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Loudoun rebrands linear parks program, advances Southern Loop trail planning and QR-coded wayfinding
Summary
Parks staff reported progress on the county’s rebranded Loudoun’s Trails and Waterways program, including new trail miles, volunteer hours, QR-code wayfinding and planning for a Southern Loop that, when combined with other segments, could create a roughly 40-mile loop serving about 150,000 residents.
Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) staff updated the Transportation and Land Use Committee on May 21, 2025 about progress implementing the county’s adopted linear parks and trails plan, now rebranded as “Loudoun’s Trails and Waterways.”
Steve Torpey, PRCS, introduced the team and said staff have opened more than 10 miles of new trails and secured more than 1,900 volunteer hours for trail maintenance and development. Dan Sullivan, program manager for the countywide trails program, described a new QR‑code system for trail signage to support public wayfinding and safety (so users can identify their location and provide precise information to first responders).
Staff said a completed conceptual design for an 18‑mile signature loop (bounded by the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail to the north, W And 0 D to the south, Goose Creek to the west and Broad Run to the east) is moving into project development as a CIP priority. PRCS is also advancing planning on a Southern Loop segment that would connect Broad Run and Goose Creek corridors and link parks and Metro stations; combined with the signature northern loop, staff said the work could create roughly a 40‑mile continuous loop that would be within easy reach of about 150,000 Loudoun residents.
Staff reported that about 66% of the required land and easements are already owned or secured, that over half of the trails associated with the envisioned loop are already on the ground, and that the FY26 budget included additional staffing for natural resources and trail maintenance. The department highlighted partnerships with the Northern Virginia Regional Commission on a Potomac Heritage gap study and with community stakeholders such as Brambleton, which has agreed to incorporate local HOA paths into the network where possible.
No committee action was taken. PRCS said future milestones include further plan updates to incorporate Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail corridor alignments, continued volunteer coordination, completion of feasibility work (including an ARPA‑funded safe passage under Route 7), and advancing design and funding for the signature loop and the Southern Loop CIP elements.
