Explore the best rated trails in Idylwood, VA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Meadowlark Connector Trail and Ox Road Sidepath. With more than 107 trails covering 4548 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.
The Mary Washington Hospital Trail runs along the southeast border of the hospital center, proving a pleasant stroll or gentle bike ride for hospital visitors and patients.
Maryland's Cross Island Trail spans Kent Island, east to west, in Queen Anne's County, providing multiple points of access to everything from libraries and schools to ball fields and the waterfront....
Running parallel to Beulah Street from Franconia to Fort Belvoir in southeast Fairfax County, the paved Beulah Street Sidepath provides a link to numerous neighborhoods along its route. A parallel...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
The Anacostia Tributary Trail System includes a number of trails linked together and managed by the National Park Service. The trail include: the Anacostia River Trail, the Northwest Branch Trail, the...
Following the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Towpath traverses the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. For...
The Rappahannock Canal Walk follows the old towpath along the disused canal just northwest of downtown Fredericksburg. The path follows a winding course past old suburban back yards and through a...
The Vesper Trail, which opened in 2019, serves as a short but important connector between Tysons and northern Vienna. The pathway spans 0.4 miles between the Spring Hill Metro Station (on the Silver...
The Braddock Road Sidepath parallels Braddock Road and New Braddock Road (State Route 620) between Centreville and Burke, two bedroom communities in Northern Virginia's Fairfax County. The trail...
The White’s Mill Trail provides a scenic route through wetlands and residential areas in the rural town of Warrenton. Trail-goers will enjoy the natural beauty of the Cedar Run valley and wildlife...
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...
Providing an important urban link between the Crystal City area of Arlington and the western edge of historical Alexandria, the Potomac Yard Trail is a huge boon to the area for commuting as well as...
Baltimore’s Herring Run Trail runs through scenic Herring Run Park, centered on a tributary of the Back River. The winding trail follows Herring Run through a woodlands environment so peaceful you're...
This short rail-with-trail is short but makes some pretty significant connections: it links the King Street and Braddock Road metro stations. It also connects to the Potomac Yard Trail, helping to...
The Ox Road Sidepath is a paved trail that runs parallel to Ox Road/State Route 123 in Fairfax County. The trail runs from George Mason University's main Fairfax campus to just south of the former...
Annapolis' Poplar Trail runs for nearly 1 mile on a section of the old Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis right-of-way in the heart of Maryland's capital city. Although short, the trail is a vital part...
Maryland's Intercounty Connector Trail serves as an important commuting route across Montgomery County and Prince George's County. It gets its name from the Intercounty Connector (also known as State...
The Blake Lane Sidepath runs for 3 miles, linking Oak Marr Park and Recreation Center with neighborhoods, Oakton High School and other parks. Most of the trail is concrete and the width of a standard...
Although it parallels Eisenhower Avenue, this paved pathway is not without its charms. On its west end, Alexandria's Eisenhower Avenue Trail begins in Hensley Park, which offers plentiful parking and...
A winding line of asphalt meanders between Glenn Dale Park in Lanham to Annapolis Road. The trail is sheltered amongst the riparian woodland of Folly Branch. At the north end of the trail can be...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
This rail-with-trail bridge crosses the Potomac River near its confluence with the Shenandoah River, at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. A cantilevered section of the bridge allows pedestrian access...
The MacArthur Boulevard Bike Path follows the winding road through the communities of Bethesda and Potomac, just north of Washington, DC. Along the way, the path passes shops in Cabin John and Glen...
Rocky Run Stream Valley Trail is part of the countywide trail system. This trail runs from the Fairfax County Parkway to Ellanor C. Lawrence Park. The distance along the trail from the Parkway to the...
The Folly Lick Branch Trail begins in Herndon, a northern Virginia suburb. The paved pathway begins off Herndon Parkway and winds northeast along the Folly Lick Branch stream through a residential...
The Lone Wolf Trail is a 1-mile trail in Anne Arundel County Maryland. The trail is connected to two already existing trails: The Strawberry Lake Way Bicycle Path, and the WB&A Trail. Although the...
Burke VRE Trail lies within Pohick Stream Valley Park and provides an important commuting and recreational corridor, connecting a shopping center, residential neighborhoods, and a Virginia Railway...
The Savage Mill Trail in Savage Park travels along the rolling Patuxent River through the grounds of an old cotton mill. In the early 1800s, Savage was a major manufacturing center, harnessing power...
The Rappahannock Canal Walk follows the old towpath along the disused canal just northwest of downtown Fredericksburg. The path follows a winding course past old suburban back yards and through a...
This short sidepath parallels Herndon Parkway on the eastern edge of Herndon in Northern Virginia. Much of the trail is the width of a standard sidewalk, and it includes crosswalks and curb-cuts at...
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...
Baltimore’s Herring Run Trail runs through scenic Herring Run Park, centered on a tributary of the Back River. The winding trail follows Herring Run through a woodlands environment so peaceful you're...
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Prince George's County's Paint Branch Trail (not to be confused with Montgomery County's Paint Branch Trail farther north) runs for 3.5 miles between Lake Artemesia and Cherry Hill Neighborhood Park...
In Northern Virginia's suburban community of Springfield, Lake Accotink Park provides a wilderness escape amid the city surroundings. The 500-acre park features picnic areas, miniature golf, an...
Maryland's Cross Island Trail spans Kent Island, east to west, in Queen Anne's County, providing multiple points of access to everything from libraries and schools to ball fields and the waterfront....
The Braddock Road Sidepath parallels Braddock Road and New Braddock Road (State Route 620) between Centreville and Burke, two bedroom communities in Northern Virginia's Fairfax County. The trail...
The Blake Lane Sidepath runs for 3 miles, linking Oak Marr Park and Recreation Center with neighborhoods, Oakton High School and other parks. Most of the trail is concrete and the width of a standard...
The Bluemont Junction Trail is a short paved trail that branches off from the popular Washington and Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) in the heart of Arlington. The trail was built on a spur line that once...
The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail is an important component of the transportation network in the nation's capital and a priority project under President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative. The...
The Patuxent Branch Trail is part of a 20-mile trail system over and around the rolling hills of Howard County that follows a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line along the Patuxent River. The...
This bike and pedestrian path threads through the park of the same name. The trail exists in 2 sections: the northern segment begins in the Fairland Recreational Park and winds south, eventually...
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The Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) is one of suburban Washington, D.C.'s most popular rail-trails. The heavily used trail is frequented by commuters and recreationists alike, and is a...
The Broadneck Peninsula Trail is 1.2 miles of asphalt walking and biking pathway in east Annapolis. The trail runs parallel to College Parkway, from Green Holly Drive to Old Cape St. Claire Road,...
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...
Providing an important urban link between the Crystal City area of Arlington and the western edge of historical Alexandria, the Potomac Yard Trail is a huge boon to the area for commuting as well as...
The Sligo Creek Trail parallels the eponymous waterway from its confluence with the Northwest Branch in Hyattsville to just north of its origin in Wheaton in Montgomery County. Along the way, a number...
The #8 Streetcar Path runs just a short distance (0.33 mile) along part of the route of the former streetcar system that once ran between Catonsville and Ellicott City. The streetcar operated from...
Located just 18 miles south of our nation's capital, the Indian Head Rail Trail offers a unique natural outdoor experience, seemingly far removed from urban development and its associated chaotic...
The Bethesda Trolley Trail—also known as the North Bethesda Trail—is a 4-mile path linking Bethesda and North Bethesda, primarily by bridging two major highways. The trail occupies the abandoned...
Running parallel to Beulah Street from Franconia to Fort Belvoir in southeast Fairfax County, the paved Beulah Street Sidepath provides a link to numerous neighborhoods along its route. A parallel...
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...
The Rappahannock Canal Walk follows the old towpath along the disused canal just northwest of downtown Fredericksburg. The path follows a winding course past old suburban back yards and through a...
This rail-with-trail bridge crosses the Potomac River near its confluence with the Shenandoah River, at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. A cantilevered section of the bridge allows pedestrian access...
The Unfinished Railroad Loop Trail is a short hiking trail within Manassas National Battlefield Park. The rail-trail runs on a corridor planned in the mid-19th century as a complement to the Manassas...
The Northeast Branch Trail follows the levee along theyou guessed itNortheast Branch of the Anacostia River from the Lake Artemesia Natural Area to Baltimore Avenue/US 1 (south of Hyattsville). The...
The first thing you may notice about the Trolly Line #9 Trail is the boardwalk that curves between the bluffs of massive rock. The granite was hand cut in the 1890s when the electric streetcar rails...
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The Cross County Trail is a multi-use trail that generally follows the various stream valleys in Fairfax County, Virginia. Some sections are wheelchair/mobility scooter accessible but not all...
Burke VRE Trail lies within Pohick Stream Valley Park and provides an important commuting and recreational corridor, connecting a shopping center, residential neighborhoods, and a Virginia Railway...
The Rappahannock River Heritage Trail offers a pleasant, paved route in the center of Fredericksburg with beautiful views of the Rappahannock River. Part of the trail winds through Old Mill Park,...
The Custis Trail is a popular urban route that links Virginia's D.C. suburbs with the District itself, connecting to both the W&OD Railroad Regional Park Trail at the latter's 4-mile marker and the...
Rode our e-bikes on this flat, partially sunny trail from the trail head to Baggett Park on a 36 degree Saturday in November. Parked at the shopping center at the Rt 3/Mohawk Rd intersection, which is one block south of the Deborah Rd trail starting point. Otherwise, parking at the Senior Center takes you 2.5 miles further down the trail. Nice, pastoral views of farmland, horses, barn cats and the occasional dog barking from a yard in the distance. Would definitely enjoy doing this trail again in the Summer. distance.
Short, not crowded, paved and a very nice flattish ride. Parking at senior center, or the beginning. Not at the library, not at Deborah Dr. Ride this if you are near by.
It is a gorgeous trail. However, it is narrow, it has sudden dips, and there is coarse gravel on the path, throughout. Tree roots abound. There are places where someone has placed wooden platforms in the middle of the path, which are nearly impossible to avoid, and cannot be ridden over! I will return and walk the dog, but I'll never attempt to ride it again (after wiping out 3 times, very painfully).
This was my first time running on the capital crescent trail and It was stunning! The views are incredible! You can even see the Washington monument a bit further down Capital Crescent after passing Fletchers Cove. I am looking forward to doing this trail again! The trail is flat which is nice and easy to run on, completely flat and paved .
Have not ridden the Cross Island Trail in a couple of weeks, but drove by it on the way back home from Delaware today. The expansion which begins at the Kent Narrows near Harris' Crab House and ends at Long Point Park is complete and people were walking and riding this section. Beautifully done!
Rode this trail Friday October 4 took canal towpath west until the second bridge connection and continued until the pave trail ended. Towpath was nice and dry but rough ( should have worn gloves ) Went back on paved Western Maryland Rail Trail. There were 2 gigantic parking lots which had no cars not sure if they are necessary but nice. The trail has grown longer since the last time I was here.
First time at this trail. Went to Purcellville Saturday October 5 after riding Brunswick to Harpers Ferry. Lots of parking even for the big minivan. Heading East out of town the trail is smooth and flat following the power line right of way. Total ride was around 40 miles seemed easier going East. Many rest areas and food stops along my ride. Kind of cool but nice weather. Also 90 percent of the cars stopped to let me cross at the many intersections. Not used to this and strange ( I am from Ohio )
A gorgeous day for a ride, with a bit of a snag early on. One leg of the trail (Arthur Ross to Rte 225, about 2 miles from the Indian Head trailhead) is closed due to asphalt maintenance. They expect to open again by tomorrow. You can work around the closure riding through the neighborhood streets that parallel the trail.
Aside from that one unexpected detour, a beautiful ride on a flat, well marked and maintained trail.
I use the trail in the Vienna area and am elderly and love to use the trail walking to exercise. There are some longer parts where there are no facilities (benches) to stop and rest. Could more benches be added please to aid those of us (the elderly) who love to walk the trail but are limited because we need to stop and rest more often. Thank you.
Miles 0 - 4.5 are meh in my opinion. You pass some neighborhoods along the way and a few small parks and have to cross a couple of busy roads. Personally, I really enjoyed the ride through the woods along the NW Branch Anacostia River starting at about mile 4.5 (Adelphi Manor Park) which made the ride worth it for me. The paved trail kind of abruptly ends at mile 7.
I would recommend not going past mile 6 as the trail conditions deteriorate pretty badly after that. You aren't really missing anything between miles 6 and 7 besides a really bumpy ride. I can see how another reviewer thought the woods were a bit eerie, but I thought it was a nice surprise when I reached that point particularly enjoying the river view.
On a side note, around the start of the trail there is a bakery right when you cross Rhode Island Avenue that's pretty highly rated if you want a quick pitstop.
I like to use this trail for a nice easy ride between Lake Artemesia in College Park and the Bladensburg Waterfront Park (about a mile past the beginning (mile 0) following the Anacostia River Trail), both beautiful locations to enjoy. It's less than 10 miles round trip. Personally, I like the long straightaway between about mile 0.5 and mile 1.5 which is kind of through an open field. It connects to several other trails in the Anacostia Tributary Trail System. Well paved and quiet with a couple small road crossings.
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