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| Virginia Bluebells |
Take a hike!
Story & Photos By Julie Wiatt
Spring is a time of renewal, physical and spiritual. The re-emergence of the full beauty of the natural world, much within a few mile radius of our town, provides a setting in which to move, breathe, contemplate and restore ourselves. Here are a few highlights:
 | | Piles of concrete & marble make this a fascinating hike. |
We call this hike "Lost Marbles" — behind the Rock Creek Park maintenance yard, a loop hike near the nature center and stables passes by a jumble of concrete and marble pieces, leftovers from a renovation of the capitol. A couple of huge granite millstone lie about, alongside stone acanthus leaves and corinthian columns.
Fort de Russy — a Civil War fort, overlooking Military Road. This Fort has dissolved like a sand castle, an earthshape overgrown by woodlands, a circle shape with dry moat, marked by a plaque on a boulder. This hike can follow Rock Creek for a while, and pass by community gardens near Oregon Avenue.
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| Max and Joe Kelly enjoy a spring hike along the Rachel Carson Greenway. |
Rachel Carson Greenway, named for the famed environmentalist, writer of Silent Spring , who lived in Silver Spring, and walked these trails along the Northwest Branch in the 1950s. These trails wind both east and west from Colesville Road, north of University. Going eastward, two geological strata meet, boulders and rapids yield to calm creek waters. Heading west, hikes on both sides of the Northwest Branch Creek, provide long stretches of trail, more than three hours in a loop without crossing any roads. This May will be Rachel Carson's 100th birthday celebration. Look for related events and a story about her in the May Voice.
For information about Rock Creek Park, visit www.nps.gov/rocr.
To find out about the Rachel Carson Greenway, go to www.mc-mncppc.org/trails.
Happy trails!
 Sligo Creek Park has paved paths for hikers, bikers, & joggers. |  Rock Creek Park has trails enjoyed by dogwalkers, & horseback riders. |
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