Parkplanning and PEPC will be offline for Data Center maintenance from 4 PM MT on Fri., Apr. 19th to as late as 3:00 PM MT on Mon., Apr. 22nd.

Formalization of Rockwood loop and VFW spur

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park » Formalization of Rockwood loop and VFW spur » Document List

The National Park Service, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP, will formalize two highly used, well-established social trails in the Gold Mine tract area of the park at Great Falls. For the safety and enjoyment of our visitors these trails will be adopted and maintained to appropriate park standards.

The two trails are referred to at the Rockwood Spur Trail and the VFW Spur Trail. The Rockwood Trail enters the park from McArthur Boulevard near the Rockwood Manor. The trail connects with the Valley Trail This trail is currently lined with logs and branches causing a drainage problem and unsustainable trail conditions. This current trail work was undertaken by unknown parties who wanted to delineate their social trail. The trail work for the Rockwood Spur Trail will consist of removing this blockage and narrowing the trail to trail standard size of 3 feet width.

The VFW spur trail connects McArthur Boulevard, near the VFW, with the Gold Mine Loop Trail. This trail needs no trail work and but will be formalized to limit confusion on this particular section and to inform visitors as to where this particular trail leads.

The trail work will be undertaken by the park's trail coordinator with day labor from the park's summer seasonal youth crews and volunteers.

The park's Interdisciplinary Team reviewed the project for impacts to natural and cultural resources. The project does not pose any serious or long-term effects to the environmental, historical, cultural, archeological, or visual resources. It meets categorical exclusion #C.11 – Minor trail relocations, development of compatible trail networks on logging roads or to the established routes, and trail maintenance and repair.

The project also meets the National Historic Preservation Act/Section 106 Programmatic Agreement, Streamlined Review Criteria #2 Rehabilitation and/or Minor Relocation of Existing Trails, Walks, Paths, and Sidewalks



Contact Information

For further information about this project, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, at 1850 Dual Highway, Suite 100, Hagerstown, MD 21740.