Greenbelt Park in Maryland reopened its hiking trails and picnic areas on Friday, after it was closed for months due to a high speed windstorm that damaged trees last year.
In July 2022, a windstorm with speeds getting up to 80 miles per hour tore trees up from the root and destroyed power lines.
The National Park Service said that all major trails will be open for hiking, except for one section of the Perimeter Trail at the southern end of the park that will stay closed to fix a trail washout.
The campground in Greenbelt Park was reopened safely in September 2022, but needed more resources to solve the issue of the downed trees in the picnic areas.
NPS said the park got help from the Arborist Incident Response team to get rid of what was left of the safety hazards and prepare picnic areas and trails for reopening.
Over 100 fallen and hazardous trees were removed from the park since last year.
“I appreciate the community’s patience as NPS staff and contractors worked diligently to address safety hazards throughout Greenbelt Park,” said National Capital Parks – East superintendent Tara Morrison in a news release. “We’re excited to reopen major areas of the park just in time for spring and look forward to seeing visitors and neighbors there.”
Greenbelt Park has nine miles of hiking trails, three picnic areas and 172 campsites.
