Greenbelt Park is a place of contrast, changing from virgin forest to farmland to a proposed housing development and then to an alluring refuge within an ever-growing sea of development. Only twelve miles from downtown Washington, it offers wilderness, wildlife, and solitude. In 1875, the land was denuded, with farmhouses, fencelines, and dirt paths crossing the landscape, and tobacco, corn, and grain growing where maples and elms now tower. Although a few hints of that era survive, the land is now dominated by nature, and its trees, underbrush, and wildlife tell the story of nature’s recovery and of how, when left alone, nature will heal itself. Greenbelt Park has become an urban oasis as the population of the surrounding land has grown over the past 60 years from about 3,000 to more than 20,000. The park serves as a refuge for both people and wildlife, and park staff and volunteers work at reforestation, wildlife management, improving water quality, and bringing greater awareness to visitors. The park includes a 174-site campground open year-round, three picnic areas, and nature and bridle trails. The Baltimore-Washington Parkway links the park with downtown Washington twelve miles south; dedicated in 1954, the parkway is the historic gateway to the Nation’s Capital for visitors arriving from the eastern seaboard.