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General
Trail development on land has not been a priority in Stafford County, however a bicycle route to a popular riverfront recreation site is now being planned.
Existing Trail Segments
Virginia and Maryland have completed a cooperative designation of the Potomac River Water Trail (1) within the tidal sections of the river, including along Stafford County. The Potomac River No other existing public access trails have been identified in Stafford County other than some restricted access trails within the Quantico Marine Corps Base.
Planned Trail Segments
The Potomac River Water Trail system is planned to include spurs that direct boaters to points on land where they can obtain lodging, food, and other services. Within Stafford County, a spur is planned for Aquia Landing (2). A bicycle trail is also being planned by Stafford County to connect the recreation facilities at Aquia Landing and nearby historic sites to the passenger rail station to the west (3).
Issues and Concerns
The county has a growing population, but most of the development is scattered in relatively low-density subdivisions. Generally, individual developments do not include trails and few are available for use by the general public. Stafford County elected officials are not pursuing significant changes to this pattern in the near future.
Potomac and Aquia creeks along the Stafford County shoreline, the Quantico Marine Corps Base, and rugged terrain make routing of a PHT segment close to the Potomac River difficult. A trail segment could potentially be developed along the active CSX line, which extends from Fredericksburg to the Prince William County line. The northern end of this railroad passes across Aquia Creek and through the Marine Corps Base and provides good exposure to the river and some historic sites along the way. South of Aquia Creek it continues away from the river en-route to Fredericksburg. A possible connection could also be made to the east into King George County via the abandoned Dahlgren Junction Railroad right-of-way. These railroad-related trail routes are not under active consideration by local officials, but are discussed in the context of long-range planning by trails advocacy groups in the area.
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