The historic Barrel Bridge, built by inmates, now serves cross county trail users where once a rail line moved materials across the Occoquan Workhouse/Lorton Prison grounds (March 2020).
Friends J.J. Dickinson, Susan Lesley, and Kim McCleskey, meet regularly to walk the cross county trail for exercise and friendship. (Aug. 2020)
Most of the Cross County Trail runs through stream valley parkland, including some of the county’s best and wildest parks, Great Falls, Wakefield and Laurel Hill. Walking provides a good opportunity to view a cross section of the county’s topography and development, and to get a glimpse into the changes that have occurred to the land over time. Hikers near the Potomac River can see evidence of early geologic shifts that changed the course of the river and created large rock formations, seeing river rock now high on overlook ridges.
The trail is a haven for wildlife of all kinds, making it attractive for those who desire a leisurely stroll observing nature, as well as those using the trail for faster paced exercise, jogging or cycling. In the Spring, midway on the trail within Wakefield Park, Virginia Bluebells blanket the forest floor with their blue and pink flowers. Tadpoles wiggle in vernal trail pools; and one might spot a fawn stashed napping in tall grasses awaiting its mother’s return.
All year, in the southern section, the history of the area comes quickly to mind as the brick watchtowers and dairy silos rise high, marking the past of the former Lorton prison and workhouse that operated from 1910 through 2001, now Laurel Hill Park. Evidence of inmate enterprise remains visible in the old buildings scattered through the park, many made from bricks manufactured from clay taken from the nearby Occoquan River.
The Cross County Trail plays a role in building community too. Regular trail users make new acquaintances and strengthen the bonds of existing ones, using the trail as a meeting place for friends exercising together. The park authority notes that users might “walk or run, with a child or a pet, ride a bike or a horse.” Many friendships have blossomed on the Cross County Trail, along with the wildflowers.
More https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/trails/cross-county-trail