District of Columbia Trails and Maps

175 Reviews

Looking for the best trails around District of Columbia?

Explore the best rated trails in District of Columbia, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Capital Crescent Trail and Rock Creek Park Trails. With more than 14 trails covering 3998 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

City Trails and Maps in District of Columbia

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Activities
Length
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Type
14 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Anacostia River Trail

21.5 mi
State: DC, MD
Asphalt, Boardwalk, Brick, Concrete

Capital Crescent Trail

12.7 mi
State: DC, MD
Asphalt

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

184.2 mi
State: DC, MD
Brick, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt

Great American Rail-Trail

3743.9 mi
State: DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Klingle Valley Trail

0.73 mi
State: DC
Asphalt

Marvin Gaye Trail

1.9 mi
State: DC
Asphalt

Oxon Run Trail

3.4 mi
State: DC
Asphalt

Rock Creek Park Trails

8.5 mi
State: DC
Asphalt

Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail

7 mi
State: DC
Dirt, Gravel

Metropolitan Branch Trail

7.9 mi
State: DC, MD
Asphalt

Beach Drive (Rock Creek Park)

5 mi
State: DC
Asphalt

Puerto Rico Trails (TEST RECORD)

0 mi
State: DC
Asphalt

Suitland Parkway Trail

1.7 mi
State: DC
Asphalt

West Campus Access Road Trail

0.4 mi
State: DC
Concrete
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
Overview Winding along its namesake river, from Maryland into southeast D.C., the Anacostia River Trail (also known as the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail) provides an outstanding recreation and...
DC, MD 21.5 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk, Brick, Concrete
Detour Notice: As of September 2017, the Capital Crescent Trail east of downtown Bethesda was closed due to the construction of the Purple Line light-rail system. It is estimated that the reopening of...
DC, MD 12.7 mi Asphalt
Overview Following the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Towpath traverses the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park for 184.2 miles between Cumberland, Maryland, and the Georgetown...
DC, MD 184.2 mi Brick, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt
Note: This developing route is not yet fully contiguous – it is just over 50% complete. Please refer to the Trail Map for more information on the existing sections of trail, as well as the online...
DC, IA, ID, IL, IN, MD, MT, NE, OH, PA, WA, WV, WY 3743.9 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
Overview The Klingle Valley Trail spans just shy of a mile in a leafy, residential area of northwest Washington, DC. The trail opened in June 2017 and is accessible to the neighborhoods of...
DC 0.73 mi Asphalt
The Marvin Gaye Trail offers a paved pathway through the Deanwood, Burville, Lincoln Heights, and Hillbrook neighborhoods of Washington, DC. Just shy of 2 miles, it runs from Minnesota Avenue NE, near...
DC 1.9 mi Asphalt
Oxon Run is the name of a tributary of the Potomac River in southeast DC, which lends its name to both the trail system and park in which the trail loop is found. The trail on both sides of the...
DC 3.4 mi Asphalt
Overview Located in the northwestern neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., Rock Creek Park serves as a lush natural oasis spanning more than 1,700 acres in the bustling heart of the nation’s capital....
DC 8.5 mi Asphalt
Washington, D.C.'s Fort Circle Park Hiker-Biker Trail links some of the District's dozens of Civil War era forts (now national parks) that were built to defend the city from attack by the southern...
DC 7 mi Dirt, Gravel
Overview    Connecting Union Station, historic D.C. neighborhoods, and the bustling beltway town of Silver Spring, the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) weaves connectivity, post-industrial renewal,...
DC, MD 7.9 mi Asphalt
Enjoy the natural beauty of our Nation's Capital by exploring Rock Creek Park via pedestrian-only roads! Winding through Rock Creek Park in Northwest DC, three sections of Beach Drive have been...
DC 5 mi Asphalt
TEST RECORD FOR BORIQUEN TRAIL AND OTHER PUERTO RICO TRAILS.
DC 0 mi Asphalt
The Suitland Parkway trail is a short paved multi-use path that runs adjacent to Suitland Parkway in SE D.C. to the border with Maryland. Proposed construction may extend the trail to the Branch...
DC 1.7 mi Asphalt
The West Campus Access Road Trail, the newest rail-trail in Washington, D.C., travels through the sprawling former campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital, now set to become the new home of the Department...
DC 0.4 mi Concrete

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Recent Trail Reviews

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Rough with Rider-Beware Hazards

October, 2024 by morgan.paul511

I biked from Pittsburgh to DC (GAP and C&O trails combined) 9/8 thru 9/14/24. This review is for the C&O only. Weather – excellent. Scenery- beautiful. Accommodations – very good. Trail surfaces –highly variable from narrow dirt paths laced with muddy holes to relatively smooth, hardpacked dirt to loose gravel (better for a pickup truck than a bicycle!). From 10 miles south of Great Falls into DC the trail/road was especially rough. I was riding an Off-road bike with 40 MM wide tires and momentarily lost front tire stability in MANY spots due to loose gravel (especially on the sloped paths leading into & out of lock areas). My biggest safety concern were the numerous concrete bridges over creeks & culverts that had ZERO guard rails, warning signs or even yellow paint. The bridge widths were narrower than the trail requiring the biker to NOTICE and move more to the center for safety. If a biker went off the side of any of these bridges, I’d expect serious injuries or worse. The worst safety hazard was at Lock 38. Approaching the lock from the southwest side, the (main) trail leads right across the top of the lock wall- that is 3 to 4 ft wide with only an outer rail – very dangerous. The drop off to the grassy floor below was about 7-9 feet straight down. I was in a group of riders that suddenly saw this “tightrope” situation and jammed on their brakes. (Nobody realized we should have diverted onto a narrow, unmarked path that led downward through the lock.) Fortunately, everyone stopped safely; walked their bikes down a slope and on to the safe path through the bottom of the lock. A simple, cheap sign could prevent the near-miss accidents at this spot.
I’m really disappointed that this National Park hasn’t (at least) marked these safety hazards. Considering all the hazards and the rough gravel, I think this C&O Towpath trail merits 2 stars.

Great American Rail-Trail

such a beautiful trail!

October, 2024 by sherryschie

We started in Akron and rode about 18 miles north. Loved it!!!

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Perfect for bikepacking

August, 2024 by scott43243

Rode from Cumberland to a parking area 23 miles outside of DC, camping at four of the campsites along the way. They have been doing a lot of work to improve the condition of this trail and it shows. Weather was perfect, but most sections seemed like they would still be pretty good even after some rain. There was one detour that was a tough push over really rocky roads for a few miles. Other than that, it was perfect.

Accordion

Great American Rail-Trail

West bound from Ellensburg. August 2024

August, 2024 by tastesbadtobears

We ( recumbent trike & e-bike) headed West from the Kiwanis park. Turned around after 9km as the surface was really tough on the trike. There’s 2 good wheel tracks for bikes, but the trike had to ride partially in the coarse trail ballast. Scenic area with farm views and a huge windmill farm in the distance.

Anacostia River Trail

Great Trail

June, 2024 by carrollball99

Rode this on 6/13/24 with a friend, covering 20 miles. Parked at the Ropewalk Pavilion, 4601 Annapolis Rd, Bladensburg. Restroom here was clean. Trail is well marked with trail signs except for about 1/2 mile were you are traveling through a neighborhood on the streets. Lots of turns and small hills make it pleasant to ride allowing you to rest some while coasting. Most if the paved trail is only about 6 feet wide so you need to stay on your own side especially at the blind turns. Condition of the asphalt was good although some of the boardwalks were a little rough. This trail takes you past some beautiful scenery in MD and DC. There was a 400 yard section by the Wash Navy Yard where you are supposed to walk your bike.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

We parked at lock 38 by Shepardstown. Trail is well maintained and gorgeous. Many bikers, runners and walkers out.Note it is a trash free park.

June, 2024 by roberta.harte

We parked at lock 38 by Shepardstown. Trail is well maintained and gorgeous. Many bikers, runners and walkers out.Note it is a trash free park.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Awesome Nature Rides

May, 2024 by d_morris

Whether a multi-day ride from DC 180 miles to Cumberland or individual day rides along the tow path next to the C&O canal, this trail is awesome. And now that much of it has been resurfaced to be crushed granite rather than just dirt, muddy rides will no longer be a problem after and during rains. One of the top 10 bucket list rides in the US, easily.

Metropolitan Branch Trail

Great Easy Access City Trail

May, 2024 by astrathman31

Very easy to find the trail from any of the nearby red line stops which allows for easy segmenting if you don’t want to do the entire trail. Very runner friendly the entire way. It’s a great resource to have in the middle of the city.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Great Ride with my brother to raise awareness and support homeless veterans

October, 2023 by ragman_tl

The trail is great starting at Cumberland. Pretty smooth and scenic. Not very far in there were quite a few detours as the trail was damaged in many places. I wish there had been more amenities along the trail. The last 40 miles into DC were surprisingly bad, with muddy rough conditions and detours. The trip was memorable and challenging and we were proud to raise money for theplummerhome.org for homeless veterans.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Amazing trail

October, 2023 by afsiyeon

Day1: DC to Williamsport. Day 2: Williamsport to Cumberland. This was an amazing ride with beautiful fall scenery. Trail was well maintained and easy to navigate. It was mostly hard parked gravel with lots of historical sites and great views. Paw Paw tunnel was open. The trail thru tunnel is uneven and wet. Met some great people along the trail. I’ll definitely ride the trail again in the summer.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

What a ride!!

October, 2023 by fujiguy

We took the Amtrak bike train to DC. Had to switch trains in Philly. Between Harrisburg and Philly we had to remove the front wheel and hang the bike. From Philly to DC they were stored in the baggage car and didn't require tire removal. The ride through DC was fantastic and much easier than we expected. The trail got a little confusing to get out of town but once we did we found the trail in much better condition then we expected. We stayed along the way in a hotel and a lock house. My favorite part was the area around the pawpaw tunnel but the trail was in very poor condition in spots. At one point when I tried to go my rear wheel would just spin and the bike wouldn't move. Very mucky and muddy. I'm sure it all depends on the amount of rain they had recently. It completed the ride from Pittsburgh to DC for me. I had ridden the GAP trail about 6 years prior. The only reason I didn't give it a five star rating is because of the mud in some areas. Overall it was great.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

It could be a 5 star

September, 2023 by jdietz4361

We rode a 10 mile section of trail north of the Williamsport visitors center. Sunny day, high 60’s. It was the day after a 30 minute rain storm. Trees were in full bloom. Why 2 stars when it could be a 5? The trail needs a good layer of hard packed stone. Any rain will turn many spots into mud, as we encountered. The trail rides along the Potomac River. You could just about see otherwise the trail is under cover. To make it a 5, make sure the trail has dried out and the leaves have not bloomed or the have already dropped. It would sure be a 5.

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