Join the Trail Rangers in a Cleanup of the Suitland Parkway Trail on Sept. 14

Following the success of our Met Branch Trail Day earlier this month, the Trail Rangers are gearing up for another cleanup effort –this time on the Suitland Parkway Trail– and we need your help. Click here to sign up.

For those unacquainted with it, the Suitland Parkway Trail is a nearly 2-mile mixed-use trail running alongside Suitland Parkway, from Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue to Southern Avenue at the D.C. border. Though the trail isn’t new to Southeast D.C., it remains relatively unknown to many locals despite its close proximity to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, connections to downtown, and essential green space. And while the trail is a little too green in places thanks to inconsistent maintenance, it remains an important piece of D.C.’s trail network. Now, with planners discussing big changes to the South Capitol Bridge and nearby arterials, the Suitland Parkway Trail stands to gain even smoother connections to the growing bicycle infrastructure east of the river. Further into the future, an extension into Prince George’s County to the Suitland Metro station would provide a much needed bicycle route for commuters and a safe, clean recreational area for the neighborhoods that surround the trail. See a map of the trail here.

For the past few months, Trail Rangers have been bagging trash and clearing branches, paving the way for more trail users. While the improvements are a stark contrast to regulars, a first-time visitor might come away underwhelmed by trail conditions. Back in May, a detailed photo tour from Greater Greater Washington brought the Suitland trail into the spotlight. Now, we’d like to make an introduction of our own, increase awareness of the trail, and create a sustained interest in maintaining the trail.  For this, we need your help.

Join WABA’s Trail Rangers on Sat., Sept.14 for a personal introduction to the Suitland Parkway Trail, its potential, and the challenges it faces.  Help us put boots on the ground to clean up trash, fight back vegetation, and improve the trail corridor.  We’ll provide the tools, gloves, direction, and many new friends. For your hard work, you’ll enjoy a burrito lunch on us, some trail background, and a roadmap for future developments.  It’ll be a challenging yet undeniably satisfying day!

Interested in getting involved?  Click here to learn more and sign up, and be sure to indicate your lunch preferences.

See you on the trail on Sept. 14!