Explore the best rated trails in Lorton, 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 100 trails covering 4523 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.
This 3.45-mile paved trail follows the Magruder Branch creek, beginning at the Damascus Recreational Park on Kings Valley Road. It’s a relatively flat trail for most of its length, barring the steeper...
The Lake Mercer Loop Trail wraps around Lake Mercer in Fairfax and is slightly over five miles in length. From the Lake Mercer Loop Trail you can hop on to the South Run Trail, or the Burke Lake Loop...
The Burke Lake Loop Trail offers a nearly 5-mile route for a pleasant walk or bike, while enjoying the beautiful scenery around Burke Lake in Fairfax. Since the Burke Lake Loop Trail is within Burke...
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...
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 Grist Mill Trail at Patapsco Valley State Park course for 2.5 miles through the heavily wooded park between Ilchester Road and Lost Lake. The trail is gentle and wheelchair accessible. It passes...
Formerly known as the Parklawn North Trail, this path provides a bike-ped connection from the Twinbrook neighborhood to the Rock Creek Trail. The paved trail begins at the end of Rock Creek Mill Road,...
This paved sidepath runs parallel to Centreville Road/State Route 657, providing a safe route for alternative transportation along the busy suburban roadway in western Fairfax County. The trail runs...
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...
The Warrenton Branch Greenway follows a segment of the former Warrenton Branch Spur railroad, running between downtown Warrenton (at S. 4th Street) and Meetze Road. The Warrenton Branch was...
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Rock Creek Trail forms a winding path, at times narrow, through the urban greenway of Rock Creek Regional Park. The trail extends between Needwood Lake northeast of Rockville, MD, and the Washington,...
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Maryland's Indian Creek Trail is one of the shorter components of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System, but it serves as a vital link between the town of Berwyn Heights, Maryland, and scenic Lake...
Lake Frank is a 54-acre reservoir located in the heart of Rock Creek Regional Park in Derwood, east of Rockville. The reservoir, together with Lake Needham was created for flood control and was named...
Black Hill Trail offers a wooded trek with gentle inclines through Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. The trail is primarily paved, though a short section in...
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...
The developing South Shore Trail will one day stretch 14 miles between Annapolis and Odenton. It's also part of the larger East Coast Greenway, a widespread network connecting trails from Maine to...
The Kent Island South Trail is one of two popular recreational trails (along with the Cross Island Trail) on Maryland's Kent Island, the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay. The trail runs parallel...
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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 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 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...
Opened in 2009, the short Lord Fairfax Community College Connector Trail extends from the parking lot of the junior college to its temporary endpoint in a scenic wildlife area. Eventually, an extended...
The John Overstreet Connector is a 1.5-mile trail segment that links the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail and BWI Trail. The shortbut vitaltrail is named after Overstreet, a retiree from Glen Burnie,...
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,...
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...
The separated multi-use Rosewick Road Sidepath provides a direct link for both recreation and transportation between the southern Maryland communities of St. Charles and La Plata. The path runs...
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...
Tucked in the meandering, wooded hills of the sprawling yet understated multimillion-dollar estates of Great Falls, just outside Washington, D.C., is the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic...
The Cub Run Stream Valley Trail offers a paved route meandering through Cub Run Stream Valley Park in the Northern Virginia suburb of Centreville. Though it's surrounded by residential neighborhoods,...
The Grist Mill Trail at Patapsco Valley State Park course for 2.5 miles through the heavily wooded park between Ilchester Road and Lost Lake. The trail is gentle and wheelchair accessible. It passes...
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 Henson Creek Trail is located in the southwestern portion of Prince George's County, Maryland, and connects the growing District of Columbia suburbs of Fort Washington and Oxon Hill with the...
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...
The 11-mile BWI Trail was primarily designed for area commuters; however, the trail also makes for a great recreation venue. Despite being close to BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport, much of the trail is...
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...
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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...
The Kent Island South Trail is one of two popular recreational trails (along with the Cross Island Trail) on Maryland's Kent Island, the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay. The trail runs parallel...
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...
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 developing South Shore Trail will one day stretch 14 miles between Annapolis and Odenton. It's also part of the larger East Coast Greenway, a widespread network connecting trails from Maine to...
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.
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...
The Henson Creek Trail is located in the southwestern portion of Prince George's County, Maryland, and connects the growing District of Columbia suburbs of Fort Washington and Oxon Hill with the...
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...
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...
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...
Nestled amongst the trees of St. Mary's River State Park, trail-goers will find an 8-mile path that loops around St. Mary's Lake, offering beautiful natural scenery and the chance to catch a glimpse...
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...
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 Matthew Henson Trail runs along a paved surface (rough in places from tree roots) through a narrow band of forested green space between the Rock Creek Trail just south of Veirs Road and Alderton...
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...
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,...
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Trail provides a superb link between Alexandria, VA, and Maryland's National Harbor over the Potomac River. This well-used trail crosses on the up-river side of the bridge...
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...
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 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...
Tucked in the meandering, wooded hills of the sprawling yet understated multimillion-dollar estates of Great Falls, just outside Washington, D.C., is the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic...
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...
Located in the northwest section of Washington, D.C., Rock Creek Park is the oldest and largest urban park in the national park system. Established in 1890, Rock Creek Park offers more than 1,700...
The Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail (DRHT) is currently a private-use trail only, which means a permit is required to use it. Friends of the DRHT are working to create public access to the trail,...
Great area, but reeks of sewage... Many times you must cross water bridges on foot
This was my first ride on the C & O in years. I've stayed away due to rough gravel, pot holes, and rocks that even my hybrid couldn't overcome. But recently I heard that there had been resurfacing at Shepherdstown. What a world of difference! Crushed limestone that is compacted into a very level trail. We rode north from Dargan Bend to a couple miles past Shepherdstown. Dargan Bend was the closest parking lot we could find across from Harper's Ferry. Being there in late fall, the trees were bare but the river views were great. The trail north of Shepherdstown is gravel with rocks protruding here and there, making for a rough ride. We only traveled until hitting 10 miles from our start before turning back. Our timing couldn't have been worse as there was some kind of a foot race going on, but since we traveled 100 miles to get here we rode anyway. (I checked the NPS.gov website before going but saw no mention of the race, so not sure how one finds out about events on the towpath.) Overall, though, it was a great 20 mile ride.
I walked a whole circle around the lake. Took me 2hours and some minutes. Wasn’t challenging because the view was great. About 15600 steps. Really great.
We did this trail in the fall and it was absolutely gorgeous. Well maintained paved trail and bridges. There were a lot of people and dogs, but everyone was really respectful of distance and providing space to pass.
I chose the south trail b/c I thought it might be quieter than the other trail on a fall Sat afternoon. It was perfect. New asphalt path, light traffic, lots of pretty scenery, and a stop at Kentmorr Restaurant for their crab pretzel. I also appreciated the flat, wide path away from the cars. I parked free where it says to park on the map, and hopped right on the path.
Nice short trail. Good signs and not crowded.
I'd say this is mostly a way to conveniently get around town. Say if you're a Rockville resident and worker, it's probably pretty good for commuting. The scenery isn't that great, and it's quite loud for a lot of it. However, it's fine for getting exercise around the area.
Use caution when on a bike. Keep a low speed. While they seem to be making some improvements slowly, in spots the pavement is so broken up it’s nearly impassible. Additionally the side path dumps you off on to the mail road without a clear way how to connection and it doesn’t even exist for a couple of important blocks.
On 10/22/20 my friend and I rode the above stretch. It was absolutely beautiful! We were cautious due to the mornings heavy fog and all the damp leaves on the ground. Made the paths edges somewhat difficult to see. The trail was extremely smooth until you get to the Brunswick Waste Treatment Plant, where you share the dusty and bumpy road with big trucks coming and going from the plant. Pot holes were terrible there. But once back on the trail, it was a smooth sail. I believe it was around a 28-mile ride for us.
This is an easy trail for kids. They learn a little history and have fun. One of my kids danced on most of it. The loop is a good feature.
I rode this out of Great Falls for a new view on the way back to DC. It’s a nice changed after the C&O Trail but on weekends, cars park in or right next to the bike path (illegally) up by great falls so keep your head on a swivel to doors and cars backing up because they aren’t looking for you. It has multiple connections to the C&O if you change your mind. So you can connect it to Capital Crescent as well. Coolest part is Glen Echo Park grounds
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