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A proposed trail through Martin Luther King Jr. Park would give the Gum Springs community a new pedestrian and bicycle connection to Little Hunting Creek, creating rare public access to the tidal waterway and surrounding wetlands.
Fairfax County Park Authority staff presented preliminary plans at a Jan. 13 meeting attended by 30 people in person and 12 online. The project calls for a paved, six-foot-wide trail stretching 642 feet from the parking lot of the 23-acre Mount Vernon-area park.
The route would end at an eight-foot-wide boardwalk and a 10-by-12-foot observation platform overlooking the creek. Interpretive signs are also planned.
Little Hunting Creek begins in Huntley Meadows Park, passes beneath U.S. 1 and flows southeast into the Potomac River. Tidal conditions extend two to three miles upstream from the river.
About 44% of Martin Luther King Jr. Park is developed with a baseball field, swimming pool, playground and tennis courts. The rest includes upland woods, floodplain forest and several freshwater tidal wetland communities.
Wildlife, Trash and Access Questions
Lighting remains undecided. Betsy Martin, president of the Friends of Little Hunting Creek, urged the Park Authority to avoid it because of its effects on wildlife.
Residents also asked how the county would address litter and discarded fishing line. Staff said signs may be installed and invited suggestions. The Friends group has conducted annual creek cleanups since 2002, regularly removing plastic bottles, tires, shopping carts and other debris.
In response to fishing-line concerns raised by Hollin Hall resident Dorothy Keogh, an official said fishing would be prohibited and the observation platform would not sit at the water’s edge.
The Park Authority surveyed 99 trees measuring more than six inches in diameter within 50 feet of the proposed trail’s centerline. One storm-damaged tree was removed. Public Information Officer Andrew Grabel said some brush and smaller growth may need to be cleared, but no additional trees larger than six inches are expected to be removed.
The current design provides access only from the park’s parking lot, Section Manager Tom McFarland said when Queenie Cox of the Gum Springs Homeowners Organization asked whether connections from backyards or other locations were planned.
Cox said the trail would protect natural areas, encourage outdoor recreation, teach local history and fulfill a county commitment dating back more than four decades. She said development of Little Hunting Creek Stream Valley Park was included in the approved 1979 Gum Springs Neighborhood Improvement Program, with $160,000 budgeted.
A Possible Tribute to Gum Springs’ Founder
Linda Hollis, a descendant of Gum Springs founder West Ford, asked whether the trail could bear Ford’s name because it may cross land he once owned. Park Authority staff said they would consider the suggestion.
Archaeological work at the site uncovered glass fragments primarily dating from after 1907 or 1910, porcelain and tile pieces, and several quartz, quartzite and rhyolite flakes. No new archaeological sites were recorded, though the report recommended additional testing.
A 2023 environmental survey identified white oaks, sweetgums, winterberry shrubs, silky dogwood and wetland plants including pickerelweed and bulrush. One rare plant was also documented.
Martin said Little Hunting Creek has few public access points despite running through residential neighborhoods. She said the trail could provide a place for people to sit near the water, observe wildlife and find recreation and respite.
Construction Could Still Be More Than a Year Away
Planning began in 2022, and the Park Authority held an earlier public meeting in November 2023. Officials are now completing the design, calculating costs and seeking funding before pursuing permits and construction bids.
Permitting alone could take a year or longer. The construction schedule will also depend on weather and seasonal permit restrictions.
The Park Authority is accepting public comments through Feb. 13.