W&OD Trail ok for carry?

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I am preparing for a 20 - 25 mile bike ride on the W&OD Trail tomorrow. The trail is owned and operated by the Northern VA Regional Park Authority, which was founded as part of the Virginia Park Authorities Act of 1959. Would it then be correct to assume that the W&OD Trail is a "State Park"? I'm not completely sure of the relationship between the Regional Park Authority and The Commonwealth.

Does the trail cross or intersect with any federal property anywhere where it would be unlawful to possess any firearms? Any maps I have found did not indicate there was federal property anywhere along the stretch from Leesburg to Purcelville, which is the stretch my son and I are planning to bike.

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I feel pretty confident that it is not a state park or falls under the rules of one.

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If it is NOVA Park authority, it is not a state park - it is a regional park, fully preempted, OC all you want.

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Mike wrote:

If it is NOVA Park authority, it is not a state park - it is a regional park, fully preempted, OC all you want.

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Here are the links: http://www.nvrpa.org/html/index.php?pg=aboutnvrpa.html

"...Park Authority represents three counties and three cities -- Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudoun County, the City of Alexandria, the City of Falls Church and the City of Fairfax. Regional Park Authority staff, volunteer board members appointed from each jurisdiction ..."

That is who the NVRPA are, also, search for their legislative agenda, they are spending your take money to ban guns in parks - well they were last year, don't know about this year.

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Well, then...I'll OC the whole time then :celebrate


I didn't feel like trying to conceal it on a bike ride that long. Although, I will have a backpack, so it wouldn't be a big deal.

I did some searches and found that there had been issues getting the park authority to comply with the pre-empted firearms laws. I'll be on the look out for any sort of signs banning the carry of firearms.

I also did not find anything indicating that they had lobbied for or monetarily supported any anti-firearms legislation in the last couple of years.

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vrwmiller wrote:

I also did not find anything indicating that they had lobbied for or monetarily supported any anti-firearms legislation in the last couple of years.

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I was confused, it was someone another Northern Virginia organization: http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=323&forum_id=54

I did not confirm the links were still good, but it provides the name.

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Great ride. Rode from mile marker 33.5 to 45 then back. OC'd the entire time.

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I ride the trail from around mile marker 20 to just past mile marker 16 to and from work most days. I'm curious what clothing and holster you wore. Sometimes I consider wearing my Glock 19 or Kahr PM9, but I can't figure out how the mechanics would work, nor can I find a bike-mounted gun rack for my AR-15

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I was wearing jean shorts with my Galco Fletch Hi-Ride Belt Holster. Perhaps, on a 23 mile bike ride, biking shorts were in order. My backside and crotch were sore until Monday.