Four Mile Run

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Four Mile Run is a stream in Northern Virginia that proceeds from Fairfax County southeast through Falls Church to Arlington County in the U.S. state of Virginia. Most of the stretch is parkland and is paralleled by two paved recreational trails, the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail and the Four Mile Run Trail.

While in Arlington, the stream passes from the Piedmont through the fall line to the Atlantic Coastal Plain in a deep forested valley. The stream's eastern section forms the boundary of Arlington County and the City of Alexandria. The stream eventually empties out into the Potomac River immediately south of National Airport.^[1]

The name "Four Mile Run" reflects the distance upstream along the Potomac River shoreline from the mouth of Hunting Creek south of Alexandria to the mouth of the stream. "Four Mile Run" runs into the tidal "Four Mile Creek" within a mile of the mouth of the stream.

Contents 1 History 2 Tributaries 3 Parks 4 Trails 5 Notes 6 References

[edit] History

During the colonial period and the 1800s, several watermills existed in and near the fall line of the stream. Although none of these mills remain intact, the foundation of one is still in place (Arlington Mill; later rebuilt as Barcroft Mill after being destroyed by Union Army troops during the Civil War). Located west of the stream between Columbia Pike and 10th Street South in Arlington, the foundation presently supports an automobile repair shop.^[2]

General George Washington owned on the southwest side of the stream in the fall line a large parcel of wooded property which he surveyed in 1785, several years after the Revolutionary War ended.^[3] As part of this survey, Washington made a cut in the trunk of an oak tree to mark a corner of his property where a tributary (Long Branch (upper)) entered the main stream. A portion of this trunk remains preserved in a neighborhood library (Glencarlyn Library),^[4] while a columnar monument marks the tree's original location.^[5]

From about 1860 to 1968, the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad and its predecessors traveled along most of the stream's length in Arlington. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Trail now travels along the stream on the former railroad's route.

In June 1972, rains from Hurricane Agnes caused the stream to overflow its banks, producing extensive flooding which was especially severe in a populated area on the coastal plain. As a result of this event, the Army Corps of Engineers channelized the stream in this and other areas, covering the stream's natural banks with riprap.

[edit] Tributaries

The major tributaries of Four Mile Run, from upstream to downstream, are:

Tributary	Side of Main Stream	Coordinates of Tributary near Confluence
Lubber Run	Northeast	38°51′57″N 77°07′12″W / 38.865847, -77.11992 (Lubber Run near confluence with Four Mile Run)
Long Branch (upper)	Southwest	38°51′43″N 77°07′07″W / 38.861845, -77.118544 (Long Branch (upper) near confluence with Four Mile Run)
Doctors Run (Doctors Branch)	Northeast	38°50′60″N 77°06′11″W / 38.849969, -77.103006 (Doctors Run (Doctors Branch) near confluence with Four Mile Run)
Lucky Run	Southwest	38°50′46″N 77°05′48″W / 38.845996, -77.096751 (Lucky Run near confluence with Four Mile Run)
Long Branch (lower)	North	38°50′42″N 77°04′17″W / 38.844861, -77.071321 (Long Branch (lower) near confluence with Four Mile Run)

[edit] Parks

The parks through or adjacent to which Four Mile Run flows, from upstream to downstream, are:

• Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, Arlington
• Crossman Park, Falls Church^[6]
• Benjamin Banneker Park, Arlington^[7]
• Madison Manor Park, Arlington^[8]
• Bon Air Park, Arlington^[9]
• Bluemont Junction Park, Arlington^[10]
• Bluemont Park, Arlington^[11]
• Glencarlyn Park, Arlington^[12]
• Barcroft Park, Arlington^[13]
• Shirlington Park, Arlington^[14]
• Jennie Dean Park, Arlington^[15]
• Four Mile Run Park, Alexandria^[16]
• George Washington Memorial Parkway (national park), Arlington and Alexandria^[17]

[edit] Trails

The paved trails that travel near Four Mile Run are:

• Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail, Arlington
• Four Mile Run Trail, Arlington^[18]
• Wayne F. Anderson Bikeway, Arlington and Alexandria^[19]

Connecting trails are:

• Mount Vernon Trail
• Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail, Arlington
• Custis Trail (along I-66), Arlington

It is possible to bicycle or hike a triangle route that passes along all three of these trails.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Coordinates of Four Mile Creek at confluence with Potomac River: 38°50′26″N 77°02′44″W / 38.840443, -77.045531 (Four Mile Creek at confluence with Potomac River)
2. ^ Coordinates of site of Arlington Mill: 38°51′21″N 77°06′40″W / 38.855922, -77.111009 (Site of Arlington Mill)
3. ^ Walk through George Washington's Forest in official "WALK Arlington" website of the Arlington County, Virginia, government. Accessed June 10, 2008.
4. ^ Glencarlyn Library in Arlington County, Virginia, government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
5. ^ Coordinates of monument at former site of tree that George Washington marked: 38°51′44″N 77°07′02″W / 38.8621753, -77.1171141 (Monument at former site of tree that George Washington marked)
6. ^ "Crossman Park / Four Mile Run" in "City Parks" page in City of Falls Church Goverment official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
7. ^ Benjamin Banneker Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
8. ^ Madison Manor Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
9. ^ Bon Air Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
10. ^ Bluemont Junction Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
11. ^ Bluemont Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
12. ^ Glencarlyn Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
13. ^ Barcroft Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
14. ^ Shirlington Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
15. ^ Jennie Dean Park in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
16. ^ "Four Mile Run Park" in City of Alexandria Government official website
17. ^ "George Washington Memorial Parkway" in U.S. National Park Service offficial website Accessed June 10, 2008
18. ^ "Four Mile Run Trail" in "Arlington County 2005 Small Bike Map" in Arlington County Government official website Accessed June 10, 2008.
19. ^ "Wayne F. Anderson Bikeway" in "Arlington (mileage marker 0)" section of "Map of the W&OD" in The Friends of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail official website Accessed June 10, 2008.

[edit] References

• Rose. C.B., Jr., Arlington County, Virginia: a history; Arlington Historical Society, Arlington, VA, 1976
• Glencarlyn Remembered: The First 100 Years; Glencarlyn Citizens Association, Arlington, VA, 1994

Potomac River system Cities and towns | Bridges | Islands | Tributaries | Variant names District of Columbia | Maryland | Pennsylvania | Virginia | West Virginia Streams shown as: Major tributaries • subtributaries • (subsubtributaries) • (subsubsubtributaries)

Tidal Potomac River Donaldson Run | Windy Run | Spout Run | Rock Creek | Tiber Creek | Rocky Run | Washington Channel | Anacostia River • Watts Branch • Hickey Run • Northwest Branch Anacostia River • (Sligo Creek) • Northeast Branch Anacostia River • (Paint Branch) | Four Mile Run | Oxon Creek | Hunting Creek | Broad Creek | Henson Creek | Swan Creek | Piscataway Creek | Little Hunting Creek | Dogue Creek | Accotink Creek • Daniels Run | Pohick Creek | Pomonkey Creek | Occoquan River • Bull Run • Broad Run • Cedar Run | Neabsco Creek | Powells Creek | Mattawoman Creek | Chicamuxen Creek | Quantico Creek | Little Creek | Chopawamsic Creek | Tank Creek | Aquia Creek | Potomac Creek | Nanjemoy Creek | Port Tobacco River | Pope's Creek (Maryland) | Gambo Creek | Piccowaxen Creek | Upper Machodoc Creek | Cuckold Creek | Wicomico River | Monroe Creek | Mattox Creek | Pope's Creek (Virginia) | St. Marys River | Yeocomico River | Coan River | Hull Creek Upper Potomac River North Branch Potomac River | South Branch Potomac River | Town Creek | Little Cacapon River • North Fork Little Cacapon River • South Fork Little Cacapon River | Fifteenmile Creek | Sideling Hill Creek | Cacapon River • Lost River • Trout Run • Capon Springs Run • Dillons Run • Edwards Run • Mill Branch • North River • (Grassy Lick Run) • (Tearcoat Creek) • (Bearwallow Creek) | Sir Johns Run | Warm Spring Run | Tonoloway Creek • Little Tonoloway Creek | Sleepy Creek • Meadow Branch | Licking Creek | Cherry Run | Back Creek • Hogue Creek • Isaacs Creek • Tilhance Creek | Little Conococheague Creek | Conococheague Creek • Back Creek | Opequon Creek • Abrams Creek • Mill Creek • Middle Creek • Tuscarora Creek (West Virginia) | Antietam Creek | Shenandoah River | Little Catoctin Creek | Catoctin Creek (Virginia) | Catoctin Creek (Maryland) | Tuscarora Creek (Maryland) | Monocacy River • Rock Creek • Marsh Creek • Toms Creek • (Middle Creek) • Double Pipe Creek • (Big Pipe Creek) • (Little Pipe Creek) • Carroll Creek • Linganore Creek • Bush Creek • Ballenger Creek • Bennett Creek | Little Monocacy River | Goose Creek • Little River | Broad Run (Virginia) | Sugarland Run | Broad Run (Maryland) | Seneca Creek | Difficult Run | Cabin John Creek | Dead Run | Little Falls Branch | Pimmit Run | Rock Run | Watts Branch Shenandoah River North Fork Shenandoah River • Cedar Creek | South Fork Shenandoah River • North River • (Middle River) • South River North Branch Potomac River Stony River | Abram Creek | Savage River | Georges Creek | New Creek | Limestone Run | Warrior Run | Wills Creek • Brush Creek • Little Wills Creek | Evitts Creek | Patterson Creek • Mill Creek | Dans Run | Green Spring Run South Branch Potomac River North Fork South Branch Potomac River • Mill Creek • Seneca Creek | South Fork South Branch Potomac River • Kettle Creek | Lunice Creek | Mill Run | Mill Creek | Big Run | Buffalo Creek Lakes and reservoirs Lake Accotink | Lake Anne | Lake Artemesia | Lake Bernard Frank | Lake Braddock | Breckenridge Reservoir | Brushy Fork Lake | Burke Lake | Dalecarlia Reservoir | Georgetown Reservoir | Jennings Randolph Lake | Kingman Lake | Little Seneca Lake | McMillan Reservoir | Mount Storm Lake | Lake Needwood | Sleepy Creek Lake | Stony River Reservoir | Tidal Basin | Trout Pond | Warden Lake