Volunteers have improved the Linnean Park Trail. Now, volunteers are needed to help maintain it.

Volunteers at work on the Linnean Trail in July 2021.

Neighbors walking the Linnean Park Trail since early July have noticed and enjoyed some sorely needed improvements.

The upper part of the trail was renovated with the installation of rolling grade dips, and waterbars, both designed to channel water off the trail.

Clearing silt under the rustic footbridge allowed for better water flow.

Stone steps have been added at the steep side of the footbridge.

And in two low areas that typically hold standing water after rainfall, an elevated trail of flagstone atop gravel now keeps hikers high and dry.

The goal has been focused on managing stormwater to stem trail erosion, and making the trail more user-friendly, no matter the weather.

For the trail renovations, thanks are due to neighbors and volunteers including the Student Conservation Association and Potomac Appalachian Trail Club supervisor Mitch Baer. Certified weed warrior John Burwell and Casey Trees have been working to manage invasives. And the support from the DC Departments of Parks and Recreation and Energy and the Environment have been critical throughout.

Several heavy rainfalls since the July trail work have shown that these improvements won’t endure without occasional maintenance. To keep the trail safe to navigate, Baer and Burwell are proposing that a corps of volunteers be organized and trained to regularly maintain the trail.

Friends and neighbors interested in participating in continued and regular volunteer rehabilitation efforts are encouraged to email John Burwell at [email protected]. They’ll gather to survey the trail, top to bottom, with trail maintenance experts outlining tasks required to keep the path in good shape.

With a few volunteers working quarterly, Baer and Burwell believe the trail can easily be maintained and enjoyed by all who venture through this neighborhood urban treasure.

Getting there: The two points of entry are at Fessenden Street and Broad Branch Terrace NW and on Linnean Avenue near Harrison Street NW.