Just a short car ride from the noise and city streets of Washington and College Park, you can find a paved path along a river, lined by abundant grass and plenty of places to stop and take in the view. That’s what Helen Marion of D.C. does.
“I’ve been in the area all my life, so I drove by one day and I said, ‘Oh, that’s a good place to walk the dog,’” Marion said, relaxing on the side of the Northwest Branch Trail. She and her dog, Kissie, walk two or three times a week on the trail, which is part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System.
The ATTS has six main connected trails: the Anacostia River Trail, the Indian Creek Trail, the Northeast Branch Trail, the Northwest Branch Trail, the Paint Branch Trail, and the Sligo Creek Trail.
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What to Know
The currently-developing Rhode Island Trolley Trail will eventually join the group, and the system’s trails aren’t too far from two national trails, East Coast Greenway and the American Discovery Trail Route. The trails were developed for recreational use, but commuters have found them useful as well, said Eileen Nivera of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which oversees trail planning and development.
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Nivera doesn’t anticipate too many changes to the trail system as a result of Prince George’s County’s budget struggles and cited only trail maintenance as a potential victim of cutbacks. “Generally, the trails are pretty low maintenance. The only things that we do are the trash pickup and the mowing,” she explained, adding that trail users and volunteers do a pretty good job of picking up litter themselves.
In fact, hikers and bikers should keep an eye out for something new -- there’s always something going on. “It seems that we always have a trail project in the works, either in the design or the construction phase,” Nivera said. The budget for design and construction fall under the Capital Improvement Program, which outlines the budget for several departments for the next six years.
The CIP budget has become “more lean,” Nivera said, but partnerships with local groups will help development continue. The Hyattsville Community Development Corp., for example, is considering adding public art to a nearby trail through a joint partnership with MNCPPC.
“It’s good to have an organization like that because they can help with getting organized, getting interest [and] getting funding,” said Nivera, who called the project a “great opportunity” but stressed the need for funding.
Some of the changes to the trails will be related to the development of the Purple Line. Aside from some potential redesigning at a few trail intersections, however, there won’t be much interruption from the line, which has actually spurred a couple studies on access from the surrounding areas, Nivera said.
“Many of the neighborhoods that surround the future stations were developed at a time when people wanted the country setting, and sidewalks were considered urban. Now, these areas are within the Capital Beltway and for the most part adjacent to urbanizing areas. They need better and safer access to the future stations’ locations,” Dan Janousek, a senior planner at MNCPPC, said in an e-mail. “This access will guarantee better ridership and more people walking and biking to work and school, et cetera.”
Janousek was one of a group of public agency representatives that collaborated with Toole Design Group, which conducted the studies spurred by the plans for Purple Line construction for MNCPPC- Prince George’s County.
The first study “recommended the ‘reallocation of the right-of-way’ in certain areas in order to build bike lanes, cycle tracks and sidepaths, and to improve the pedestrian experience surrounding the station areas,” Janousek said, and a second study seeking recommendations for improvement of transit access, particularly by bike, is underway.
The study’s recommendations may also have implications for the ATTS, with new connections suggested for the Northeast Branch Trail near River Road. It’s because of such developments within the trail system, Janousek said, that the Hyattsville Metro Station has one of the highest bicycle counts in the system.
“This College Park area is fortunate to be really well served with [the ATTS],” said Nivera, who grew up in Prince George’s County walking the trails. “I hope people get out and enjoy the trails.”
Where to Go
You can visit www.pgparks.com for a map of the trails and their surrounding area but take a look below for some basic trail-visit information. We’ve listed three nearby parks, each of which provide access to at least one ATTS trail.
Magruder Park, Hyattsville, MD
Trails within one mile of the park: Northwest Branch Trail, Northeast Branch Trail, Anacostia River Trail.
What’s Nearby: Swimming pool and playground in the park; West Hyattsville Metro Station is along NW Branch Trail.
Acredale Park, College Park, MD
Trails within one mile of the park: Paint Branch Trail.
What’s Nearby: The University of Maryland; College Park Dog Park.
Green Meadows Park, Chillum, MD
Trails within one mile of the park: Sligo Creek Trail, Northwest Branch Trail.
What’s Nearby: West Hyattsville Metro Station; Sligo Creek Trail leads to Silver Spring.
