hikers and mountain bikers of all ability levels, an enjoyable way to recreate among the sights and sounds of the diverse, 800-acre SRMA. It is the first constructed trail open to mountain bikes on BLM-managed land east of the Mississippi River, and one of the few natural surface trails open to mountain bikes on public land in the greater Washington D.C. area.

Volunteers from the Boy Scouts of America, MORE 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 TS 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.