Our Friends, the Feds

Hooray for the National Park Service !!  They are moving ahead on the long-anticipated, eagerly awaited, breathtakingly scenic extension to the 22 mile Western Maryland Rail Trail.

If this doesn't ring a bell with regular readers, perhaps you will recognize this stretch by its most famous battleground -- the 100+ year old Indigo Tunnel, where trail enthusiasts faced off against the Indiana bats and were soundly defeated by the slumbering rodents.

Fortunately, the Indigo Tunnel is only a part of this 15 mile abandoned shortcut through the Potomac's Paw Paw Bends .  This route cuts through the mountains and over convoluted river passage with six trestles and three tunnels.  As you can see from this rickety specimen, the view is simply gorgeous.  Trail enthusiasts (and tourism officials) have been hoping for years to have this rail trail funded.  And now the process is officially underway.

The National Park Service sees this project as an extension of their mission with the C&O Canal towpath, which intersects part of the trail (including the detour around Indigo to accommodate the endangered bats) by providing additional scenic views, recreational experiences, and historic opportunities in the Potomac River Valley.  It will also provide connectivity for a greater regional trail network as the trail passes from West Virginia to Maryland and back.

From a safety standpoint, it will resolve issues related to the abandoned corridor including bridges not being maintained and hazardous materials from former railway uses.

Public meetings to discuss the proposal were held last week in Little Orleans and Paw Paw, and the Park Service will be taking comments through December 23rd.

It is still a long (expensive) process before this extension comes to fruition.  But the federal action is the first big step taken since the bats won the battle of the Indigo Tunnel nearly a year ago.  In the end, the modified trail will offer the best of all worlds with its sensitivity to history, heritage, and the environment.

Western Maryland enjoys its reputation as a great outdoors playground.  The rail trails are only part of what makes it a great region to visit.  There is still plenty of beautiful weather left to experience it this season, so plan to check it out.