Big Fairfax Loop:WO&D from Airport toHerndon,Cross-Country to Occoquan/Mt.Vernon/airp

[Char Miller]

Anyone have experience doing this loop?

https://goo.gl/maps/j5Q94AWumTZ282TD6

Thanks,

Char

[Char Miller]

https://goo.gl/maps/QPS8PsrSuTkwozCf6

Not sure why google cut it in half the first time.

[trailrunner]

I’ve ridden many parts of that route many times, but I’ve never done that exact loop.

[n18]

Did you do the Difficult Run part of the cross county trail before? It’s the NW portion of the loop. If not, you will know why it’s called Difficult Run. MTB only. A new person could average 5 MPH or less easily.

[n18]

Also, there is a tunnel under Pickett Road that opened 2+ years ago, so you may want to use that instead of left turn. See this Google Maps link.

[mstone]

@n18 199552 wrote:

Did you do the Difficult Run part of the cross county trail before? It’s the NW portion of the loop. If not, you will know why it’s called Difficult Run. MTB only. A new person could average 5 MPH or less easily.

This. The GCCCT is a collection of existing stream valley trails of varying quality. If you’ve ridden one of them, you’ve ridden one of them. If you’ve done this one before, then carry on–but if not, don’t expect it to be a “bike trail” and if you’re on a road bike do expect to be walking while pushing the bike up a steep slope.

[Char Miller]

That is what I was wondering — if the Cross Country Trail part was too rough for a road bike. I take it that it is too difficult to ride with a road bike. That is a shame.

[n18]

@Char Miller 199615 wrote:

That is what I was wondering — if the Cross Country Trail part was too rough for a road bike. I take it that it is too difficult to ride with a road bike. That is a shame.

It was too rough to ride with a hybrid with front and seat suspension. Some example: every 10 feet there is a 90 degree turn to a steep or a rocky 10 feet, for horses to jump to, or hikers, and the list go on. There is a CCT marker to tell you where the trail is, but there are too many paths cleared by people to their houses and they look in a better shape than the trail, so I followed them and ended up going in circles. Here is an example short video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd2vM37NNdo&t=120

He is going downhill mostly, but imagine going the other way.

[n18]

Here is another alternative on the west side. You just use Fairfax Country Parkway Trail, which was repaved in the last year or two. It’s flat or downhill mostly.

[mstone]

@n18 199617 wrote:

Here is another alternative on the west side. You just use Fairfax Country Parkway Trail, which was repaved in the last year or two. It’s flat or downhill mostly.

except for that one spot

but in general, yeah, I’d recommend that route. My personal preference would be to not turn onto west ox road from fair lakes parkway. Instead, turn right on monument, then left onto gov’t center parkway. There’s a little sidewalk that will take you through to james stewart circle and let you avoid the mess that’s the mall and the intersection of random hills and waples mill. Although they’re all probably pretty empty these days.

[mstone]

@Char Miller 199615 wrote:

That is what I was wondering — if the Cross Country Trail part was too rough for a road bike. I take it that it is too difficult to ride with a road bike. That is a shame.

This part, yeah. But lest we scare people off the GCCCT completely, it’s worth noting that other parts are well graded and crushed stone or even paved. It just depends which specific stretch you’re looking at.

[Sunyata]

@n18 199616 wrote:

It was too rough to ride with a hybrid with front and seat suspension. Some example: every 10 feet there is a 90 degree turn to a steep or a rocky 10 feet, for horses to jump to, or hikers, and the list go on. There is a CCT marker to tell you where the trail is, but there are too many paths cleared by people to their houses and they look in a better shape than the trail, so I followed them and ended up going in circles. Here is an example short video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd2vM37NNdo&t=120

He is going downhill mostly, but imagine going the other way.

None of that is actually the CCT. All of that was in Lake Fairfax proper, which is single track trails. Most (if not all) of the CCT is doable on a CX/Gravel bike.

[Char Miller]

@n18 199617 wrote:

Here is another alternative on the west side. You just use Fairfax Country Parkway Trail, which was repaved in the last year or two. It’s flat or downhill mostly.

Oh that looks good.

[Author]

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