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Visitors can now officially use the entire 45-mile Washington & Old Dominion Trail from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, following a decision that expands formal access hours west of Herndon.
The NOVA Parks board approved the standardized schedule at its May 21 meeting, making the change effective immediately. The regional authority owns and operates Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park.
The 5 a.m.-to-9 p.m. schedule was already in effect from east of Herndon through Arlington County. The section stretching from Herndon to Purcellville in Loudoun County had formally operated only from dawn to dusk.
NOVA Parks said the uniform hours will make trail rules easier to communicate across jurisdictions. The change also answers frequent requests from commuters seeking longer access between Herndon and Purcellville and reflects how people already use the trail.
Most walkers, cyclists and other visitors may notice little practical difference because the trail is rarely closed off outside maintenance work and events such as ViVa Vienna.
The park’s website now lists the expanded hours. NOVA Parks communications director Kelly Gilfillen said signs along the route will be updated as needed.
The longer official schedule could affect trail monitoring. A staff memo said NOVA Parks notified local jurisdictions, law enforcement agencies, the Friends of the W&OD and its volunteer Trail Patrol about the change.
With official access now extending into early mornings and evenings, the authority is also preparing to assist localities that may want to install additional lighting along the trail.
Established in 1974 on the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroad corridor, the trail now draws more than 2 million recreational visitors and commuters each year, according to NOVA Parks.
The expanded schedule grew out of a March 19 board discussion about safety conditions. Meeting minutes show that Operations Superintendent Kevin Casalenuovo raised several possible policy changes, including more lighting, a potential speed limit, e-bike restrictions, closer cooperation with law enforcement and an expansion of the dual-trail system.
That design provides separate paths for cyclists and pedestrians. NOVA Parks proposed extending it beyond Falls Church in a five-year strategic plan released in 2022, but the expansion has not been implemented four years later.
At the May 21 meeting, the board also approved a budget that funds invasive-species management across the park system, native tree and shrub plantings along the W&OD Trail and development of an updated strategic plan for fiscal years 2028 through 2033.