Most residents of the DMV can recall the thunderstorm that rained down destruction on July 12, 2022, and their subsequent introduction to the term “microburst,” the weather activity that broke in half and uprooted massive trees throughout the region.

The storm hit Greenbelt National Park particularly hard, forcing the National Park Service (NPS) to close the park’s hiking trails due to extensive damage to trees along the trails. Since then, according to the NPS, “staff and contractors have removed more than 100 fallen and hazardous trees in Greenbelt Park.”

The NPS partially reopened the trails on March 10, 2023.

Earlier today, I walked the trail and was struck by the extensive damage both along the trail and in the interior of the park. By my guess, approximately a mile of the Perimeter Trail remains closed, with a detour on the Blueberry Trail bypassing the closed portion.

Click on the thumbnail images below (will take you to Flickr) to witness the destructive power and resilience of nature: