Parking and trailhead are by the posted coordinates. The park has minimum signage, as it is an unimproved park, but it's the standard reddish brown sign with park rules in yellow paint on the south side of the road, just on the west side of the bridge.
Bags will be provided, bring gloves and a grabber if you have them, and water resistant boots. Footwear is very important because you may have to walk in a couple inches of water, depending on what the weather has been.
The focus is the west side of the park past the 2.5' raised manhole cover.
Why:
Backlick Run goes through this small, unimproved park. BLR is part of the Cameron Run Watershed, it eventually becomes Cameron Run and drains into the Potomac River, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. I have made 7 trip here solo and removed at least 90 gallons of trash, plus a vacuum cleaner and a tire.
Ultimately, my goal is to clean Backlick Run from it's beginning by Ravensworth Road, all the way to where it goes under 495. That's over 3 miles. There are sections that are practically in people's backyards, so there may be some parts I can't access. I can't do this all by myself, not in a reasonable length of time, so I'm hoping to host a number of CITOs to get assistance.
Permission granted by the Fairfax County Park Authority Area Manager and facilitated by the Parks Volunteer Coordinator, Julie Tehan.