Fall Family Day on the Henson Creek Trail

Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club
Fall Family Day on the Henson Creek Trail
Saturday, November 20, 1999

The Fall Family Day on the Henson Creek Trail was the idea of club president Pierre Summerville. Pierre rides the trail on a regular basis as a Park Ranger Volunteer and takes his Bicycle Safety Program to area schools. He suggested the Fall Family Day as a way to publicize the trail and to get bike safety information distributed to trail riders. Pierre and other club members distributed hundreds of flyers to neighborhoods adjacent to the trail. The turn-out was somewhat disappointing, but those that did come out enjoyed a pleasant fall day on one of the area's nicest trails.

The Henson Creek Trail is a 6.5 mile hiker/biker/equestrian trail in Oxon Hill and Fort Washington. The trail runs north from Oxon Hill Road, under MD 210 at Palmer Road, through the Tucker Road Recreation Center, across Bock Road, behind the Rosecroft Raceway, across Brinkley Road, and ends at Temple Hills Road. Construction is underway to relocate the trail just south of Brinkley Road to eliminate the need for trail riders to have to ride a quarter-mile stretch on busy Brinkley Road. The County's top trail priority is to finish the trail south to the Potomac River at Riverview Park and north to the Branch Avenue and Suitland Metro stations.

Mimi Newcastle led a group of seven club cyclists from Eugene Burroughs Middle School to the Fall Family Day on the Henson Creek Trail. The group cycled up Gallahan Road and along Old Fort, Allentown, Tucker, and Bock Roads to meet Pierrre and other cyclists on the trail. After visiting with Pierre and other cyclists and park volunteers, the group went south on the trail to Oxon Hill Road. Some day the trail will continue across Broad Creek to Riverview Park, but for now it was back on the road on Oxon Hill, Livingston, Fort Washington, and Riverview Roads. The group continued on Riverview Road parallel to the Potomac River, with several scenic vistas of the river. There are several tracts of land between Riverview Road and the Potomac River for sale. Perhaps the County could be persuaded to buy some of this land for a county riverside park. The ride continued through Tantallon to Fort Washington Road and then Old Fort Road, coming back down Gallahan with a stop to taste the donuts and ice cream at Cherry Hill Farm. Riders agreed that many of the roads we had been on should become part of a designated bike-route for the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.

Update from the Southern Prince George's Trails Coalition

Prince George's County Parks and Recreation Page on the Henson Creek Stream Valley Park and Tucker Road Community Park

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Page on the Matthew Henson Greenway

Who was Matthew Henson?


Linda makes it to the top of Gallahan Road	Group picture at the M-NCPPC on Bock Road	Club President Pierre Summerville


A young rider and his dad on the Henson Creek Trail. Note:The young rider is not wearing his helmet correctly, because it is not covering his forehead.	Club members on the Henson Creek Trail	A cyclist on the Henson Creek Trail


A young cyclist on the Henson Creek Trail	View across Temple Hills Road looking at location for the future extension of the Henson Creek Trail to the Metro	View south of Brinkley Road looking at work on Henson Creek Trail relocation to eliminate stretch on Brinkley Road


Back at the park eating hotdogs and visiting with other cyclists	Cycling past the pond at the Tucker Road Recreation Center	Cycling through the Tucker Road Recreation Center


On the Henson Creek Trail	On Fort Washington Road	On Riverview Road past Riverview Park (why can't the county pave shoulders close to parks?)


Riverview Road parallel to the Potomac River, past many waterfront lots for sale	Past a large lot for sale on the Potomac (wouldn't it be great if the county could buy some of these lots for a riverfront park?)	Cycling on the wide streets through Tantallon


More cyclists on the wide streets through Tantallon	It is easy to *Share the Road* with a wide curb lane on Old Fort Road east of MD 210	Time for a rest stop at Cherry Hill

updated January 17, 2000
url: http://ohbike.org/19991120.html
home page: Oxon Hill Bicycle & Trail Club
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