National Trails Day this year will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Chessie’s Trail at the Lee District Family Recreation Area. This event will also mark the completion of the fully-accessible, award-winning park facility that is designed to assure that people of all ages and abilities can play together.
Members of the public are invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 2, 2018, at 2 p.m. It will include brief remarks by park officials and light refreshments.
Chessie’s Trail is an interactive and fully accessible park trail designed specifically for children but can be enjoyed by all. It includes stepping blocks, a music garden, rock steps, a nest seating area, spinning rocks, a stone abacus, a log stone secret path, and a boardwalk. You can stop along the trail and discover animals native to the Chesapeake Bay area and animal tracks as you enjoy a quiet walk through the woods.
The Lee District Family Recreation Area also offers Our Special Harbor sprayground, an accessible treehouse, Chessie’s Big Backyard playground, a carousel with a Chesapeake Bay theme that allows children in wheelchairs to move up and down, as well as ‘round and ‘round, and several picnic shelters.
2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act as well as the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Join the celebration by simply getting out on the trail.
Partial funding for Chessie’s Trail was made available from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund which annually funds parkland acquisitions and development throughout the United States and is administered by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The Lee District Family Recreation Area is testimony to the power of Park Authority partnerships with the community. More than 80,000 people enjoy Our Special Harbor every summer thanks to the help of the Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund, which has been supporting county parks for 20 years through contributions to the Park Foundation. This year, the organization is adding four new attractions to the water playground to help celebrate its 20th anniversary.
“We are an immensely proud partner of Paola and Bob Pizzano, founders of the Joey Pizzano Memorial Fund (JPMF) in loving memory of their son, Joey,” said Park Foundation Executive Director Bobbi Longworth. “Hundreds of individuals combined modest donations totaling $10,000 to dedicate ‘Soar,’ the Chessie’s Carousel eagle as an expression of appreciation for JPMF’s outreach through our parks.”
The Lee District Family Recreation Area is located at 6601 Telegraph Road, Franconia. For more information about the park, please visit https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/recenter/lee-district/family-recreation-area. For more information about the ribbon-cutting, please contact the Public Information Office at 703-324-8662 or via Parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.