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Our Mission: To develop safe, scenic, multi-purpose trails throughout the Great Falls community where people can walk, ride horses or bike.
About Us
The Great Falls Trail Blazers is a local organization which for many years has strived to make Great Falls a safer pedestrian community.
We have been instrumental in creating trails between neighborhoods, allowing neighbors to go for a walk, a jog or a run for exercise, walk the dog on leash, or perhaps take the children to a nearby play date without having to get into the car.
Our goal has always been safety. In Great Falls there are very many winding, narrow roads, extremely dangerous for anyone without automobile transportation. In facilitating trails, we also are very much aware of keeping the surrounding environment as natural as possible, for example winding around trees, not cutting them down.
We have in many instances worked with the Fairfax County government in facilitating asphalted trails. An excellent example would be from route 7 along the Georgetown Pike to Utterback Road. Phase 5, (which has been approved and awaiting funding) would have the county continue this asphalted trail all the way to the village.
In the meantime, along with different small sections of trails in front of developments, Trailblazers have also facilitated a passageway along the Georgetown Pike with what we like to call goat tracks or deer trails, which allows neighbors to safely negotiate the extremely dangerous Georgetown Pike without walking on the road.
Once a year on the 4th of July, Great Falls Trailblazers organizes a 5K run in Great Falls. The run is very popular and crosses fields, goes down private lanes, and along small wooded trails in the Great Falls area. Last year (2023) we had 300 participants. At the end of the race, we hand out free T-shirts to participants, which are sponsored by local businesses.
Our Goals
- Install trails on both sides of major roads when properties are subdivided
- Create better pedestrian access within and to Great Falls Village Center
- Establish an integrated trail system connecting stream valley trails to the parks
- Complete the trails on Fairfax County property
- Open access to schools for pedestrians and bicycles
- Map equestrian trails to obtain easements before these trails are closed
- Install natural surface trails in gas pipeline areas
- Establish a trails maintenance system
- Connect willing Home Owners Association trails to the trail system
Key Accomplishments
- Obtained nearly $2 million in Enhancement and Scenic Byway grants for construction of the Georgetown and Walker Road trails
- Surveyed existing trails in Great Falls and updated Fairfax County's Existing Trails Map
- Cleared Windermere trail along Georgetown Pike
- Developed Lucy Hanes Trail between Great Falls Elementary School and the Library
- Received a 2002 Potomac Trail Council Award for work on the Potomac Heritage Trail
- Designed roadside trails in Great Falls in the Comprehensive Trails Plan, including on-road bicycle routes along Peacock Station, River Bend, Beach Mill and Springvale Roads
- Adopted the Cross County Trail between Route 7 and Georgetown Pike
- Sponsored annual stream cleanups of Difficult Run
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