Explore the best rated trails in Montclair, 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 90 trails covering 4467 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.
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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 Stringfellow Road Sidepath runs for three miles through Chantilly and Centreville in Northern Virginia's Fairfax County. The asphalt and concrete trail connects multiple neighborhoods to various...
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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...
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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...
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 Anacostia River Trail, sometimes referred to as the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, is an important component of the Capital Trails Coalition's plan to create an 800-mile network of multiuse trails...
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 Fairfax County Parkway Trail parallels Fairfax County Parkway/State Route 286 on its route across Fairfax County, Virginia. While the paved trail varies in width and condition, most of the trail...
Southern Maryland's Three Notch Trail is a work-in-progress under the guidance of St. Mary's County and other stakeholders. When complete, the recreational trail will extend 28 miles along an...
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...
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 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 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 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...
Central Maryland's WB&A Trail occupies the former Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis Electric Railway corridor—hence its name—for its entire route. The railroad operated electric commuter trains...
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...
Following the route of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Metropolitan Branch rail line, the Met Branch Trail is a busy urban rail-with-trail that shares a corridor with Metro's Red Line, MARC commuter...
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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 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...
The West Ox Road Sidepath is a short paved trail along the west side of West Ox Road. The trail extends from the Oak Hill area of Fairfax County to southeastern Chantilly (near Fair Oaks Mall in...
Southern Maryland's Three Notch Trail is a work-in-progress under the guidance of St. Mary's County and other stakeholders. When complete, the recreational trail will extend 28 miles along an...
The Lake Artemesia Trailone component of the larger Anacostia Tributary Trail Systemcompletely encircles its scenic eponymous lake in Prince George's County, Maryland. The trail is also a great...
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 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 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...
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 Four Mile Run Trail traverses the Four Mile Run stream valley and has many twists and turns, not to mention steep sections (mercifully short). The trail more or less parallels the popular W&OD...
Although less than two miles long, the Meadowlark Connector Trail provides a terrific link between the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and the popular W&OD Trail. The trail meets the W&OD in Vienna;...
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...
The Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail provides a safe pathway for students, from kindergartners to doctoral candidates, to walk and bike to school in College Park, Riverdale Park and Hyattsville. The...
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 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 11-mile Capital Crescent Trail follows the former route of the Georgetown Branch rail line of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. It begins in Silver Spring, Maryland, east of the Rock Creek Trestle,...
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...
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...
Cameron Station Linear Park is the quintessential neighborhood trail. Located in Alexandria, a suburb of Washington, D.C., it offers a pleasant paved pathway frequented by joggers, dog walkers,...
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 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....
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...
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 Northwest Branch Trail—an integral part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System—runs between the Maryland towns of Hyattsville and Silver Spring, linking two bustling suburbs of Washington, D.C....
The Holmes Run Trail offers a scenic pathway through the heart of a busy residential area in Alexandria and adjoining Fairfax County, both suburbs of Washington, D.C. The trail, which is divided into...
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...
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...
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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...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
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 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...
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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,...
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....
Situated midway between the nation’s capital and the Virginia capital of Richmond, the Virginia Central Railway Trail will one day offer more than 30 miles of trail from downtown Fredericksburg west...
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...
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...
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...
Cameron Station Linear Park is the quintessential neighborhood trail. Located in Alexandria, a suburb of Washington, D.C., it offers a pleasant paved pathway frequented by joggers, dog walkers,...
Excellent place to road your bike and get In touch with nature
Much better over the weekend when you go on beach drive with new pavement!
Overall, a nice, scenic ride almost entirely tree-covered with plenty of streams for ambiance. As described, surface is mostly paved with several stretches of boardwalk and wooden bridges varying in length. I would not recommend riding with a true road bike with road tires due to the boardwalk. At least a hybrid with hybrid tires will work.
I found the elevation changes to be perhaps a little more challenging than what other riders have stated in their reviews. For perspective, I’m 56 years old, ride daily between trails and road and average a little over 3,000 miles a year. At no point did I feel overly exerted; but the elevation changes occur throughout the length of the trail, not only at the ends. I resorted to standing climbs for short stretches.
Finally, as described, the trail is only 3 ½ miles long so if you’re looking to spend a day riding, obviously this isn’t the trail for you. I did two complete roundtrips and added in some of the neighborhoods to finish with 17 miles.
Parts of this trail are a bit steep, but that's OK since you're expected to use your muscles when you bicycle. I like the parts of the trail that are closer to quiet parks and go through forests. When you're closer to places like Randolph Rd., Capital Beltway, Norbeck, or Viers Mill, it's very loud.
First time on this trail, and impressed by the work that went into putting it together (a lot of boardwalks/bridges). Great local resource in Damascus/Mount Airy area. The hill at the southern end is a workout, but overall an easy ride.
Nice trail that intersects with the Rock Creek Trail near Norbeck Road. Well marked, smooth, and wide. The section from Rock Creek Trail to the lakeside portion is just over half a mile, and is very nice. Once you get to the lakeside portion to the left there is an elevated section overlooking the south end of the lake that is quite picturesque, which ends at Avery Road parking area. To the right the trail follows former park road (now closed to motor vehicles), and is quite wide. The paved trail ends 2/10's of a mile past where it intersects with Trailway Drive. Low traffic volume surface streets can also be used to connect to the Intercounty Connector Trail (ICC Trail) from Trailway Drive, which is just under three miles away. Suggested route: Trailway Dr. to left on Bauer, right on Emory, left on Sunflower, left on Hornbeam, right on Sycamore, left on Pinetree, right on Emory, to ICC 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.
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