Georgetown Pike County Lot Route 193

• 40 spaces, fills fast
• Trail is across stream from lot, but you must wade across the stream
• From Beltway, Va. Rte. 193 West five miles, 1/2 block after crossing Difficult Run bridge, turn left.

Colvin Run Mill Park County Park

• 60 spaces
• Trail is 2 blocks away, at foot of hill, crosses Rte. 7 at light at Carper's Farm Way
• From Beltway, Leesburg Pike (Va. Rte. 7) west five miles, right on Colvin Run Rd. (watch for Colvin Run signs), then left into park.

Browns Mill Road (on shoulder)

• 2 spaces
• On trail
• From Dulles Toll Road (Va. Rte. 267), Hunter Mill Rd. exit, north. Right at stop sign (Crowell Rd. 675, becomes Browns Mill Rd, gravel shoulder, right side of road after bridge over D. Run

Hunter Mill Road, N.V.R.P.A. lot

• On trail/on W&OD Trail
• 8 spaces, fills fast
• From Dulles Toll Rd (Va. Rte 267), Hunter Mill Rd. exit, south. At 2nd light, turn left (stay on Hunter Mill Rd.), lot is at crosswalk, at flashing yellow light.

Oak Marr County Park and Rec. Center

• 100+ spaces
• On trail
• From I-66, Chain Bridge Rd. (Va. Rte 123) exit, north, left at second light (Jermantown Road), three blocks to Oak Marr Rec. Center on right, park in gravel lot to left.

A public bus line intersects either end of the North Half/Difficult Run Section of the Fairfax Cross County Trail.

Putting these two bus routes together, they comprise a gigantic loop, if one is willing to walk through a stream valley. And who isn't willing to follow a winding path along a rushing stream through the woods? This is ideal for the solitary hiker, or for one or more people who do not own cars. Even those who own cars may find this interesting, because it allows people to hike the entire Difficult Run Trail from Colvin Run Mill Park to Oak Marr Park without doubling back to pick up a car.

Why is there public bus service to a long distance hiking trail in one of the wildest sections of Fairfax County, Virginia? In a word, although the trail is isolated, it is not remote. It is only five miles from Tyson's Corner, the downtown of Fairfax County.

Fairfax Connector Route 574 (Fare 50 cents) provides hourly service from Tyson's Corner to Colvin Run Mill Park on Leesburg Pike on weekdays only. Marked by a small yellow sign, the bus stop is at the intersection of Carper's Farm and Leesburg Pike.

Return service is available, too, on Route 574; weekdays only. The bus stops on Leesburg Pike at Carper's Farm. The travel time is about 25 minutes, about equal to that in a private automobile. Colvin Run Mill Park is the northern end of the trail for those on foot.

Regular Bus Service connects Tyson Corner with the Vienna Metro Station.

At the other end of the trail, Metro bus Route 2B connects Vienna Metro Station to Oak Marr Park once every hour in each direction on Saturdays. The trip takes seven minutes. There is no bus service between Oak Marr and Vienna Metro Station on Sundays, but Oak Marr is within walking distance of Vienna Metro Station. A couch potato might dispute that, but anyone who hikes the Difficult Run Trail would probably not mind walking another thirty minutes between Oak Marr Park and Vienna Metro Station on Sundays.

• Fairfax Connector Route 574
• Metro Route 2B (pdf file)