The Bull Run Mountain Natural Area Preserve is another example of nature and history being preserved for future generations. According to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the preserve is approximately 2,350 acres and serves as a “living laboratory and open-air museum in the backyard of our nation’s capital.” It is a place that contains threatened plant and animal species and a living laboratory that allows scientists to collect data to monitor the health of the biodiversity of the mountains. It is an open-air museum because of the cultural history seen throughout the trails that tell the stories of the diverse families and the communities that called the mountains home.

It also has outreach programs to teach children the significance of the mountains and why they are important to preserve, fellowships focused on various aspects of the mountains, such as cultural and scientific, and various other educational programs. There are three trails for people to explore the mountains, ranging from easy 1-mile trails to moderate 3.4-mile trails.

RELIC is creating a program series to educate the community about the extensive history of the mountain, starting this month with a program exploring the area between Mother Leather Coat Mountain and the Carter Tract. Patrick O’Neill, archeologist and historian, will give an overview on Saturday, August 24, from 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. of the land, including First Peoples, colonial landowners, the enslaved and postbellum Black community, the Civil War, and the preservation of community efforts by the Virginia Outdoor Foundation. Click here to register for this free program at Central Library.

For more information about the Bull Run Mountains, please visit vof.org/protect/reserves/bull-run-mountains.