osborn2ride
By
laretha
in
September, 2012
On 9/14 I rode this great trail. It is not as scenic as some I have done but it is a great trail. I started in Vienna and went to Purcellville and back about sixty six miles. On the trip I found only one street crossing that I felt was very bad and that was Wiehle Ave in Reston and this is a bad one. Most of the tough crossing have cross walk lights that the trail user activates.
Now for the good stuff, it has it all Mile Marker every half mile, each cross road is marked with its name and the City name, Park Benches, Picnic Tables, Kiosks all along the route with trail maps and information, Restrooms, it even has a couple of Air pumps along the way, a great surface, very good signage, and lots of Historical Markers. If you are a History buff or a Rail Road buff you need to do this trail.
I would highly suggest that you have a mirror as some of the Road Bikers really hall the mail. Only the last ten or twelve miles has a canopy so you will need sunscreen. I would say that this is a family friendly trail as there are just a few tough hills.
The two high lights for me where the number of old RR Stations and the over look at Luck Stone Quarry.
The elevation at Leesburg is 305 and at Purcellville it is 605 a nice climb up but a great ride back. this is one of the best Maintained trails that I have done. Hats off to the Friends of WO&D and the Northern Virgina Parks Authority. If you live in the D.C, Northern Va. or Baltimore area this is a must do trail.
Great bike trail - except for many inconsiderate, and dangerous bikers
By
austin heffernan
in
September, 2011
Rode the trail from Herndon to the east end of the trail and back Saturday, and the western section between Purcellville and Herndon on Sunday. Magnolias at the Mill restaurant at the Purcellville end is GREAT! There is also a very good, and helpful bike shop right across the street. The only complaint I have is the indifferent, "it's all about me" attitude of some of the weekend Lance Armstrong wannabe's I experienced on the eastern part, as you get closer to D.C. This is a WONDERFUL multi-use trail that goes through lots of residential areas, so there are lots of families with small kids learning to ride their bikes, young couples with babies in strollers out enjoying the outdoors and elderly people out for a brisk walk. Everybody has as much right as the next person to be on this trail, and for the most part everyone is respectful of the different speeds and capabilities of the different users....except for those bikers who think this is their personal high-speed track. Seriously...some of the riders I witnessed need to confine their activities to the streets, where if they lose control or miscalculate the small spaces between the "obstacles" they try to zoom through at full speed, they will hit a car....not someone's child. Someone is really going to get seriously injured soon if these people don't exercise some common sense and self control!
This trail is great!
By
jimtav
in
August, 2009
This entire trail is paved, relatively flat, and in excellent condition. The only problems would require expensive fixes, like reducing the number of road crossings. The crossings at Walter Reed Drive, George Mason Drive, Columbia Pike, Lee Highway, Gallows Road, Maple Ave, Hunter Mill Road, Wiehle Ave., Sterling Parkway, and Belmont Ridge Road should all eventually be eliminated as they are particularly dangerous and inconvenient. However, those are the ONLY problems with this trail! Many of the major crossings have already been dealt with.
Since that post in 2005, the Section between Bluemont Park and Carling Springs Road have been realigned, dodging the Four Mile Run trail that was in poor repair. This is one of the best, if not THE best, urban trails in the country! There are numerous services available along the way, such as water, food, and bike shops. At the southern terminus, there is a new connector under I-395 which will take you right to the Mount Vernon Trail, crossing NO roads past Shirlington Road.
The section in Arlington is heavily used, but there are few road crossing and, except where it parallels I66, very pleasant. The Falls Church stretch has many small road crossings: be careful! From Rt. 7, the trail climbs slowly where it crosses I66, then I495. The Dunn Loring area is a long, straight stretch, but with a few crossings, the worst at Gallows Road. Vienna makes a good stopping point. The trail runs 3 miles non-stop, and downhill through the Hunter Valley, then climbs into Reston, where there are a number of minor and major road crossings. Many of the biggest roads in Reston have happily been bypassed using under and overpasses, although this creates a few 'artificial" hills. The trail passes right through downtown old town Herdon, where there is a pleasant park and an interesting museum about the railroad. Past this lies Sterling, where there are few roads, lots of trees, but two big "dips". (If you've ridden this part, you know what I mean!) The trail passes over busy Route 28, and into "the straightaway": a long, straight, flat stretch with almost no road crossings. Stop at Smith's Switch Station for water and gatorade. At Ashburn Road, you come to a b-b-q resturant and furniture store alongside the trail. The "straighaway" continues until the trail curves toward Belmont Ridge Road: be VERY careful at this intersection! The trail passes a quarry, over Goose Creek, and through a meadow as it approaches Leesburg. Leesburg itself has a number of road crossings, but also some nice parks. Past Leesburg, one has a beautiful, wooded trail where you can find some peace and seclusion as you climb towards Clarks Gap, then wander past Paenonian Springs to Purcellville. Finally, the trail comes to an end at 44.77 miles.
Wildlife corridor
By
in
January, 2004
"I have seen a wide variety of wildlife from the trail, including deer, fox, squirrel, ground hog, snakes, songbirds, king fisher, hawks, vultures, barred owl, common bat, etc. In the spring, the noise of peepers in the wetlands is simply overwhelming."
Best paved/flat trail in the east
By
in
September, 2002
"I suppose you can say that I am partial to this trail, especially since I live just down the street from the many access points (Crestview & Herndon Pkwy). The W&OD Trail is a good trail for beginners as well as pros. It's good for beginners because the trail is mostly level with only a few grades, it's good for pros because end to end, it offers a good, long ride, interrupted only by a few areas where the trail crosses some major intersections.
There are some really nice areas along the trail. My favorite is Glen Carlin Park – a beautiful, shady Park, located on the East End near Ballston. Also, the area of Clarks Gap (after Leesburg) continuing through Loudon Cty to Purciville is also very scenic and secluded. There are many rest stops along the W&OD Trail, places to eat and things to do along the way, including the Antique Shopping District in Leesburg, VA, just a few blocks North of the Trail and Glen Carlin Park near Wilson Blvd.
My usual ride is from Herndon to Ballston and back, or from Herndon to Purciville and back. I have also ridden all the way to Georgetown and to National Airport & then back to Herndon, all in one easy day. There are some great little ""cycle-friendly"" places for lunch not too far from the trail, as well as some great places to stop for a picnic lunch.
E-mail me for details if you like. Have fun!"
W & O D TRAIL IN ARLINGTON
By
in
September, 2000
"AFTER BIKING THE WESTERN HALF OF THIS
TRAIL MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT, I
TRIED THE EASTERN HALF LAST SATURDAY
(9-9-00)FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE TRAIL
WAS MOST ENJOYABLE AND I PLAN TO RIDE
IT MANY MORE TIMES. ONE PROBLEM I
ENCOUNTERED, THOUGH, WAS POOR SIGNING
THROUGH ARLINGTON COUNTY AFTER LEAVING
THE PORTION IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH.
NUMEROUS PLACES IN ARLINGTON HAVE JUNCTIONS WITH OTHER TRAILS, WHICH IS
GREAT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO A LACK
OF SIGNS, IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO
DETERMINE WHICH DIRECTION TO GO AT A
JUNCTION IF YOU WISH TO STAY ON THE
W & O D. AT THE END OF THE W & O D, THE
SIGNS IN ARLINGTON COUNTY AND THE CITY
OF ALEXANDRIA THAT DIRECT YOU TO THE
FOUR MILE RUN TRAIL ARE POOR. IT TOOK
ME SEVERAL WRONG TURNS BEFORE I FOUND
THE FOUR MILE RUN TRAIL SO I COULD GET
TO MY CAR PARKED AT NATIONAL AIRPORT. IT
WOULD BE NICE IF SOMEONE WITH AUTHORITY
TO DO SOMETHING WOULD ACTUALLY USE THESE
TRAILS. AT EVERY - REPEAT, EVERY! -
POINT WHERE YOU CAN GO MORE THAN ONE
DIRECTION, THERE SHOULD BE A SIGN
INDICATING WHICH DIRECTION WILL KEEP YOU
ON THE W & O D OR THE CONNECTION BETWEEN
IT AND THE FOUR MILE RUN TRAIL. THANKS!!"